_(St_Edwards_Crown).svg){kind=small} 2016 United Kingdom EU membership referendum (23 June) |
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| Legislation |
| Referendum question |
| “Should the United Kingdom remain a member of the European Union or leave the European Union?” |
| Referendum choices |
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“Remain a member of the European Union” “Leave the European Union” |
| Background |
| Campaign |
|
| Outcome |
| Part of a series of articles on |
| UK membership of the European Union (1973–2020) |
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The European Union Referendum Act 2015 (c. 36) was an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that made legal provision for a consultative referendum to be held in the United Kingdom and Gibraltar, on whether it should remain a member state of the European Union or leave the bloc altogether.[1][2] The Bill was introduced to the House of Commons by Philip Hammond, Foreign Secretary on 28 May 2015.[3] Two weeks later, the second reading of the Bill was supported by MPs from all parties except the SNP;[4] the Bill subsequently passed on its third reading in the Commons on 7 September 2015.[5] It was approved by the House of Lords on 14 December 2015,[6] and given Royal Assent on 17 December 2015. The Act came partly into force on the same day and came into full legal force on 1 February 2016.
The Act gave effect to a manifesto commitment of the Conservative Party at the general election of May 2015, and was one of the most significant pieces of legislation that was passed by the 2015–17 Parliament. It required the Secretary of State to appoint the day on which the referendum should be held, although it could not be any later than 31 December 2017 and, on 20 February 2016, David Cameron announced that the referendum would take place on 23 June 2016. In the referendum, the electorate voted by 51.9 per cent to 48.1 per cent in favour of leaving the EU, on a 72 per cent national turnout.
The Act became spent upon the conclusion of the referendum.
- ^ European Union Referendum Act 2015 in BAILII.
- ^ David Allen Green (14 June 2016). "Can the United Kingdom government legally disregard a vote for Brexit?". Financial Times. Retrieved 26 June 2016.
- ^ "European Union Referendum Bill 2015–16". Parliament of the United Kingdom. Retrieved 8 September 2015.
- ^ "European Union Referendum Bill — Second Reading — 9 Jun 2015 at 19:36". www.publicwhip.org.uk. Retrieved 23 March 2019.
- ^ "The Public Whip — European Union Referendum Bill — Third Reading - 7 Sep 2015 at 24:28". www.publicwhip.org.uk. Retrieved 2 February 2019.
- ^ Dathan, Matt (15 December 2015). "EU referendum outcome on a knife edge, new poll reveals". The Independent. Retrieved 16 December 2015.