United Kingdom referendum election 2017 Results Voting Live Dates Opinion Exit Poll

United Kingdom referendum election Dates 2017

United Kingdom referendum election Date: 31 December 2017

The United Kingdom European Union membership referendum, also known as the EU referendum and the Brexit referendum, took place on 23 June 2016 in the United Kingdom (UK) and Gibraltar to gauge support for the country either remaining a member of, or leaving, the European Union (EU). The referendum resulted in 51.9% of voters voting in favour of leaving the EU. The government initiated the official EU withdrawal process on 29 March 2017, which put the UK on course to complete the withdrawal process by 30 March 2019.

Membership of the EU and its predecessors has long been a topic of debate in the United Kingdom. The country joined what were then the three European Communities, principally the European Economic Community (EEC, or "Common Market"), in 1973. A first referendum on continued membership of the then European Communities (Common Market) was held in 1975, and it was approved by 67.2% of "Yes" voters compared to 32.8% of "No" voters.

In May 2015, in accordance with a Conservative Party manifesto commitment following that party's surprise victory in the 2015 UK general election, the legal basis for a referendum on EU membership was established by the UK Parliament through the European Union Referendum Act 2015. Britain Stronger in Europe was the official group campaigning for the UK to remain in the EU, and was endorsed by the

Prime Minister David Cameron and Chancellor George Osborne. Vote Leave was the official group campaigning for the UK to leave the EU, and was fronted by the Conservative MP Boris Johnson, Secretary of State for Justice Michael Gove and Labour MP Gisela Stuart. Other campaign groups, political parties, businesses, trade unions, newspapers and prominent individuals were also involved, and each side had supporters from across the political spectrum.

United Kingdom referendum election Voting Live 2017

1. The European Communities were formed in the 1950s—the European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC) in 1952, and the European Atomic Energy Community (EAEC or Euratom) and European Economic Community (EEC) in 1957.^[1] The EEC, much the largest of the three, came to be known as the "Common Market". The UK first applied to join them in 1961, but this was vetoed by France.
2. A later application was successful, and the UK joined in 1973; two years later, a referendum on continuing membership resulted in 67.2% approval. Political integration gained greater focus when the Maastricht Treatyestablished the European Union (EU) in 1993, which incorporated (and after the Treaty of Lisbon, succeeded) the European Communities.
3. Before the 2010 general election, David Cameron had given a "cast iron" promise of a referendum on the Lisbon Treaty, which he backtracked on after all EU countries had ratified the Treaty before the election.

Electoral system of United Kingdom

The right to vote in the referendum in the United Kingdom is defined by the legislation as limited to residents of the United Kingdom who were either also Commonwealth citizens under the British Nationality Act 1948 (which include British citizens

and other British nationals), or those who were also citizens of the Republic of Ireland, or both. Members of the House of Lords were able to vote in the referendum.

Residents of the United Kingdom who were citizens of other EU countries were not allowed to vote unless they were citizens (or were also citizens) of the Republic of Ireland, of Malta or of the Republic of Cyprus.

The Representation of the People Acts 1983 (1983 c. 2) and 1985 (1985 c. 50), as amended, also permit certain British citizens (but not other British nationals), who had once lived in the United Kingdom, but had since and in the meantime lived outside of the United Kingdom, but for a period of no more than 15 years, to vote.

Voting on the day of the referendum was from 0700 to 2200 BST (WEST) (0700 to 2200 CEST in Gibraltar) in some 41,000 polling stations manned by over 100,000 staff. Each polling station was specified to have no more than 2,500 registered voters. Under the provisions of the Representation of the People Act 2000, postal ballots were also permitted in the referendum and were sent out to eligible voters some three weeks ahead of the vote (2 June 2016).

Candidates for United Kingdom referendum election

N/A

United Kingdom Parties and leaders

• Conservative Party.
• Co-operative Party.
• Democratic Unionist Party.
• Green Party.
• Labour Party.
• Liberal Democrats.
• Plaid Cymru.
• Scottish National Party.

United Kingdom past election results