Brexit Timeline

(June 23, 2016 – Present)

Brexit refers to the United Kingdom's withdrawal from the European Union, following a 2016 referendum in which 51.9% of voters chose to leave. The process involved years of complex negotiations over trade, borders, and citizens' rights, culminating in the UK's official departure on January 31, 2020, and the end of the transition period on December 31, 2020. More Less

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Road to the Referendum

1975 European Communities membership referendum

Jun 5, 1975

Britain held its first nationwide referendum, asking voters whether the UK should remain in the European Communities. About 67% voted to stay, temporarily settling the question of British membership, though Euroscepticism persisted within both major parties.

Image source: 1975 United Kingdom European Communities membership referendum

Maastricht Treaty signed creating the European Union

Feb 7, 1992

The Maastricht Treaty transformed the European Community into the European Union, deepening political and monetary integration. Its ratification proved contentious in Britain, fueling rebellion among Conservative MPs and strengthening the emerging Eurosceptic movement.

Image source: Maastricht Treaty

UK opts out of the euro currency

Jan 1, 1999

When the euro launched as an accounting currency for eleven EU member states, the United Kingdom exercised its opt-out negotiated at Maastricht. Chancellor Gordon Brown later set five economic tests that were judged unmet, keeping Britain outside the single currency.

Image source: United Kingdom and the euro

Cameron announces pledge of an in-out referendum

Jan 23, 2013

Prime Minister David Cameron announced that a Conservative government would renegotiate Britain's EU membership terms and then hold an in-out referendum, aiming to placate Eurosceptic backbenchers and counter the rise of UKIP.

Image source: 2016 United Kingdom European Union membership referendum

European Union Referendum Act receives royal assent

Dec 17, 2015

After winning the 2015 general election with an outright majority, Cameron's government passed legislation authorizing a national referendum on continued EU membership, setting the legal framework for the historic vote.

Image source: European Union Referendum Act 2015

Cameron concludes EU renegotiation deal

Feb 19, 2016

At a summit in Brussels, Cameron secured a package of reforms including a 'benefits brake' on migrant welfare payments and protections for non-euro states. Critics dismissed the deal as minor, and it became largely irrelevant after the Leave vote.

Image source: 2015–2016 United Kingdom renegotiation of European Union membership

Referendum and Negotiations

EU membership referendum held in the United Kingdom

Jun 23, 2016

Voters across the United Kingdom and Gibraltar went to the polls to decide whether to remain in or leave the European Union. Turnout reached 72%, one of the highest in British electoral history, reflecting the magnitude of the decision.

Pound sterling plunges to 31-year low

Jun 24, 2016

Financial markets reacted sharply to the Leave vote, with the pound falling more than 10% against the dollar to its lowest level since 1985. The FTSE 100 initially dropped before recovering, while uncertainty gripped businesses and households.

Image source: Economic effects of Brexit

Leave campaign wins with 51.9% of the vote

Jun 24, 2016

The result was declared in the early hours of June 24: 51.9% voted Leave against 48.1% for Remain. England and Wales backed Leave while Scotland and Northern Ireland voted Remain, exposing deep divisions within the union itself.

Image source: Results of the 2016 United Kingdom European Union membership referendum

May triggers Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty

Mar 29, 2017

May formally notified the European Council of Britain's intention to leave the EU, starting a two-year countdown to departure set for March 29, 2019. The letter was delivered by ambassador Tim Barrow to Donald Tusk in Brussels.

Image source: Withdrawal from the European Union

Brexit negotiations officially begin

Jun 19, 2017

Formal talks opened between Brexit Secretary David Davis and the EU's chief negotiator Michel Barnier. Early rounds focused on citizens' rights, the financial settlement, and the Irish border question before trade discussions could begin.

First phase agreement on divorce terms reached

Dec 8, 2017

May and European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker announced sufficient progress on citizens' rights, the so-called divorce bill of roughly £39 billion, and the Irish border, allowing talks to move to future relations.

Revised Brexit deal agreed with the EU

Oct 17, 2019

Johnson negotiated a new deal replacing the backstop with a customs border in the Irish Sea via the Northern Ireland Protocol. The DUP refused to support it, but the EU endorsed the agreement at the Brussels summit.

Image source: Brexit withdrawal agreement

Political Turmoil

David Cameron resigns as Prime Minister

Jun 24, 2016 - Jul 13, 2016

Having staked his premiership on a Remain victory, Cameron announced his resignation hours after the result, saying the country required fresh leadership. He left office once Theresa May won the Conservative leadership contest.

Image source: 2016 Conservative Party leadership election

Theresa May becomes Prime Minister

Jul 13, 2016

Theresa May succeeded Cameron after her rivals withdrew from the leadership contest. Her mantra 'Brexit means Brexit' signaled commitment to honoring the referendum result, though she initially resisted setting a timetable for withdrawal.

Image source: Premiership of Theresa May

Supreme Court Miller judgment on parliamentary approval

Jan 24, 2017

The Supreme Court ruled unanimously that the government could not trigger Article 50 using royal prerogative alone; Parliament had to authorize the process. The ruling led to the European Union (Notification of Withdrawal) Act 2017.

May calls snap general election

Apr 18, 2017

Seeking a larger majority to strengthen her hand in Brexit negotiations, May called an early election despite previously ruling one out. The gamble would prove costly to her authority.

Image source: 2017 United Kingdom general election

Conservatives lose majority in snap election

Jun 8, 2017

Labour under Jeremy Corbyn outperformed expectations, costing the Conservatives their parliamentary majority. May formed a confidence-and-supply agreement with the Democratic Unionist Party, weakening her position ahead of crucial Brexit votes.

Draft Withdrawal Agreement published amid Cabinet resignations

Nov 14, 2018

The draft deal including the controversial Northern Ireland backstop triggered the resignations of Brexit Secretary Dominic Raab and Work and Pensions Secretary Esther McVey, deepening divisions within the Conservative Party.

Commons rejects May's Brexit deal by record margin

Jan 15, 2019

Parliament defeated the withdrawal agreement by 230 votes, the largest defeat for a sitting government in modern British history. The backstop's potential to keep Northern Ireland tied to EU customs rules was central to opposition.

Second meaningful vote also rejected

Mar 12, 2019

Despite last-minute assurances from Brussels on the backstop, MPs rejected the revised deal by 149 votes. A day earlier, Parliament had voted against leaving without a deal, intensifying the constitutional crisis.

MPs vote to delay Brexit beyond March 29

Mar 14, 2019

Parliament approved a motion seeking an extension of Article 50, forcing May to request a delay from the EU. The original March 29 deadline was pushed first to April 12 and then to October 31, 2019.

Image source: United Kingdom invocation of Article 50 of the Treaty on European Union

Third defeat for May's deal forces resignation announcement

Mar 29, 2019

On the day Britain was originally due to leave the EU, the Commons rejected the withdrawal agreement for a third time by 58 votes. May told Conservative MPs she would step down if her deal passed, but it did not.

Image source: 2019 Conservative Party leadership election

Theresa May resigns as Conservative leader

May 24, 2019 - Jul 24, 2019

Emotionally announcing her departure outside Downing Street, May said she had done her best to deliver Brexit and would leave once a successor was chosen. Boris Johnson won the leadership contest and took office on July 24.

Boris Johnson becomes Prime Minister

Jul 24, 2019

Boris Johnson, the face of the Vote Leave campaign, entered Downing Street pledging to leave the EU by October 31 'do or die,' with or without a deal, and appointed a cabinet of committed Brexiteers.

Image source: Premiership of Boris Johnson

Benn Act forces extension request over no-deal fears

Sep 9, 2019 - Oct 19, 2019

Backbench MPs led by Hilary Benn passed a law requiring Johnson to seek a Brexit extension unless Parliament approved a deal. Johnson sent an unsigned letter requesting a delay alongside a signed note arguing against one.

Supreme Court rules prorogation unlawful

Sep 24, 2019

In a landmark unanimous ruling, the Supreme Court found Johnson's five-week suspension of Parliament unlawful because it frustrated parliamentary scrutiny of Brexit. Parliament resumed the following day.

Image source: R (Miller) v The Prime Minister and Cherry v Advocate General for Scotland

Johnson wins landslide in December general election

Dec 12, 2019

Fighting under the slogan 'Get Brexit Done,' Johnson secured an 80-seat majority, the Conservatives' best result since 1987. Labour's worst performance since 1935 cleared the way for ratification of the withdrawal agreement.

Image source: 2019 United Kingdom general election

Withdrawal and Aftermath

UK formally leaves the European Union

Jan 31, 2020

At 11 p.m. GMT, 47 years after joining, the United Kingdom ceased to be an EU member state. Big Ben did not chime as some Brexiteers had hoped, but celebrations and protests marked the moment across the country.

Transition period begins after withdrawal

Feb 1, 2020 - Dec 31, 2020

During the 11-month transition, the UK remained bound by EU rules while both sides negotiated their future relationship. Johnson declined repeated offers from Brussels to extend the period beyond the end of 2020.

Trade and Cooperation Agreement concluded with the EU

Dec 24, 2020

After months of deadlock over fishing quotas, level playing field rules, and governance, negotiators struck a zero-tariff, zero-quota free trade deal on Christmas Eve, narrowly avoiding a chaotic no-deal exit.

End of transition period completes Brexit

Dec 31, 2020

At 11 p.m., the transition ended and the UK exited the EU single market and customs union. New customs checks, immigration rules, and regulatory divergence began, fundamentally reshaping trade and travel between Britain and Europe.

Northern Ireland Protocol tensions spark unrest

Jan 2021

New checks on goods moving from Great Britain to Northern Ireland disrupted supplies and angered unionists, who demanded the protocol be scrapped. The dispute dominated UK-EU relations throughout 2021 and threatened the Good Friday Agreement's delicate balance.

Image source: Northern Ireland Protocol

Key Facts

On June 23, 2016, the UK voted in a referendum to leave the European Union, with 51.9% voting Leave and 48.1% voting Remain.
Article 50 was triggered by Prime Minister Theresa May on March 29, 2017, formally beginning the two-year withdrawal process.
The UK officially left the EU on January 31, 2020, followed by an 11-month transition period that ended on December 31, 2020.
The EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement, agreed on December 24, 2020, governs the future relationship between the UK and the EU.
Brexit led to significant political consequences, including the resignations of Prime Ministers David Cameron and Theresa May, and ongoing debates over Northern Ireland's border arrangements.

Source

This Brexit timeline was generated with the help of AI, using information found on the internet.

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