European Union referendum Act 2015 - wikipedia European Union referendum Act 2015 This article is about the 2015 Act of Parliament which enabled the United Kingdom European Union membership referendum, 2016. For the associated Act of the Gibraltar Parliament, see European Union ( Referendum ) Act 2016 ( Gibraltar ). For the unsuccessful 2013 -- 14 private member 's bill, see European Union ( Referendum ) Bill 2013 -- 14. European Union Referendum Act 2015 Act of Parliament Parliament of the United Kingdom Long title An Act to make provision for the holding of a referendum in the United Kingdom and Gibraltar on whether the United Kingdom should remain a member of the European Union. Citation 2015 c. 36 Introduced by Philip Hammond, Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs Territorial extent United Kingdom & Gibraltar ( separate local enacting legislation exists in Gibraltar ; see European Union ( Referendum ) Act 2016 ( Gibraltar ) ( Act No. 2016 - 01 ( Legislation Number ( L.N. ) 2016 / 034, as amended by L.N. 2016 / 035, L.N. 2016 / 082 and L.N. 2016 / 120 ) ) ) Dates Royal assent 17 December 2015 Commencement 20 February 2016 Other legislation Relates to European Communities Act 1972 Referendum Act 1975 Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000 European Parliamentary Elections Act 2002 European Union Act 2011 European Union ( Notification of Withdrawal ) Act 2017 Status : Spent History of passage through Parliament Text of statute as originally enacted Part of a series of articles on the United Kingdom in the European Union Accession 1973 EC enlargement 1975 Referendum Act 1975 EC membership referendum 1972 EC Act UK rebate 2011 EU Act Membership Brand EU EU Four The Euro European Movement UK Nationality law UK Euroscepticism Maastricht Rebels Black Wednesday Officials and bodies EU Committee European Scrutiny Committee Northern Ireland Executive in Brussels EU Representative in London Young European Movement UK UK European Commissioners Permanent EU Representatives Legislation 1972 EC Act 1986 EC ( Amendment ) Act 1993 EC ( Amendment ) Act 1998 EC ( Amendment ) Act 2002 EC ( Amendment ) Act 2008 EU ( Amendment ) Act 2011 EU Act European Parliament Elections 1979 1984 1989 1994 1999 2009 2014 1973 delegation 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th 7th 8th Withdrawal 2004 -- 05 EU Bill 2013 -- 14 EU ( Referendum ) Bill 2015 -- 16 EU membership renegotiation 2015 EU Referendum Act 2016 EU ( Referendum ) Act ( Gibraltar ) 2016 EU membership referendum Causes Endorsements Issues Opinion polling Campaigns Organisations advocating and campaigning for a referendum People 's Pledge Labour for a Referendum Leave Vote Leave ( official lead group ) Business for Britain Conservatives for Britain Students for Britain Labour Leave Leave.EU Bpoplive ( cancelled ) Grassroots Out Get Britain Out The Freedom Association Better Off Out Other anti-EU advocacy organisations Bruges Group Campaign for an Independent Britain Remain Britain Stronger in Europe ( official lead group ) Labour In for Britain European Movement UK Other pro-EU advocacy organisations Britain in Europe British Influence Business for New Europe New Europeans Nucleus Project Fear Media coverage Brexit : The Movie In or Out Aftermath Results International reactions Terms of Withdrawal from EU ( Referendum ) Bill 2016 - 17 2016 Conservative Party election 2016 Labour Party election Proposed second Scottish independence referendum The New European European Union ( Withdrawal ) Bill Gibraltar 2017 General Election Triggering of Article 50 & Negotiations R ( Miller ) v Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union ' EU ( Notification of Withdrawal ) Act 2017 UK invocation of Article 50 Brexit negotiations Department for Exiting the EU ( Brexit Department ) Secretary of State ( Brexit Secretary ) Department for International Trade Secretary of State ( International Trade Secretary ) Post-referendum organisations Change Britain More United Open Britain See also United Ireland Constitutional documents relevant to the status of the United Kingdom and legislative unions of its constituent countries Treaty of Union 1706 Acts of Union 1707 Personal Union of 1714 1714 Wales and Berwick Act 1746 Irish Constitution 1782 Acts of Union 1800 Government of Ireland Act 1920 Anglo - Irish Treaty 1921 Royal and Parliamentary Titles Act 1927 N. Ireland ( Temporary Provisions ) Act 1972 European Communities Act 1972 Local Government Act 1972 Local Government ( Scotland ) Act 1973 Northern Ireland Assembly 1973 N. Ireland Constitution Act 1973 Referendum Act Scotland Act 1978 Wales Act 1978 Local Government ( Wales ) Act 1994 Local Government etc. ( Scotland ) Act 1994 Referendums ( Scotland & Wales ) Act 1997 Good Friday Agreement 1998 Northern Ireland Act 1998 Government of Wales Act 1998 Scotland Act 1998 Government of Wales Act 2006 Northern Ireland Act 2009 European Union Act 2011 Scotland Act 2012 Edinburgh Agreement 2012 Wales Act 2014 European Union Referendum Act 2015 Scotland Act 2016 Wales Act 2017 The European Union Referendum Act 2015 ( c. 36 ) is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that made legal provision for a non-binding referendum to be held in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Gibraltar, on whether it should remain a member state of the European Union or leave it. The bill was introduced to the House of Commons by Philip Hammond, Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs on 28 May 2015. The Act was subsequently passed by 544 - 53 votes on its second reading on 9 June 2015, a ratio of six to one in the Commons and was approved by the House of Lords on 14 December 2015, and given Royal Assent on 17 December 2015. The Act required the Prime Minister to appoint the day on which the referendum should be held and, on 20 February 2016, David Cameron announced that the referendum would take place on Thursday 23 June 2016. In the referendum, the electorate voted by 51.9 % to 48.1 % in favour of leaving the EU, on a 72 % turnout. Contents 1 Origin 2 The Act 3 The referendum 3.1 Limitation 3.2 Campaign period 3.3 Campaign groups spending 3.4 Political parties spending 3.5 Individual spending 4 Referendum question 4.1 Original proposed question 5 Voting areas 6 Regional counts 7 Franchise 8 Calling of referendum 9 Eligible voters 9.1 English regions ( together with Gibraltar ) 9.2 Constituent countries 10 Referendum result 10.1 Results by United Kingdom regions 10.2 Results by United Kingdom constituent countries 11 Legislative consequences 12 Outcome 13 See also 14 References Origin See also : United Kingdom renegotiation of European Union membership, 2015 -- 16 On 1 January 1973 the United Kingdom and Gibraltar joined what was then known as the European Economic Community ( the Common Market ), under terms negotiated by the then Conservative Prime Minister Edward Heath. In accordance with British constitutional convention, specifically that of parliamentary sovereignty, accession was not subject to approval by referendum. Both the Conservative Party and the Labour Party were divided over the issue, and the European Communities Act 1972 was passed due to sufficient Labour abstentions to counteract the number of rebel Tories. In the run - up to the UK General Election February 1974, the Labour Party manifesto promised a Referendum ' on renegotiated terms ', which its leader, Harold Wilson, hoped would end the division of his party. However the election proved indecisive and marked the end of Heath 's premiership as Prime Minister and Wilson was forced to call a second election later in the year. After the UK General Election October 1974, the Labour Party formed a minority administration and held the referendum on continued membership the following year, which was approved by 67 % of voters. For a few years the issue was largely settled but, with the approval by Parliament of the Single European Act, the Maastricht Treaty and the Lisbon Treaty, there were calls from eurosceptic Members of Parliament for a new UK referendum on continued membership. Conservative Party leader David Cameron announced in January 2013, in what became known as `` The Bloomberg speech '', a proposal to undertake a renegotiation of the terms of the UK 's membership of the EU, and subsequently to hold a UK referendum on its membership of the Union. However, at the time of Cameron 's speech, the Conservative Party was in Coalition government with the Liberal Democrats who, along with the Labour Party, were at the time opposed to any new referendum being held. The Conservative Party did not have an overall majority and a private members bill by Conservative MP James Wharton to legislate a in - out referendum by the end of 2017 was blocked in the House of Lords. The proposals were contained in the Conservative Party manifesto for the United Kingdom general election, 2015, in which the Conservatives won with an unexpected overall majority. Following the election, the opposition Labour Party withdrew its opposition to holding an in - out EU referendum. On the bill 's second reading, on 9 June 2015, MPs voted by 544 to 53 in favour of the principle of holding a referendum with only the Scottish National Party opposing the Bill. The Act The act legislated for a referendum to be held in the United Kingdom and Gibraltar on whether to remain a member of the EU, to be conducted by the Electoral Commission and overseen by an appointed `` Chief Counting Officer '' ( CCO ) and a `` Deputy chief counting officer '' ( DCCO ) who declared the final result for the United Kingdom. By regulation the act ordered the Secretary of State ( in this case the Prime Minister ) to appoint a date for the holding of the referendum, as long as the date was no later than 31 December 2017, and not on 5 May 2016 or 4 May 2017. The Electoral Commission is the public body under the terms of the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000 that was given the task to raise public awareness ahead of polling day, and to oversee the conduct of the referendum. The referendum Limitation This act required a referendum to be held on the question of the UK 's continued membership of the European Union before the end of 2017. The bill does not contain any requirement for the UK Government to implement the results of the referendum, nor set a time limit by which a vote to leave the EU should be implemented. Instead, this is a type of referendum known as pre-legislative or consultative, which enables the electorate to voice an opinion which then influences the Government in its policy decisions. The referendums held in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland in 1997 and 1998 are examples of this type, where opinion was tested before legislation was introduced. The UK does not have constitutional provisions which would require the results of a referendum to be implemented, unlike, for example, the Republic of Ireland, where the circumstances in which a binding referendum should be held are set out in its constitution. In contrast, the legislation which provided for the referendum held on AV in May 2011 would have implemented the new system of voting without further legislation, provided that the boundary changes also provided for in the Parliamentary Voting System and Constituencies Act 2011 were also implemented. In the event, there was a substantial majority against any change. The 1975 referendum was held after the re-negotiated terms of the UK 's EC membership had been agreed by all EC Member States and the terms set out in a command paper which later became known as the Referendum Act 1975 and was passed by both Houses. The Bill became law when it received Royal Assent sent on 15 December 2015. In accordance with the Act and the public duty of the Electoral Commission, an impartial guide was posted to every household in the UK and Gibraltar in the week beginning of 16 May 2016. The advisory leaflet was titled : `` Why the Government believes that voting to remain in the European Union is the best decision for the UK ''. This leaflet clearly stated : `` This is your decision. The government will implement what you decide ''. Campaign period The act legislated that the official referendum campaign period up until polling day would be of ten weeks duration ( which in the event proved to run from 15 April to 23 June 2016 ) with an official ' purdah ' period where all government and public bodies were not permitted to comment or publish information specifically in regard to the subject of the referendum ( four weeks duration, in the event running from 27 May until polling day ). Campaign groups spending Under this act and the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000, the Electoral Commission had the authority to designate and to provide funding for two official lead campaign groups, one for `` Remain '' and one for `` Leave ''. Each designated group had access to grants worth up to £ 600,000 as well as television spots and free leaflet drops. The Act declared that these designated groups were not permitted to spend overall more than £ 7 million. The Act permitted other registered campaign groups to participate but that their overall spending was limited to a maximum of £ 700,000. Spending by unregistered groups was limited by the Act to a maximum of £ 10,000. The Electoral Commission announced the official `` Remain '' and `` Leave '' designated groups before the beginning of the official campaign period ( on 13 April 2016 ) ahead of the deadline on 14 April 2016 : Britain Stronger in Europe for `` Remain '' and Vote Leave for `` Leave ''. Political parties spending Under the act and the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000 political parties were permitted to provide funding for the referendum, although their spending was limited according to their performance at the 2015 general election and, under the rules, the political parties were limited to the maximum of each amount as follows : Conservative Party £ 7 million Labour Party £ 5.5 million UKIP £ 4 million Liberal Democrats £ 3 million SNP £ 700,000 All other political parties who received less than 5 % of the national vote share had their maximum spending limited to no more than £ 700,000. Individual spending Unless individuals are officially registered with the Electoral Commission, the maximum limit for spending in the referendum was to be no more than £ 10,000. Referendum question A sample of the ballot paper which was used in the referendum across the United Kingdom and Gibraltar The question that appeared on ballot papers in the referendum before the electorate under the act was ( in English ) : Should the United Kingdom remain a member of the European Union or leave the European Union ? with the responses to the question to be ( to be marked with a single ( X ) ) : Remain a member of the European Union Leave the European Union and in Welsh : A ddylai'r Deyrnas Unedig aros yn aelod o'r Undeb Ewropeaidd neu adael yr Undeb Ewropeaidd ? with the responses ( to be marked with a single ( X ) ) : Aros yn aelod o'r Undeb Ewropeaidd Gadael yr Undeb Ewropeaidd Original proposed question Originally the bill gave the question to appear on ballot papers : Should the United Kingdom remain a member of the European Union ? and in Welsh : A ddylai'r Deyrnas Unedig aros yn aelod o'r Undeb Ewropeaidd ? permitting a simple YES / NO answer. The original proposed question was very similar to the question voters were asked in the original 1975 EEC Referendum. However, during subsequent research by the Electoral Commission found that `` members of the public feel the wording was not balanced and there was a perception of bias '' and proposed a change in the wording of the question. The proposed change was accepted by the government in September 2015, shortly before the bill 's third reading. Voting areas The 382 `` voting areas '' within the United Kingdom and Gibraltar for the referendum under the legislation Under the provisions of the Act, the designation of a `` voting area '' ( also known by some as `` Counting areas '' ) on the day of the referendum was to be overseen by `` Counting officers '' ( CO ) who were to declare the results of their local areas within the United Kingdom and Gibraltar is as follows : A district in England for which there is a district council A county in England in which there are no districts with councils ( Unitary authority ) A London borough The City of London ( including the Inner and Middle Temples ) The Isles of Scilly A county or county borough in Wales A local government area in Scotland Northern Ireland Gibraltar There were a total of 382 voting areas. 326 in England, 32 in Scotland, 22 in Wales and single areas for Northern Ireland and Gibraltar. The local counts in the voting areas began from 2200 BST ( Western European Summer Time ) on Thursday 23 June 2016 after all polling stations had closed. Recounts within `` voting areas '' were permitted when circumstances require under the instructions of the `` Counting officers ( CO ). '' It was the first time that a United Kingdom referendum was counted overnight as both the previous 1975 EC Referendum and the 2011 AV Referendum were counted during the course of the following day after polling stations closed. Regional counts The twelve regional count areas for the referendum under the legislation The act also provides provision for the results from the `` voting areas '' to fed into twelve `` regional counts '' to be overseen by `` Regional counting officers '' ( RCO ) which were appointed in the following areas and declared the results for their areas as used under the European Parliamentary Elections Act 2002 : East Midlands ( 40 voting areas ) East of England ( 47 voting areas ) Greater London ( 33 voting areas ) Northern Ireland ( 1 voting area ) North East England ( 12 voting areas ) North West England ( 39 voting areas ) Scotland ( 32 voting areas ) South East England ( 67 voting areas ) South West England ( also including Gibraltar ) ( 38 voting areas ) Yorkshire and the Humber ( 21 voting areas ) Wales ( 22 voting areas ) West Midlands ( 30 voting areas ) For the purposes of the referendum, the local result from Gibraltar was fed into the South West England regional count. The regions each declared their results once all local voting areas had declared their local results early on Friday 24 June 2016. There was no provision under the Act for any national or regional recounts by the Chief Counting Officer and Regional Counting Officers. Franchise The right to vote in the referendum applied to UK and Gibraltar residents who are British, Irish and Commonwealth citizens, in accordance with the provisions of the Representation of the People Act 1983 and the Representation of the People Act 2000. Members of the House of Lords were able to vote in the referendum. Citizens of other EU countries resident in the UK were not allowed to vote unless they were citizens of the Republic of Ireland, Malta or Cyprus. The same Acts permitted UK nationals who had lived overseas for less than 15 years to vote. Voting on the day of the referendum was from 07 : 00 to 22 : 00 BST ( ( Western European Summer Time ) ( 07 : 00 to 22 : 00 Central European Summer Time in Gibraltar ) in some 41,000 polling stations staffed by over 100,000 officials. Each polling station was specified to have no more than 2,500 registered voters. Also 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 ). Residents of the Isle of Man, and the other Crown Dependencies Jersey and Guernsey, were not be eligible to vote in the referendum, as those territories are not part of the UK ( nor of the EU ). The minimum age for voters in the referendum was 18 years, in accordance with Representation Acts ( above ). A House of Lords amendment proposing to lower the minimum age to 16 years was rejected. Calling of referendum On the morning of Saturday 20 February 2016 Prime Minister David Cameron held a special cabinet meeting in 10 Downing Street with his fellow Ministers ( the first such meeting to be held on a Saturday since 3 April 1982 at the start of the Falklands War ). After the meeting, he announced outside the door of No 10 that the referendum would be held on Thursday 23 June 2016. On Monday 22 February 2016, Parliament enacted secondary legislation to authorise the holding of the referendum on that date. Eligible voters On Tuesday 21 June 2016, the Electoral Commission announced the provisional official number of eligible voters who were entitled to vote in the referendum on Thursday 23 June in each of the constituent countries of the United Kingdom and Gibraltar following the closing date for registration on Thursday 9 June 2016 ( these figures include all Commonwealth and Irish citizens along with members of the House of Lords who are not normally eligible to vote in UK general elections ). The final number of eligible voters was published after 9 pm on Thursday 23 June 2016 by the Electoral Commission. The following shows both the provisional figures and the final figures in heavy bold brackets. Country Eligible voters United Kingdom ( together with Gibraltar ) 46,499,537 ( 46,500,001 ) Country Eligible voters United Kingdom 46,475,420 ( 46,475,882 ) Gibraltar 24,117 ( 24,119 ) English regions ( together with Gibraltar ) English regions ( together with Gibraltar ) Eligible voters East Midlands 3,385,057 ( 3,384,299 ) East of England 4,398,430 ( 4,398,796 ) London 5,424,289 ( 5,424,768 ) North East England 1,934,228 ( 1,934,341 ) North West England 5,237,900 ( 5,241,568 ) South East England 6,472,915 ( 6,465,404 ) South West England ( together with Gibraltar ) 4,138,015 ( 4,138,134 ) West Midlands 4,116,199 ( 4,116,572 ) Yorkshire and the Humber 3,873,908 ( 3,877,780 ) Constituent countries Constituent countries Eligible voters England ( including Gibraltar ) 38,980,941 ( 39,005,781 ) Northern Ireland 1,260,955 ( 1,260,955 ) Scotland 3,988,492 ( 3,987,112 ) Wales 2,270,743 ( 2,270,272 ) Constituent countries Eligible voters England ( excluding Gibraltar ) 38,956,824 ( 38,981,662 ) Northern Ireland 1,260,955 ( 1,260,955 ) Scotland 3,988,492 ( 3,987,112 ) Wales 2,270,743 ( 2,270,272 ) Referendum result Of the 382 voting areas a total of 263 returned majority votes in favour of `` Leave '' whilst 119 returned majority votes in favour of `` Remain '' in the referendum including all 32 areas in Scotland. Leave Remain See also : Results of the United Kingdom European Union membership referendum, 2016 The result was declared by Chief counting officer ( CCO ) and the then chair of the Electoral Commission Jenny Watson at Manchester Town Hall on Friday 24 June 2016 at 07 : 20 BST after all 382 voting areas and the 12 regions of the United Kingdom had all decleared their results. Of the voting areas a total of 263 returned majority votes in favour of leaving the European Union whilst 119 returned majority votes in favour of continued European Union membership including every council area within Scotland on a national turnout of 72 % and in the voting regions Scotland, Northern Ireland and Greater London voted to remain whilst all other regions including Wales voted to leave. United Kingdom European Union membership referendum, 2016 National result Choice Votes % Leave the European Union 17,410,742 51.89 % Remain a member of the European Union 16,141,241 48.11 % Valid votes 33,551,983 99.92 % Invalid or blank votes 25,359 0.08 % Total votes 33,577,342 100.00 % Registered voters and turnout 46,500,001 72.21 % Voting age population and turnout 51,356,768 65.38 % Source : Electoral Commission Referendum results ( without spoiled ballots ) Leave : 17,410,742 ( 51.9 % ) Remain : 16,141,241 ( 48.1 % ) ▲ Results by United Kingdom regions Region Electorate Voter turnout, of eligible Votes Proportion of votes Remain Leave Remain Leave East Midlands 3,384,299 74.2 % 1,033,036 1,475,479 41.18 % 58.82 % East of England 4,398,796 75.7 % 1,448,616 1,880,367 43.52 % 56.48 % Greater London 5,424,768 69.7 % 2,263,519 1,513,232 59.93 % 40.07 % North East England 1,934,341 69.3 % 562,595 778,103 41.96 % 58.04 % North West England 5,241,568 70.0 % 1,699,020 1,966,925 46.35 % 53.65 % Northern Ireland 1,260,955 62.7 % 440,707 349,442 55.78 % 44.22 % Scotland 3,987,112 67.2 % 1,661,191 1,018,322 62.00 % 38.00 % South East England 6,465,404 76.8 % 2,391,718 2,567,965 48.22 % 51.78 % South West England ( together with Gibraltar ) 4,138,134 76.7 % 1,503,019 1,669,711 47.37 % 52.63 % Wales 2,270,272 71.7 % 772,347 854,572 47.47 % 52.53 % West Midlands 4,116,572 72.0 % 1,207,175 1,755,687 40.74 % 59.26 % Yorkshire and the Humber 3,877,780 70.7 % 1,158,298 1,580,937 42.29 % 57.71 % Results by United Kingdom constituent countries Country Electorate Voter turnout, of eligible Votes Proportion of votes Remain Leave Remain Leave England ( including Gibraltar ) 39,005,781 73.0 % 13,266,996 15,188,406 46.62 % 53.38 % Northern Ireland 1,260,955 62.7 % 440,707 349,442 55.78 % 44.22 % Scotland 3,987,112 67.2 % 1,661,191 1,018,322 62.00 % 38.00 % Wales 2,270,272 71.7 % 772,347 854,572 47.47 % 52.53 % Legislative consequences The act made no provision for the result to be legally binding on the government or on any future government. The result of the referendum required a single majority vote of the United Kingdom and Gibraltar with no super majorities, double majorities of the constituent countries or any minimum turnout threshold required for the vote to pass. The act did not specify any specific consequences that would follow the result of the referendum. In the event of a `` Leave '' vote, it was expected that the government would decide whether, when, and under what circumstances, the UK would invoke Article 50 of the Treaty on European Union to begin a two - year process of negotiations for Britain to leave the EU. Since the act is also silent on the question of executive prerogative, the question of whether the government or Parliament is entitled to invoke Article 50 was the subject of court proceedings ( Miller 's case ). James Eadie QC, acting for the government, submitted in his address to the court that because the act is silent, it would imply that Parliament chose not to limit prerogative powers in this matter. On 3 November 2016, the High Court in London ruled that it is the responsibility of Parliament ( and not of the Government unilaterally ) to decide whether, when, and how the UK should set aside legislation ( in this case, the European Communities Act 1972 that makes the UK a member of the EU ). The court held that the referendum was `` advisory for the lawmakers in Parliament '', enabling the electorate to influence Parliament in its policy decisions. In interpreting the intent of the Act, the court considered the precedents of previous UK referendums. As a consequence the European Union ( Notification of Withdrawal ) Bill 2017 was introduced into Parliament to gain Parliament 's consent for the invocation of Article 50. European Union law remains enforceable in the United Kingdom until or unless the European Communities Act 1972 is repealed. In October 2016, Theresa May promised a `` Great Repeal Bill '', which would repeal the European Communities Act and restate in UK law all enactments previously in force under EU law. This bill is expected to be introduced in the May 2017 parliamentary session and enacted before or during the Article 50 negotiations. It would not come into force until the date of exit. It would smooth the transition by ensuring that all laws remain in force until specifically repealed. Outcome See also : United Kingdom invocation of Article 50 of the Treaty on European Union Following the referendum result and the verdict of the R ( Miller ) v Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union case in January 2017 the UK Government led by Prime Minister Theresa May passed the European Union ( Notification of Withdrawal ) Act 2017 which legally allowed the UK to formally begin the process and formally notified the European Union of the United Kingdom 's intention to leave both the European Union and the European Atomic Energy Community by triggering Article 50 of the Treaty on European Union on 29 March 2017. See also Aftermath of the United Kingdom European Union membership referendum, 2016 List of Acts of the Parliament of the United Kingdom relating to the European Communities / European Union R ( Miller ) v Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union European Communities Act 1972 ( UK ) European Economic Area Act 1993 Referendum Act 1975 United Kingdom European Communities membership referendum, 1975 Withdrawal from the European Union United Kingdom withdrawal from the European Union Euroscepticism Euroscepticism in the United Kingdom European Parliamentary Elections Act 2002 European Union ( Amendment ) Act 2008 United Kingdom renegotiation of European Union membership, 2015 - 16 Vote Leave Labour Leave Leave.EU Britain Stronger in Europe Labour in for Britain European Union ( Notification of Withdrawal ) Act 2017 United Kingdom invocation of Article 50 of the Treaty on European Union Brexit, Article 50, and other articles -- Wikipedia book References Jump up ^ European Union Referendum Act 2015 in BAILII. 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Retrieved 11 July 2016. Jump up ^ Green, David Allen ( 17 June 2016 ). `` David Cameron 's unnecessary EU referendum ''. Financial Times. Retrieved 18 June 2016. Jump up ^ Mason, Rowena ( 2 October 2016 ). `` Theresa May 's ' great repeal bill ' : what 's going to happen and when ? ''. The Guardian. Retrieved 3 October 2016. United Kingdom legislation Pre-Parliamentary legislation List of English statutes Charter of Liberties Magna Carta Acts of Parliament by states preceding the Kingdom of Great Britain Acts of the Parliament of England to 1483 1485 -- 1601 1603 -- 1641 Interregnum ( 1642 -- 1660 ) 1660 -- 1699 1700 -- 1706 Acts of the Parliament of Scotland Acts of Parliament of the Kingdom of Great Britain 1707 -- 1719 1720 -- 1739 1740 -- 1759 1760 -- 1779 1780 -- 1800 Acts of the Parliament of Ireland to 1700 1701 -- 1800 Acts of Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland 1801 -- 1819 1820 -- 1839 1840 -- 1859 1860 -- 1879 1880 -- 1899 1900 -- 1919 1920 -- 1939 1940 -- 1959 1960 -- 1979 1980 -- 1999 2000 to date Halsbury 's Statutes Legislation.gov.uk Short titles Church of England measures List Church of England Assembly ( Powers ) Act 1919 Legislation of devolved institutions Acts of the Scottish Parliament List Acts and Measures of the National Assembly for Wales List Acts of the Northern Ireland Assembly Acts of the Parliament of Northern Ireland Orders in Council for Northern Ireland Orders - in - Council Order in Council Secondary legislation United Kingdom Statutory Instruments Scottish Statutory Instruments Acts of Sederunt Acts of Adjournal Legislation relating to the European Union 1972 to date United Kingdom European Union membership referendum, 2016 Renegotiation Results Aftermath Brexit Referendum question `` Should the United Kingdom remain a member of the European Union or leave the European Union ? '' Legislation European Union Referendum Act 2015 European Union ( Referendum ) Act 2016 ( Gibraltar ) Background Treaty of Rome UK Accession to the European Communities Treaty of Accession 1972 European Communities Act 1972 1973 EC enlargement 1975 European Communities membership referendum Single European Act European Communities ( Amendment ) Act 1986 UK rebate Black Wednesday Maastricht treaty European Communities ( Amendment ) Act 1993 European Economic Area European Economic Area Act 1993 Treaty of Amsterdam European Communities ( Amendment ) Act 1998 Treaty of Nice European Communities ( Amendment ) Act 2002 Treaty of Accession 2003 European Union ( Accessions ) Act 2003 European Constitution European Union Bill 2004 - 05 Lisbon Treaty European Union ( Amendment ) Act 2008 European Union Act 2011 European Union ( Referendum ) Bill 2013 -- 14 2014 UK European Parliament election 2015 UK general election Euroscepticism in the United Kingdom Campaign 2016 referendum campaign Issues Opinion polling Endorsements Project Fear Campaign organisations Remain Official campaign Britain Stronger in Europe Other campaigns Labour In for Britain Leave Official campaign Vote Leave Other campaigns Leave.EU Grassroots Out Labour Leave Campaign for an Independent Britain The Freedom Association Better Off Out Get Britain Out Bruges Group Televised debates The European Union : In or Out ( 2014 ) Aftermath International reactions Conservative Party leadership election Labour Party leadership election UK Independence Party leadership election ( September ) UK Independence Party leadership election ( November ) 2017 UK general election Brexit R ( Miller ) v Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union United Kingdom invocation of Article 50 of the Treaty on European Union Brexit negotiations Effect of Brexit on Gibraltar Effects of Brexit on science and technology WTO Option Brexit legislation European Union ( Notification of Withdrawal ) Act 2017 European Union ( Withdrawal ) Bill 2017 - 19 European Union ( Withdrawal ) Bill 2017 - 19 ( Gibraltar ) Related Brexit : The Movie ( 2016 documentary ) Change Britain `` Enemies of the People '' London independence More United The New European ( newspaper ) Open Britain Proposed second Scottish independence referendum United Ireland Status of Akrotiri and Dhekelia and Gibraltar Elections and referendums in the United Kingdom General elections 1801 co-option 1802 1806 1807 1812 1818 1820 1826 1830 1831 1832 1835 1837 1841 1847 1852 1857 1859 1865 1868 1874 1880 1885 1886 1892 1895 1900 1906 1910 ( Jan ) 1910 ( Dec ) 1918 1922 1923 1924 1929 1931 1935 1945 1950 1951 1955 1959 1964 1966 1970 1974 ( Feb ) 1974 ( Oct ) 1979 1992 1997 2001 2005 2015 2017 Next Local elections 1889 1890 1892 1894 1895 1896 1897 1898 1899 1900 1901 1902 1903 1904 1905 1906 1907 1908 1909 1910 1911 1912 1913 1914 1915 1919 1920 1921 1922 1923 1924 1925 1926 1927 1928 1929 1930 1931 1932 1933 1934 1935 1936 1937 1938 1945 1946 1947 1948 1949 1950 1951 1952 1953 1954 1955 1956 1957 1958 1959 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1984 1985 1986 1989 1992 1994 1995 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 European elections 1979 1984 1989 1994 1999 2009 2014 Referendums 2011 2016 Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=European_Union_Referendum_Act_2015&oldid=803291031 '' Categories : Acts of the Parliament of the United Kingdom relating to the European Union 2015 in the European Union United Kingdom Acts of Parliament 2015 Referendums in the United Kingdom Euroscepticism in the United Kingdom United Kingdom European Union membership referendum, 2016 Brexit Referendums related to the European Union Hidden categories : EngvarB from July 2016 Use dmy dates from July 2016 Talk Contents About Wikipedia Add links This page was last edited on 1 October 2017, at 16 : 43. 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Question: how many mps voted for the eu referendum
Answer: 544