<p>Britain has to tell the EU that it wants to go by invoking Article 50 of the EU rulebook for the first time in history.</p> 
<p>Article 50, which is set out in the Lisbon Treaty, is the legal mechanism for the withdrawal of a member state from the EU.</p> 
<p>The use of Article 50 will start the timer on a two-year process of exit talks over Britain&#8217;s political divorce from the 28-member bloc.</p> 
<p>At the end of the two-year period, Britain will be expelled from the EU unless member states unanimously decide to extend the deadline.</p> When will Article 50 be triggered? 
<p>The new Prime Minister Theresa May has said that she will trigger Article 50 before the end of March 2017.</p> 
<p>But the process could be delayed because the Government is being forced to get approval from Parliament in order to do so.</p> 
<p>The Supreme Court has held up a High Court decision that the use Article 50 needs to be agreed by Parliament to the delight of EU voters.</p> 
<p>Pro-EU will be given a fresh opportunity to try and block Brexit by voicing their concerns in the House of Commons and Lords.</p> 
<p>There are fears that Brexit could be delayed until after the German election in autumn 2017 or even postponed indefinitely.</p> When must Article 50 be used by? 
<p>There is no timescale for how soon after a referendum Article 50 must be invoked.</p> 
<p>But the British Government is under pressure to start the process as soon as possible in order to put an end to the uncertainty that has engulfed Europe.</p> 
<p>The European Council has said: &#8220;We now expect the United Kingdom Government to give effect to this decision of the British people as soon as possible, however painful that process may be.</p> 
<p>&#8220;Any delay would unnecessarily prolong uncertainty.</p> 
<p>&#8220;We have rules to deal with this in an orderly way. Article 50 of the Treaty on European Union sets out the procedure to be followed if a member state decides to leave.&#8221;</p> 
<p>Fri, June 24, 2016</p> After yesterday's referendum, here is a look at what will happen immediately following the historic vote for Britain to leave the EU. Brexit: What to expect next Is the EU referendum legally binding? 
<p>The EU referendum result is not legally binding so in theory Parliament could ignore the will of the people by deciding to stay in the EU.</p> 
<p>This is because Parliament is sovereign and the EU vote was an &#8220;advisory referendum&#8221;, as opposed to a &#8220;binary&#8221; referendum which has a fixed outcome.</p> 
<p>Therefore the EU referendum legislation does not force the Government to automatically take Britain out of the EU.</p> 
<p>But the political reality is that Theresa May's Government has no choice but to follow through on the electorate&#8217;s wishes.</p> 
<p>Politicians have repeatedly stressed that there was &#8220;no going back&#8221; if the British people voted to back Brexit in the referendum.</p>
What is Article 50? Government LOSES Supreme Court battle over triggering Article 50