Brexit

At a press conference in central London, President of the United States Barack Obama warns that Britain will be at 'the back of the queue' if the nation votes for Brexit.

In June 2016, the United Kingdom held a referendum in which the majority voted to leave the European Union. This decision had significant political, economic, and social implications for the UK and the EU.

Jo Cox, the MP for Batley and Spen, is murdered by a far-right terrorist. Out of respect for Cox, referendum campaigning is suspended across the UK.

Boris Johnson co-led the campaign for Britain to leave the European Union, resulting in a national referendum on June 23, 2016, where voters approved Brexit. This led to the resignation of then-Prime Minister David Cameron.

In a referendum, the United Kingdom votes to leave the European Union with a close result of 52% to 48%. The decision sparks a political earthquake across Europe, leading to the resignation of Prime Minister David Cameron.

On June 24, 2016, Nigel Farage, the leader of the UK Independence Party, celebrates after Britain voted to leave the European Union.

Theresa May becomes the new leader of the Conservative Party as Andrea Leadsom withdraws from the contest.

On February 8, 2017, the House of Commons passed legislation allowing the UK government to officially start the Brexit process, initiating the formal procedure for the UK to leave the EU.

The British Parliament passed a bill on March 14, 2017, enabling Prime Minister Theresa May to commence negotiations to exit the European Union, marking a significant step in the Brexit process.

On March 28, 2017, the UK officially triggered Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty, initiating a 2-year legal process for the country to exit the EU, setting the stage for negotiations between the UK and the EU.

On March 29, 2017, the United Kingdom officially triggered Article 50 of the Treaty on European Union, marking the beginning of the formal process of leaving the EU and initiating withdrawal negotiations.

On April 29, 2017, the European Council released guidelines outlining the framework for the Brexit negotiations. These guidelines included a phased approach, with the first phase focusing on the UK's orderly withdrawal from the EU and the second phase addressing the future relationship between the UK and the EU.

The snap election in the UK on June 8th, 2017, resulted in a Hung Parliament and the Conservative party losing its majority in the House of Commons. Theresa May secured her second term as Prime Minister by forming a coalition with the Democratic Unionist Party.

Formal negotiations for the UK to exit the European Union commenced on June 19, 2017, marking a crucial phase in the Brexit process as discussions on the terms of the exit unfolded.

On 9th July 2018, David Davis resigns as Brexit secretary, followed by Boris Johnson as foreign secretary, due to disagreements with the Chequers plan.

On November 14, 2018, UK cabinet ministers reached a draft agreement on the terms of the UK's exit from the EU. However, the agreement faced challenges with ministerial resignations and awaited parliamentary approval.

European leaders endorsed the Brexit agreement on November 25, 2018, following the announcement of the draft agreement earlier in the month, signifying a significant step towards finalizing the terms of the UK's exit from the EU.

The UK government loses the first 'meaningful vote' in parliament on the Brexit deal by a historic margin of 432 votes to 202, marking a significant setback for Theresa May's government.

HM Government suffered a defeat in the House of Commons as MPs voted against the implementation of the Withdrawal Bill for the second time. The vote resulted in 391 MPs voting against and 242 MPs voting for the ballot.

On March 21, the UK and EU agreed to extend Article 50 to May 22, subject to UK MPs approving the Withdrawal Agreement or facing a new deadline of April 12, 2019.

As the March 29, 2019, deadline for Brexit approached without a deal in place, Britain faced doomsday-esque predictions including backlogs at borders, shortages of food and medicine, currency crash, and public unrest.

On April 5, 2019, UK Prime Minister Theresa May requested a Brexit extension until June 30, which was later extended to October 31 by the President of the European Council, contingent on UK participation in the European Parliament Elections.

The European Council agrees to extend the Article 50 period to 31 October 2019, allowing more time for the UK and the EU to reach a withdrawal agreement.

The UK conducts elections to the European Parliament with a high turnout of 37.2%. The Conservatives suffer significant losses, marking their worst result in a national election since 1832.

Theresa May declares that she will step down as Prime Minister and leader of the Conservative Party on 7 June, continuing as caretaker Prime Minister until a new leader is elected.

On 23 July 2019, Boris Johnson, a prominent figure in the Vote Leave campaign, became the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, succeeding Theresa May.

Boris Johnson assumes office as the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, with a firm stance on leaving the EU by October 31.

On 24th September, the UK Supreme Court ruled that the prorogation of the UK Parliament was unlawful, overturning the decision to suspend Parliament. This landmark ruling had significant implications for the UK's political landscape.

The UK and European Commission reach an agreement on a revised withdrawal deal that includes a new protocol on Northern Ireland. European Commission President Juncker recommends the deal for endorsement by EU leaders.

The UK and EU announce a new Brexit deal, replacing the Irish backstop. The agreement follows intense negotiations and concessions from the UK, leading to a breakthrough in the Brexit process.

Boris Johnson was elected as the new Prime Minister of the UK and promised to lead the country out of the EU, deal or no deal, by October 31.

On 29 October, MPs approved the election for 12 December in a second vote.

Boris Johnson's Conservative Party wins a convincing majority in the UK's general election, securing 80 seats. The election results reflect strong anti-Brexit sentiments in Scotland and Northern Ireland.

The Brexit deal is officially approved by the U.K. Parliament, marking a significant milestone in the process of the U.K.'s departure from the European Union.

The withdrawal agreement was approved by the European Parliament with a large majority, solidifying the path for Brexit to proceed.

The UK formally implemented its departure from the European Union, beginning an eleven-month transition period. This event followed the mandate given to Boris Johnson by the electorate.

The United Kingdom officially leaves the European Union at midnight CET, marking the culmination of the Brexit process that began with the referendum in 2016.

Britain and the European Union strike a provisional free-trade agreement on December 24, 2020, after months of negotiations focusing on fair-competition rules, dispute resolution mechanisms, and fishing rights.

The Queen grants royal assent to the bill at 00:35, officially enacting it as the European Union (Future Relationship) Act 2020, 14 hours after its introduction. At 23:00, the UK formally completes its separation from the EU with the end of the transition period.

On January 1, 2021, the UK officially completed its separation from the European Union, marking the final split between the two entities. Some unresolved issues still needed to be addressed in the ongoing negotiations.

The EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement External came into effect on May 1, 2021, after being signed on December 30, 2020, and applied provisionally from January 1, 2021. This agreement outlined the new relationship between the European Union and the United Kingdom post-Brexit.