United Kingdom exit from the European Union/Timelines

2016

June

• 23rd: voters in a UK-wide referendum opted to leave the EU.

• 24th:

counting completed and results officially announced

UK Prime Minister David Cameron notified the nation of his intention to step down;

a significant downturn in global stock markets took place, in which Sterling significantly weakened;

Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said she would seek a second referendum on the nation leaving the UK.

• 25th:

the UK member of the European Commission, Lord Hill, resigned his seat;

Shadow Foreign Secretary Hilary Benn was sacked at midnight by the Leader of the Opposition, Jeremy Corbyn, for questioning his leadership of the Labour Party's 'remain' campaign after it emerged that many Labour-supporting areas had strongly-backed Brexit.

• 26th:

a series of senior Opposition figures resigned amid calls for Jeremy Corbyn to step down as Labour leader;

the Scottish First Minister suggested that the Scottish Parliament might block UK withdrawal;

a petition on the UK government website for a second referendum on EU membership reached over three million signatories;

The Liberal Democrats announced a new policy of re-entering the EU;

HSBC indicated that some staff would be moved from London to Paris if the UK left the EU's single market.

• 27th:

further falls on global stock markets, with trading in stocks of some UK banks briefly suspended;

finance minister George Osborne and the Prime Minister sought to calm fears through public statements;

the majority of senior figures in the Labour Opposition had resigned by the afternoon, and a confidence vote on Jeremy Corbyn's leadership was called for the following day.

• 28th:

Corbyn defeated by 172 votes to 40 in confidence vote among Labour MPs; refuses to resign