Library Guides: European Union: Brexit

The Run Up to the Referendum

In February of 2015 the Council of the European Union agreed to a proposal that it hoped would keep the UK in the EU.

Brexit: Overview
A timeline with various activities related to the Referendum and vote
European Union Referendum Act 2015
History of the Bill to authorize the EU Referendum, that was passed in December 2015. Includes links to debates around the bill's passage.
Letter by President Donald Tusk to the Members of the European Council on his proposal for a new settlement for the United Kingdom within the European Union
Outcome of the European Council of 18-19 February 2016 [PDF]
Details the legally binding agreement reached with David Cameron at the Council meeting. This agreement would have gone into effect if the vote to Remain had passed.
The future of the European Union: UK Government policy [PDF]
2013 paper from the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs to Parliament outlining some of the issues.
Northern Ireland and the EU Referendum inquiry
Discussion of the impact a leave vote would have on Northern Island. From the Northern Ireland Affairs Committee in in the UK Parliament.

The Referendum

EU Referendum
Information about the Referendum of May 23, 2016 from the UK government
EU Referendum Results
Full results from the BBC.
HM Treasury analysis: the long-term economic impact of EU membership and the alternatives [PDF]
UK Treasury (under Cameron) analysis of long term impacts UK withdrawal from the EU.
HM Treasury analysis: the immediate economic impact of leaving the EU (Archived)
Analysis of the short term economic impact of leaving from Cameron's Treasury.
"The EU Referendum" now says "EU referendum" / "Referendum Results" now says "EU Referendum Results" / "HM Treasury analysis: the long-term economic impact of EU membership and the alternatives" automatically downloads as a PDF / "HM Treasury analysis: th
Uk Government's argument to remain within the EU

What the referendum means

Background to the UK's EU referendum 2016
From the UK Parliament's Library, this site has links to a number of briefing papers that outline the potential impact in a wide variety of areas, including: taxes, financial services, and pensions.

The Party Positions

Why Vote Leave
Home page of the those supporting exiting the EU
UKIP | Save Britain
One of the main parties advocating exit from the EU.
Press Releases [Labour]
Press releases from the party some of which deal with the Brexit.
EU referendum: Full transcript of David Cameron's last-ditch plea for Britain to Remain
Transcript of the speech by the Prime Minister on June 21st just before the referendum.

News Sources

The Parliament: Politics, Policy and People Magazine
Views from the European Parliament.
The Times (London, England)
BBC
Major British news source.

Major News Databases

The University Libraries' subscribe to a wide variety of resources that carry domestic and international news. Use the guide below to locate more news sources.

News and Newspapers Sources

Other Views

Below are a handful of think tanks and universities who have extensive coverage of Brexit. They are just a starting point. Be sure to search further on these websites for additional studies.

Brookings
Their page devoted to research on the European Union, with coverage of Brexit.
Centre for European Reform
Based in London, this think tank has extensive coverage of Brexit and it's potential consequences.
CER - Centre for European Reform/Open Society European Policy Institute
This think tank describes itself as "pro-Europe but not uncritical". Lots of good info on the Brexit.
Chatham House
An International Affairs think tank based in Great Britain. Their European Union page has considerable coverage of Brexit.
Council on Foreign Relations Brexit Resources
A view from this side of the Atlantic. Use their search function to locate additional resources at CFR
Topic: Brexit [IISS]
As one of the premier international think tanks, IISS has pulled together a collection of material on the impact of the Brexit vote.
LSE Research Online [London School of Economics and Political Science]
High quality scholarly papers from LSE. Check out their main website as well.
One hundred years of British solitude: Magical thinking about Brexit and security
From the European Council on Foreign Relations.
United Kingdom: Selected Issues [from IMF]
An International Monetary Fund assessment of the UK economy as of June 1, 2016. Addresses the potential impacts of a Brexit.

Leaving the EU

Article 50 of the Treaty of the European Union, allows any member state to withdraw from the Union.

The Treaty of Lisbon [Fact Sheets on the European Union]
Article 50 TEU: Withdrawal of a Member State from the EU [PDF]
A briefing report from the European Parliament on process of withdrawing from the EU.

Immediate Reactions

[PM] David Cameron's EU speech - full text
Transcript from The Guardian.
Boris Johnson Op-ed
Op-ed by a leading proponent of the Leave Campaign prior to becoming the next Prime Minister. Registration [free] required to view complete article.
Statement by the EU leaders and the Netherlands Presidency on the outcome of the UK referendum
Press statement by President Donald Tusk on the outcome of the referendum in the UK

What's Next?

Exiting the European Union