Editing Politics of the United Kingdom (section)

==Former European Union membership==

{{Further|United Kingdom–European Union relations|European Movement UK|Euroscepticism in the United Kingdom|Lists of members of the European Parliament for the United Kingdom|Brexit}}
The United Kingdom first joined the then [[European Communities]] in January 1973 by the then [[Conservative Party (UK)|Conservative]] Prime Minister [[Edward Heath]], and remained a member of the [[European Union]] (EU) that it evolved into; British citizens, and other EU citizens resident in the UK, between 1979 and 2019 elected [[Member of the European Parliament|members]] to represent them in the [[European Parliament]] in [[Brussels]] and [[Strasbourg]].

The UK's membership in the Union has been a major topic of debate over the years and has been objected to over questions of sovereignty,<ref name=Times20050914>{{cite news|url=http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/article566322.ece|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070228220036/http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/article566322.ece|url-status=dead|archive-date=28 February 2007|title=Europe Wins The Power To Jail British Citizens|work=The Times|date=14 September 2005|access-date=20 October 2008| location=London|first=Anthony|last=Browne}}</ref> and in recent years there have been divisions in both major parties over whether the UK should form greater ties within the EU, or reduce the EU's supranational powers. Opponents of greater European integration are known as "[[Eurosceptics]]", while supporters are known as "Europhiles". Division over Europe is prevalent in both major parties, although the Conservative Party is seen as most divided over the issue, both whilst in Government up to 1997 and after 2010, and between those dates as the opposition. However, the Labour Party is also divided, with conflicting views over British adoption of the [[euro]] whilst in Government (1997–2010).{{Citation needed|date=July 2010}}

British nationalists have long campaigned against [[European integration]]. The strong showing of the eurosceptic [[UK Independence Party]] (UKIP) since the [[2004 European Parliament election in the United Kingdom|2004 European Parliament elections]] has shifted the debate over UK relations with the EU.

In March 2008, Parliament decided to not hold a [[referendum]] on the ratification of the [[Lisbon Treaty]], signed in December 2007.<ref>{{cite news |date=5 March 2008 |url=http://edition.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/europe/03/05/uk.treaty.ap/index.html |title=UK rebel lawmakers beaten on EU vote |publisher=CNN|access-date=5 March 2008 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20080309014613/http://edition.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/europe/03/05/uk.treaty.ap/index.html <!-- Bot retrieved archive --> |archive-date = 9 March 2008}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|date=5 March 2008 |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/7277644.stm|title= MPs consider fallout from EU vote|publisher=BBC |access-date=9 July 2021}}</ref> This was despite the Labour government promising in 2004 [[United Kingdom European Constitution referendum|to hold a referendum]] on the previously proposed [[Constitution for Europe]].<ref>{{Cite web|date=20 April 2004|title=Blair confirms EU referendum u-turn|url=http://www.theguardian.com/world/2004/apr/20/eu.politics6|access-date=6 June 2021|website=The Guardian|language=en}}</ref>

On 23 June 2016, the United Kingdom voted to leave the European Union in a [[2016 United Kingdom European Union membership referendum|referendum]]. After the referendum, it was debated as to how and when the UK should leave the EU. On 11 July 2016, the Cabinet Office Minister, John Penrose failed to deliver a final answer on whether it would be at the disposal of the [[Prime Minister of the United Kingdom|Prime Minister]] and one of the [[Secretary of State (United Kingdom)|Secretaries of State]], through the [[Royal prerogative in the United Kingdom|royal prerogative]], or of [[Parliament of the United Kingdom|Parliament]], through [[Act of Parliament (United Kingdom)|primary legislation]].

In October 2016 the Conservative [[Prime Minister of the United Kingdom|Prime Minister]], [[Theresa May]], announced that Article 50 would be invoked by "the first quarter of 2017".<ref name="bbc">{{cite news|title=Brexit: Theresa May to trigger Article 50 by end of March|date=2 October 2016|publisher=BBC News|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-37532364|access-date=16 October 2016}}</ref> On 24 January 2017 the [[Supreme Court of the United Kingdom|Supreme Court]] ruled in [[R (Miller) v Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union|the Miller case]] by a majority that the process could not be initiated without an authorising [[act of parliament]], but unanimously ruled against the Scottish government's claim in respect of devolution that they had a direct say in the decision to trigger Article 50. Consequently, the [[European Union (Notification of Withdrawal) Act 2017]] empowering the prime minister to invoke Article 50 was passed and enacted by [[royal assent]] in March 2017.

Invocation of Article 50 by the United Kingdom government occurred on 29 March 2017, when [[Sir Tim Barrow]], the [[Permanent Representative of the United Kingdom to the European Union]], formally delivered by hand a letter signed by Prime Minister [[Theresa May]] to [[Donald Tusk]], the [[President of the European Council]] in Brussels. The letter also contained the [[United Kingdom]]'s intention to withdraw from the [[European Atomic Energy Community]] (EAEC or Euratom). This meant that the UK would cease to be a member of the EU on 30 March 2019, unless an extension to negotiations was agreed upon by the UK and EU.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/politics/article-brexit-recap-theresa-ambassador-10118594|first=Dan|last=Bloom|title=Brexit Day recap: Article 50 officially triggered on historic day as Theresa May warns: 'No turning back'|date=29 March 2017|access-date=29 March 2017|newspaper=Daily Mirror}}</ref>
The leaving date was subsequently revised by agreement with the EU to be 31 October 2019. This led to a change of prime minister who promised to leave the EU on this date either with a revised deal or with no-deal.{{Citation needed|date=September 2019}}

The UK withdrew from the EU at 23.00 [[GMT]] on 31 January 2020, beginning a transition period that was set to end on 31 December 2020.<ref name=Bennett>{{Cite news|title=How will the Brexit transition period work?|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/0/brexit-2020-transition-period/ |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220111/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/0/brexit-2020-transition-period/ |archive-date=11 January 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live|newspaper=The Daily Telegraph|location=London|date=27 January 2020|author=Asa Bennett}}{{cbignore}}</ref> During the 11-month transition period, the UK and EU negotiated their future relationship which resulted in the [[EU–UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement]] which was agreed on 24 December 2020 just days before the end of the transition period.<ref name=Bennett/> The UK ended the transition period which ended the incorporation of [[European Union law]] into UK law, and ended its membership of the [[EU Customs Union]], and the [[European single market]] at 23:00 [[GMT]] on 31 December 2020.<ref name=Edgington>{{cite news|author=Tom Edgington|title=Brexit: What is the transition period?|publisher=BBC News|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-50838994|date=31 January 2020}}</ref><ref name=QAEC>{{cite news|publisher=European Commission|date=24 January 2020|title=Questions and Answers on the United Kingdom's withdrawal from the European Union on 31 January 2020|url=https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/qanda_20_104}}</ref>