Brexit: What next? Brexit: A drama in six acts

The referendum concerning the UK's membership of the EU took place on 23 June 2016, resulting in a majority voting to leave the EU. This article traces developments in this area in six stages. It begins with an explanation of why the Prime Minister promised a referendum in 2013; this is followed by the significance of the balance of competence review conducted by the coalition government; the focus then shifts to the PM's renegotiation with the EU after his electoral success in 2015; there is then discussion of the issues that shaped the referendum debate; the final two parts address respectively the political and legal fall-out from the referendum.