UK's attitude toward Brexit changing

Key events of the decade
By Jonathan Powell

2015
After Prime Minister David Cameron promised an in-out vote on EU membership in 2013, the UK government legislates for it with the EU Referendum Act 2015 and confirms it would be held following a renegotiation of the UK-EU relationship.

2016
In February, a June 23 vote date is set. Leave and Remain campaigns set out their positions. A total 51.9 percent vote Leave, 48.1 percent vote Remain, meaning the UK has chosen to exit from the EU. Cameron resigns amid market turmoil. Theresa May becomes prime minister.

2017
UK triggers Article 50 to leave the EU on March 29. Formal Brexit negotiations with the EU begin under a two-year deadline toward exit. Talks open on citizens' rights, the financial settlement, and the Irish border.

2018
Conservative infighting and EU red lines expose deep splits over the Withdrawal Agreement terms. The so-called Northern Ireland Protocol issue, or "the backstop", dominates debate.

2019
Parliament rejects Prime Minister Theresa May's negotiated Withdrawal Agreement three times. Brexit is delayed. May resigns on July 24. Boris Johnson becomes prime minister, pledging to "get Brexit done". Johnson renegotiates the agreement, revising the Northern Ireland backstop. To break parliamentary deadlock over the deal he calls and wins snap election in December.

2020
UK leaves EU on Jan 31. Transition period runs to year-end 2020.

2021
EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement takes effect on Jan 1. New customs checks and rules-of-origin reshape trade, mobility and services access.

2022
Government seeks fixes while businesses adapt to post-Brexit realities of new paperwork, checks, and costs. Johnson resigns in July. Liz Truss briefly serves as prime minister, then Rishi Sunak takes office in October.

2023
Economic data shows Brexit drag. Weaker trade and investment, labor shortages, and lingering protocol disputes weigh on growth and inflation.

2024
Keir Starmer becomes prime minister in July after leading the Labour Party to a landslide victory in the general election.

2025
In May, the UK–EU summit produces a political framework for targeted cooperation on energy, emissions, food safety and security, called the "Common Understanding", to be implemented after the first treaty-mandated review, due in 2026.

2026
June marks a decade since the 2016 referendum. Reports indicate Brexit left the UK's economy 5 to 8 percent smaller than a non-Brexit timeline. Debate over Brexit's logic reemerges. Younger voters push to revisit terms as campaigns for a new referendum gain profile.