Brexit

BREXIT - HOW DID THIS HAPPEN? 1: What was the background to the referendum vote?  Why did a referendum take place there and then? 2: What was the result of the referendum result? How can this result be explained? 3: What is the political and legal significance of the vote? 4: What were the immediate political consequences of the referendum vote - from Cameron to May? 5: What was the immediate impact of the vote on UK's role in the EU and internationally? 6: What is the (relevant) historical background to United Kingdom's membership of the European Union?  How did we get to this point? What else could have happened? 7: What difference does EU membership (really) make to the UK?  And what differences does it not make? 8: What are the constitutional and legal relationships between the UK and the EU?  Is the UK a 'sovereign power' in the EU? What does sovereignty mean, and how much control did the UK give away as an EU member? 9: What are the economic and trade relationships of the UK and the EU? 10: What are the economic and trade relationships of the UK and the non-EU world? 11: How do the UK and EU fit into the current system of international trade? Is it a good fit? 12: What does the "Internal Market" mean?  How does this differ from, say, a customs union or a free trade area? 13: What does "freedom of movement" mean in the context of the EU? What does it not mean? 14: What are the key policy areas affected by UK membership of EU?   For each of these, to what extent does it make a difference if UK is a member of EU or not? 15: What are the key policy areas not affected by UK membership of EU? What opt-outs does the UK already have?BREXIT - WHAT IS THE TASK AHEAD? 16: Why is a Brexit plan needed?  Is one needed? What happens without a plan? 17: What needs to go into any Brexit plan? 18: What is the overall process of withdrawal?  What is the scale of the task? 19: Why does Article 50 matter? In what ways does it not matter? 20: What is the Article 50 process? What are the stages, and what will happen (and not happen) at each stage? 21: What is the debate over the legalities of Article 50 and why do the legalities matter?  What is a "decision" and a "notification"? 22: Can Article 50 be revoked after it is triggered? 23: What are the possible alternatives to the Article 50 route? 24: What are the preliminary policy preparations for Brexit? 25: How is Whitehall being organised for the task ahead?  What are the challenges for the UK civil service? 26: What will happen to the European Communities Act? How can EU law be distentangled from UK law? 27: What is the devolution context?  Why do Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland matter? 28: Why do Gibraltar and the overseas territories matter? 29: What will be the role of the City of London? 30: What are the key policy areas affected by Brexit? 31: What will be the role of the WTO and the existing multilateral trade system? 32: How will the UK will go about entering into new trade negotiations and deals?  Are trade agreements really necessary? Why do trade agreements take so long? 33: What needs to be in the UK-EU deal?  How wide a deal does it need to be? 34: What can be in any non-EU bilateral deals? 35: What is the importance of access to the Single Market? What would no access to a Single Market would look like? 36: What is the importance of the issue of free movement of people?BREXIT - WHAT ARE THE POSSIBLE OUTCOMES? 37: What are the general factors which will affect the speed or lack of speed of Brexit? What are the possible timeframes and what will influence them? 38: What could go wrong and what risks need to be managed or eliminated? 39: What are the various models and forms of Brexit?  EEA/EFTA/CETA/Customs Union/WTO terms? 40: Is it possible there would be no Brexit at all? 41: What are the possible non-Brexit escape routes?