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ARTICLE · 02 AUGUST 2016

The Question Of A Second EU Referendum-Does Brexit Really Mean Brexit?

Gowling WLG
Gowling WLG
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Public Law analysis: Kieran Laird, principal associate at Gowling WLG, explores the important unanswered questions surrounding the UK's departure from the EU and explains that legally there is no bar to a second referendum on EU membership.

United KingdomGovernment, Public Sector
Kieran Laird
Kieran Laird
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Before the EU referendum, there was a great deal of speculation around the possibility of a second referendum. Is this option still (legally) on the table?

Interest in the notion of a second referendum has certainly not abated following 23 June 2016. A debate was held in the House of Lords on 7 July 2016 on a question put forward by Baroness King of Bow asking the government if it had made an assessment of the case for holding a second referendum. There will also be debate in the Commons on the day it returns from summer recess (5 September 2016) following a petition which has been used as a vehicle to call for a second referendum and was signed by 4.1 million people (and several automated bots, leading to the removal of 77,000 signatures). In addition, Owen Smith has stated as part of his bid for the Labour leadership that he supports another referendum.

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