<Ul> <Li> </Li> <Li> </Li> <Li> </Li> </Ul> <P> Brexit (/ ˈbrɛksɪt, ˈbrɛɡzɪt /) is the prospective withdrawal of the United Kingdom (UK) from the European Union (EU). </P> <P> In a referendum on 23 June 2016, 51.9% of the participating UK electorate voted to leave the EU, out of a turnout of 72.2% . On 29 March 2017, the UK government invoked Article 50 of the Treaty on the European Union . The UK is thus due to leave the EU at midnight on 30 March 2019 Central European Time (11 pm on 29 March 2019 GMT). </P> <P> Prime Minister Theresa May announced the government's intention that the UK would not seek permanent membership of the European single market or the EU customs union after leaving the EU and promised to repeal the European Communities Act of 1972 and incorporate existing European Union law into UK domestic law . A new government department, the Department for Exiting the European Union (DExEU), was created in July 2016, with Eurosceptic David Davis appointed its first Secretary of State . Negotiations with the EU officially started in June 2017 . </P>

When did britain vote to leave the eu