What does the election result mean for Brexit?

The UK’s 2017 general election was not fought on the issue of Brexit so the result should not be seen as a rejection of withdrawal.

However, the result would have serious ramifications for the process. It was all but impossible to see the Brexit negotiations starting as planned on the 19 June 2017. After all, Britain had no government, no consensus on what kind of Brexit the country wanted and no mandate to pursue it. The result also left open the possibility that the country would eventually have a general election fought on the issue of Brexit. The EU can help bring this – still slim possibility – about by showing some flexibility over the timing of the negotiations.

• Primary Source

ESO: Find further information on this topic in ESO http://www.europeansources.info/advSearchLink?keyword=united%20kingdom%20parliamentary%20election%202017%20june%20general%20&searchOption=all

ESO: Key source: United Kingdom: Parliamentary Election, 8 June 2017 http://www.europeansources.info/record/united-kingdom-general-election-2017/

ESO: In Focus: Brexit - The United Kingdom and the European Union http://www.europeansources.info/record/brexit-the-united-kingdom-and-the-european-union/

---