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Content: The referendum debate and campaign was an unusual time in British politics and was the third national vote to be held in seventeen months. During the campaign, the Labour Cabinetwas split and its members campaigned on each side of the question, an unprecedented breach of Cabinet collective responsibility. Most votes in the House of Commons in preparation for the referendum were only carried after opposition support, and the Government faced several defeats on technical issues such as the handling and format of the referendum counts. The referendum did temporarily achieve Harold Wilson's ambition to bring the divided Labour Party together on the European issue; however, eight years later, Labour's 1983 general electionmanifesto pledged withdrawal from the Communities.[5] It significantly strengthened the position of pro-marketeer (later pro-Europe) politicians within Parliament for the next thirty years; however, despite the overwhelming majority in favour of continued membership when the vote took place, it would ultimately fail to achieve the wider objective of permanently settling among the British people the issue of Britain's relationship with the European Communities. Part of a seriesof articles on
UK membership
of the European Union(1973–2020)
Accession
Treaty of Accession 1972
1972 EC Act
1973 enlargement of the EC
1975 referendum
Referendum Act(results)
Treatyamendments
Single European Act, 1986
(UK ratification)
Maastricht Treaty, 1992
(UK ratification)
Treaty of Amsterdam, 1997
(UK ratification)
Treaty of Nice, 2001
(UK ratification)
Treaty of Lisbon, 2007
(UK ratification)
Related: 2011 UK Act on new EU Treaty amendments
EU-related British Acts
Proposed European Constitution referendum
European Union Bill 2004–2005
MEPsfor UK constituencies
Members 1973–1979
(elected by parliament)
Members 1979–1984
(1979 election)
Members 1984–1989
(1984 election)
Members 1989–1994
(1989 election)
Members 1994–1999
(1994 election)
Members 1999–2004
(1999 election)
Members 2004–2009
(2004 election)
Members 2009–2014
(2009 election)
Members 2014–2019
(2014 election)
Members 2019–2020
(2019 election)
Women
Officials and bodies
House of Lords EU Committee
House of Commons EU Committee
Permanent EU Representatives for UK
Northern Ireland Executive in Brussels
EU Representative in London
UK European Commissioners
Department for Exiting the European Union
Issues and events
Economy
The Euro
Black Wednesday
UK budget rebate
Nationality law
Euroscepticism in the UK
United Kingdom opt-outs from EU legislation
Maastricht Rebels
Withdrawal
2015–2016 membership renegotiation
2016 EU membership referendum
Vote Leave
Britain Stronger in Europe
Notification of withdrawal
Brexit negotiations
Impact of Brexit
Future relationship
Withdrawal agreement
No-deal Brexit
Impact on Irish border
Northern Ireland Protocol
Parliamentary votes
Proposed second referendum
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Constitutional documentsand events relevant to the status of the United Kingdomand its countries
          List per year
Treaty of Union
1706
Acts of Union
1707
Succession to the Crown Act 1707
1707
Septennial Act
1716
Wales and Berwick Act
1746
Constitution of Ireland (1782)
1782
Acts of Union 1800
1800
HC (Disqualifications) Act 1801
1801
Reform Act 1832
1832
Scottish Reform Act 1832
1832
Irish Reform Act 1832
1832
Judicial Committee Act 1833
1833
Judicial Committee Act 1843
1843
Judicial Committee Act 1844
1844
Colonial Laws Validity Act
1865
British North America Act 1867
1867
Representation of the People Act 1867
1867
Reform Act (Scotland) 1868
1868
Reform Act (Ireland) 1868
1868
Irish Church Act
1869
Royal Titles Act 1876
1876
Appellate Jurisdiction Act
1876
Reform Act 1884
1884
Interpretation Act 1889
1889
Cth of Australia Constitution Act
1900
Parliament Act
1911
Aliens Restriction Act
1914
Status of Aliens Act 1914
1914
Government of Ireland Act 1914
1914
Welsh Church Act
1914
Royal Proclamation of 1917
1917
Representation of the People Act 1918
1918
Church of England Assembly (Powers) Act
1919
Government of Ireland Act
1920
Anglo-Irish Treaty
1921
Church of Scotland Act 1921
1921
Irish Free State (Agreement) Act
1922
Irish Free State Constitution Act
1922
Ireland (Confirm. of Agreement) Act 1925
1925
Balfour Declaration of 1926
1926
Royal and Parliamentary Titles Act
1927
Representation of the People Act 1928
1928
Eire (Confirmation of Agreement) Act 1929
1929
Statute of Westminster
1931
HM Declaration of Abdication Act 1936
1936
Regency Act 1937
1937
Regency Act 1943
1943
Indian Independence Act
1947
Burma Independence Act
1947
British Nationality Act 1948
1948
Representation of the People Act 1948
1948
Ireland Act 1949
1949
Statute of the Council of Europe
1949
Parliament Act 1949
1949
Regency Act 1953
1953
Royal Titles Act 1953
1953
European Convention on Human Rights
1953
Interpretation Act (NI)
1954
HC Disqualification Act 1957
1957
Life Peerages Act
1958
Commonwealth Immigrants Act 1962
1962
Peerage Act
1963
West Indies Act 1967
1967
Commonwealth Immigrants Act 1968
1968
Immigration Act
1971
EC Treaty of Accession
1972
NI (Temporary Provisions) Act
1972
European Communities Act
1972
Local Government Act
1972
UK joins the European Communities
1973
Local Government (Scotland) Act
1973
NI border poll
1973
NI Constitution Act
1973
House of Commons Disqualification Act
1975
Referendum Act
1975
EC membership referendum
1975
Interpretation Act
1978
Scotland Act 1978
1978
Wales Act 1978
1978
Scottish devolution referendum
1979
Welsh devolution referendum
1979
British Nationality Act 1981
1981
Representation of the People Act 1983
1983
Representation of the People Act 1985
1985
Maastricht Treaty
1993
Local Government (