Brexit against the wishes of Scotland and Northern Ireland would violate the UK’s constitutional settlement

Scotland’s First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon, indicated in June 2016 that she intends to explore options to protect Scottish membership of the European Union following the UK’s referendum on 23 June 2016. But is it really possible for one of the constituent nations of the UK to block Brexit? Jo Murkens writes that if either Scotland or Northern Ireland rejected leaving the European Union, the UK as a whole cannot proceed with Brexit negotiations in any constitutionally plausible way.

ESO: Background information: The EU Referendum, 23 June 2016. The United Kingdom and the European Union. The results http://www.europeansources.info/record/the-eu-referendum-23-june-2016-the-united-kingdom-and-the-european-union-the-results/

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

ESO: Background information: The EU Referendum, 23 June 2016. The United Kingdom and the European Union. The results - Scotland - Reaction to EU referendum result http://www.europeansources.info/record/the-eu-referendum-23-june-2016-the-united-kingdom-and-the-european-union-the-results-scotland-reaction-to-eu-referendum-result/

ESO: Background information: Tony Blair and John Major warn Brexit could tear UK apart http://www.europeansources.info/record/tony-blair-and-john-major-warn-brexit-could-tear-uk-apart/

Blog: LSE EuroppBlog, 02.07.16: Westminster must choose between leaving the EU and retaining the UK http://bit.ly/29htKoK

openDemocracy: oD-UK, 07.07.16: Eton Mess: how the referendum result has exposed the fragility of our constitutional arrangements https://www.opendemocracy.net/uk/tim-treuherz/eton-mess-how-referendum-result-has-exposed-fragility-of-our-constitutional-arrangem

Intereconomics, Vol.51, No.4, July-August 2016: What May Not Happen in UKexit http://archive.intereconomics.eu/year/2016/4/what-may-not-happen-in-ukexit/

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