What triggered the Brexit referendum? There was a growing belief that major changes in the treaties of the EU affecting national sovereignty could only be agreed by referendum. This was being neglected by the UK Conservative Party. The Maastricht Treaty had sought a greater integration of EU member states yet there had been no referendum in the UK to support or reject it. There was thought that Conservatives coming to power would fix this but initially they fell short. Backlash forced them to make good. Despite party political reasons the underlying justification of a referendum was still the growing integration of the EU into an ever closer union affecting member nation sovereignty and identity. So the real vote was on the UK agreeing to this move towards union and away from national identity and sovereignty. The result said ‘No’. (Nay)
