Just over nine months after the UK’s historic vote to leave the European Union the government will on Wednesday start the formal proceedings for leaving the bloc by triggering article 50.

What is article 50?

In just 264 words in five paragraphs, article 50 of the Lisbon treaty sets out how an EU member can voluntarily leave the European Union. 

Has it ever been invoked before?

No. Greenland was the last country to vote to leave the bloc, but that involved the EEC, the precursor to the EU, long before article 50 had been drafted.

What is ‘triggered’ by article 50?

Once a country gives notice it wants to leave it has two years to negotiate new arrangements, after which it will no longer be subject to EU treaties. 

What if an agreement is not reached in two years?

The UK would still be set to leave the EU by 29 March 2019 but with no agreement there would be no provisions in place for its legal and trading relations with the bloc. 

We want to know if there was another vote tomorrow, how would you vote?