E-petition 223729 relating to rescinding Article 50 if the Vote Leave campaign broke electoral laws

The decision by the Electoral Commission to fine Vote Leave and refer it to the police for breaking electoral law in exceeding campaign spending limits has led to calls for the EU referendum result to be annulled and the UK’s Article 50 notification to leave the EU revoked.

The legislation setting out the regulatory framework for referendums does not contain any provisions for annulling or overturning a result. This is in contrast to the rules on parliamentary elections which allow for individual constituency results to be declared void if an individual candidate(s) spends more than the limits set for the regulated period of an election.

There are differing opinions as to whether or not the UK’s Article 50 notification on withdrawal from the EU can itself be withdrawn by the UK government. However, EU leaders have indicated that they would be open to a change of mind from the UK.