Earlier quoted context omitted.
The UK gets to decide when they trigger the process but the 'official' process can't start until the UK triggers it. The referendum isn't actually legally binding so in theory article 50 may never get triggered, though as the vote is a reaction against politicians, that would be political suicide. The final terms will be the result of negotiation and I don't think the UK actually has a good position. The referendum w…
> The UK gets to decide when they trigger the process but the 'official' process can't start until the UK triggers it. If the UK spends the next 15 years making trouble in the EU, blocking a Brexit agreement, not taking decisions, and basically torpedoing the functioning of the EU, I hope the EU is going to do something about it. The UK was bad enough for the EU while it was in, let's not allow it to destroy the rest…
If they don't trigger Article 50, they have exactly the same role in the EU as if they never chose to leave (except that they lose the special concessions that they just got approved which were contingent on a "Remain" result in the referendum, which, AFAICT, is the only actual legal effect of referendum.)
Once they trigger Article 50, they are out in 2 years (barring an agreement to extend the process.) The only purpose of an exit agreement is to provide an alternative to the default exit terms, which would, e.g., leave trade relations between Britain and the EU reverting to WTO rules.