In the June 2016 referendum on Brexit, which combination of constituent parts of the United Kingdom voted in favour of leaving the European Union?

Introduction / Context:
This question relates to recent world political history and European integration. In June 2016, the United Kingdom held a referendum on whether to remain in or leave the European Union, a process popularly known as Brexit. Different parts of the United Kingdom voted differently, revealing regional political and economic preferences. Understanding which regions supported leaving the European Union is important for exams focused on international relations, geography and current affairs.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• The referendum took place in June 2016 in the United Kingdom.
• The question asks which parts of the United Kingdom voted for Brexit, that is, voted to leave.
• Options provide different combinations of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
• We assume standard official results as reported after the referendum.

Concept / Approach:
The concept is to recall regional voting patterns. In the Brexit referendum, England and Wales returned majority votes in favour of leaving the European Union. In contrast, Scotland and Northern Ireland had majorities that voted to remain. Therefore, any correct combination must include England and Wales together and must exclude Scotland and Northern Ireland from the leave voting group. The approach is to match this memory with the options given and select the pair that fits.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Recall the overall result: the United Kingdom as a whole voted to leave the European Union. Step 2: Remember regional details: England and Wales had majority leave votes, whereas Scotland and Northern Ireland had majority remain votes. Step 3: Examine the options one by one. Option a lists England and Scotland, but Scotland mainly voted to remain, so this is incorrect. Step 4: Option b lists England and Wales, both of which had leave majorities, which aligns with known results. Step 5: Option c lists Scotland and Northern Ireland, both regions where remain votes dominated, so this cannot be the leave combination. Step 6: Option d lists Wales and Northern Ireland, but Northern Ireland mainly voted to remain, so that combination is also incorrect. Step 7: Therefore, select England and Wales as the correct answer.

Verification / Alternative check:
A simple verification is to remember that political debates after Brexit often highlighted tensions because Scotland and Northern Ireland voted differently from the overall United Kingdom result. Scottish leaders discussed the possibility of another independence referendum partly due to this difference. Northern Ireland became central in discussions about borders and the Good Friday Agreement. These discussions confirm that Scotland and Northern Ireland were more pro European Union. In contrast, England and Wales were identified as providing decisive support for leaving, which verifies the chosen answer.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
England and Scotland: Scotland had a majority remain vote, so pairing it with England as leave supporters is incorrect.
Scotland and Northern Ireland: Both regions largely voted to remain in the European Union, not to leave.
Wales and Northern Ireland: Wales voted to leave but Northern Ireland mostly voted to remain, so they did not form a joint leave voting combination.

Common Pitfalls:
A common mistake is to assume that all parts of the United Kingdom voted in the same direction without recalling regional differences. Another error is to confuse Scotland involvement in later independence debates with support for Brexit, when in fact Scotland voters were more pro European Union. To avoid confusion, students can remember the simple pattern: England and Wales leaned towards leave, Scotland and Northern Ireland leaned towards remain. This mental map will help in questions about Brexit regional voting behaviour.

Final Answer:
In the June 2016 Brexit referendum, the parts of the United Kingdom that voted in favour of leaving the European Union were England and Wales.