That's correct, Article 50 can be invoked by any member nation and has a mandated 2 year duration. It can only be withdrawn by the member that invoked it and neither the EU nor any other member can prevent that. The status following its withdrawl is as befor its invokation, i.e. we become a member with the same status as in March 2017. All this waffle about how we will be punished is just 'leaver project fear'*, so the rebate, the Euro exemption and the Schengen exemption will be as before article 50 was invoked.If we remained within the A50 extention, we would be on the same terms as before inc. the rebate (although the amount of rebate would be discussed in real time as we go along...as before.)
- Nathalie Loiseau, the French European affairs minister.
We wouldn't have left, why should anything change?
* to use a term that leavers understand.