Joe Duggan (Reporter)
BRITAIN has voted to leave the European Union.
In a historic referendum result, the Leave campaign scored a narrow victory, with early surprise results in the north east of England hitting the Remain campaign’s hopes hard.
Overall turnout was 71.8%.
Earlier in the night, Gibraltar had voted overwhelmingly to stay in the EU, with 96% of the Rock’s electorate choosing to Remain.
Along with Gibraltar, London and Scotland voted to Remain but many of Labour’s traditional heartlands in the north and Wales voted to Leave.
Gibraltar’s Chief Minister Fabian Picardo is holding a special cabinet meeting to discuss the result this morning.
Picardo said: “We have surpassed greater challenges. It is time for unity, for calm & for rational thinking. Together & united we will continue to prosper.”
GSD leader Daniel Feetham pointed to ‘deep divisions’ in British society.
Feetham said: “We must deal in hope. We have a duty to set out a positive and workable road map for the future. I remain positive that we can do that.”
The pound has tumbled to its lowest against the dollar since 1985 as markets brace themselves for a turbulent day.
In Japan, the Nikkei index fell 8% overnight on the news.
UKIP leader Nigel Farage said: “Let June 23 go down in our history as our independence day.
“I hope this victory brings down this failed project and leads us to a Europe of sovereign nation states, trading together, being friends together, cooperating together, and let’s get rid of the flag, the anthem, Brussels, and all that has gone wrong.”
Sinn Fein leader Martin McGuinness has now demanded a referendum on Irish unity, with Northern Ireland having voted to Remain.
Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said: “The people of Scotland see their future as part of the European Union.”
David Cameron is expected to make a statement at 9am CET.
Now it will depend on what London does to the Europeans living and working there. Because, the EU will do exactly the same to us in response. Work-permits? Visas? At the very least, British pensions to Europe will be frozen and the European international heath card withdrawn.
It is a very big mistake…..Europe is stronger all unite. United Kingdom will suffer the consecuencies to broke with their all bussines partner. Have no any sense to come back to XIX CENTURY IN 2016. The empire never will come back. And EU is the future.
The greatest victory for Britain since the Spanish Armada, and the Second World War. Well done to Nigel Farage, he deserves a Knighthood for freeing the British people from Multinationals, Banks, Lies, and Deceit. Here’s to the future. A democratic and free Britain.
I suppose it will take the removal of human rights act (proposed under the tory’s in the UK) until these bunch of xenophobic dolts realize that it isn’t Johnny Foreigner or the EU that is the ruination of the UK, it’s the people at the helm.
I was wondering how the UK would adapt to life in the 21’st century. I honestly thought that it would have to be dragged, kicking and screaming into the new millennia, I suppose it remains to be seen how they obviously will not adapt to the modern world.
That a mess. Although the consequences for expats in Spain may not turn out to be as bad as they might have feared, it is bound to throw up all sorts of unforeseen problems and will definitely make life more difficult. This result slams the door in the face of Brits who would like to retire to Spain in the future – many will think it is just too difficult.
I can’t help but think that a large number of Leave votes were cast by old biddies who will be dead in a few years and this is very unfair on the younger generation.
It’s impossible to predict what will happen but I hope they hold off before issuing Article 50 to buy a bit more negotiating time.
One thing is for sure, it’s time to junk Juncker.
In time, the UK will come realise that leaving the EU is not the panacea they hoped it would be. Trading with the single market will be a lot more difficult, maybe even impossible – the EU will almost certainly demand free movement rights in return for access to the market. The UK has decades of uncertainty ahead, and even a long recession. It will be very interesting to see if all the stories of billions of pounds “saved from the EU” being paid back into UK infrastructure are true, or not. Nothing is that easy. Of course, some things won’t change. Illegal immigration will not change – it is out of control, and being outside of the EU does not matter one iota. The risk from global terrorism won’t be fixed either, and with less partners to work with, essential intelligence may be absent. The EU made big mistakes too; they should have listened to the UKs concerns earlier, and they should have reformed or at least reformed some aspects of the union. Next up, the referendum in Scotland and the loss of the Union Jack. Interesting times ahead.
Some other interesting tidbits from today. Nigel Farage says his “battle bus” slogan about the £350 million saving that could be spent on the NHS was actually a “mistake”, and the French mayor of Calais is now asking Pesident Hollande to move the migrant camp to Dover, ending an agreement between the UK and France. Nigel will be pleased I’m sure? Oh well, he knows best.
Great Britain is made small: the United Kingdom is disunited. Cameron’s reckless plan to reconcile his divided Tories has instead divided the U.K.’s entire society, driven apart it’s nations, and turned generations against each other.
Cameron’s legacy may now be tainted as the Prime Minister who lost it all; hopefully the name Farage will only be remembered, if at all, as a synonym for something one might only risk touching with a long stick — in a plastic bag!