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EU referendum results: Britain votes for Brexit – live updates
EU referendum result: Britain votes for Brexit – live
(35 minutes later)
5.54am BST
6.28am BST
05:54
06:28
LEave 300k votes shy of official winning line with 20 counting areas to go - over 1 million votes ahead
5.50am BST
05:50
Paddy Ashdown wants David Cameron to stay as prime minister.
Please stay PM, said the pirates who took over the ship as they lead him down to the hold in chains.
5.49am BST
05:49
This is from Sky’s Faisal Islam.
Fall in sterling in past few hours says @EdConwaySky by 15 cents is now bigger than Black Wednesday - FTSe seen 6%+ down
5.49am BST
05:49
Henry McDonald
Sinn Féin’s declaration that the British government has “forfeited any mandate” to represent the economic or political interests of Northern Ireland is a restatement of party policy.
Martin McGuinness, the Sinn Féin deputy first minister of Northern Ireland, has already called for a referendum on the region’s future within the UK in the event of a Brexit vote.
While the party might press the British government for such a vote, unionists will resist a so-called border poll. In addition, all the opinion polls on the issue of whether Northern Ireland exits the UK to join in a united Ireland indicate the majority would support maintaining the British link.
On Friday morning the party’s national chairman, Declan Kearney, said:
All the indications are that we are going to see English votes overturning the democratic will of people here in the north of Ireland. Republican and unionist, Catholic and Protestant people have voted in favour of remain.
The British government as a direct result have forfeited any mandate to represent the interests of people here in the north of Ireland in circumstances where the north is dragged out of Europe as a result of a vote to leave.
5.44am BST
05:44
Leave campaigners across the country are celebrating the victory for their side:
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05:44
This is from the BBC’s Laura Kuenssberg.
One source tells me Gove and Boris negotiating the terms of Cameron's departure - only one source
Different source says Boris and Gove haven't spoken to number 10 yet - deny suggestion deals being done
5.42am BST
05:42
Matthew Weaver
Matthew Weaver
David Davis, a leave campaigner and Cameron’s opponent in the Tory party’s last leadership race, has backed calls for the prime minister to continue.
Green MP Caroline Lucas described the referendum result as heartbreaking and called for voting reform to allow the public to better express their anger.
Speaking to Sky News he said:
Speaking to BBC News she said:
What we need now is a sensible policy on negotiating our new relationship with the European Union and stability so we get on with that policy. So long as he appoints a sensible team and gives them the power to do it, I don’t see any threat to him at all.
I think this is an absolutely devastating result. Personally, I feel pretty heartbroken. It has revealed massive divisions within our country. There is such levels of alienation and anger and frustration which is real wake up call to Westminster. We have got here basically people rebelling against 98% of MPs.
One of the things about David Cameron is that he is a very tough cookie and he’s good at getting out of difficult scrapes and difficult corners. I actually think that in the country’s interest he should provide some stability while we do this negotiation, that’s the right thing to do.
The anger that we are hearing from around the country actually was less to do with EU per se and more to do with a sense of just having been un-heard, un-listened to for so many years.
He has got to put in place a team to do the negotiation, and that needs to start planning right away.
In a statement, she added:
Asked if Cameron should appoint leading Brexiters Boris Johnson or Michael Gove to lead the negotiations, Davis said:
We’re calling on all sides to come together to fix our democracy here in Britain – starting with electoral reform for the House of Commons. The democratic deficit will not be fixed by leaving the EU – we need to look closer to home too.
He should give it to someone committed to that aim, and those to people are certainly possibles in that category.
The prospect of shutting down the right to free movement is frightening, as are the consequences of a campaign that has at times pitted neighbours against one another, whipped up fear and allowed lies and myths to take the place of truth. Britain deserves better and I am pledging anew to fight against division on behalf of my constituents.
When you are going through a campaign like this it is very rough and tumble, things are said often that are maybe regretted later. Just as in the 2010 election you may remember Nick Clegg and David Cameron knocking seven bells out of each other, three days after the election they were gazing into each other’s eyes in the rose garden. We will come together as a party, we always have before, we will this time and actually put the interest of the country first, which means a new negotiation with the European Union and that’s the most important thing.
Asked if he backed an early election, Davis said:
No I don’t. I think the most important thing now is to deliver on the referendum. That will take two or three years to do, and you want a bit of time for that to bed in before your next election. We have just got enough time.
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06:27
8 questions Cameron must address when he speaks to the nation
Marine Le Pen, the leader of France’s far-right Front National party, has welcomed the result of the referendum. She says she wants a similar referendum in France.
Andrew Sparrow
Victoire de la liberté ! Comme je le demande depuis des années, il faut maintenant le même référendum en France et dans les pays de l'UE MLP
David Cameron is expected to address the nation this morning, and he may well be writing his speech now. Here are some of the questions he has to address.
6.22am BST
1 - What will be done to calm the markets? With the pound in freefall, will the Bank of England intervene? There has even been talk of closing the stock market to stop panic selling of share. Cameron will have to say something to steady nerves.
06:22
2 - Will he remain as prime minister? No one expects him to leave Number 10 this morning, but does he really think he will be able to oversee the EU withdrawal process over the next few year? Perhaps he does. More likely, he will recognise that is unrealistic. In that case it is possible that he may announce his intention to stand down later this year, possibly before the Tory conference.
UK should leave EU within 2 years, says EPP chair
3 - Will he invoke article 50 of the Lisbon treaty immediately? This is the process that starts the two-year countdown to Brexit. Before the referendum Cameron said he would trigger article 50 straightaway, but there is no reason why he should and every reason to delay. It makes no sense to start the two-year clock running until the UK knows what it wants. He would be wise to clarify his intentions.
Manfred Weber, the chairman of the European People’s Party group of centre-right parties in the European parliament, has used Twitter to say that he thinks the UK should leave the EU within two years. The EPP is the biggest group in the parliament.
4 - Will parliament be recalled? There is a strong case for saying it should sit on Saturday, to allow the government to assure MPs that it has a plan before markets open again on Monday.
We respect and regret the decision of the British voters. It causes major damage to both sides. #Brexit 1/4
5 - Who will be in charge of the withdrawal negotiations? This begs the huge question as to what mandate will apply to those doing the negotiating. Will Cameron seek cross-party agreement? Will he take the Vote Leave programme as a manifesto he is bound to honour? For example, will the UK definitely withdraw from the single market?
This was a British vote, not a European vote. Cooperation within Europe is a question of self-assertion of the continent #UKReferendum 2/4
6 - Will there be an emergency budget? George Osborne said an emergency budget would be necessary this summer. Does that still apply, or will Cameron write that off as campaign scaremongering?
We want a better and smarter #Europe. We have to convince the people and bring Europe back to them. @EPPGroup
7 - Will there be an election? There is a case for saying a new prime minister may need a mandate for the withdrawal negotiations – although there are probably very few people in Westminster with the appetite for another election now?
Exit negotiations should be concluded within 2 years at max. There cannot be any special treatment. Leave means leave. #Brexit 4/4
8 - Does Cameron accept that the Scots have the right to have a second independence referendum? During the campaign he said the 2014 referendum was supposed to last for a generation, but there were some moments during the campaign when he accepted that the Scots would have a case for demanding a second referendum if they voted to stay in the EU while the UK as a whole voted out. And that is what has happened. (See 5.32pm.)
6.13am BST
06:13
Liam Fox, the Conservative former defence secretary, told the BBC it would be a mistake for David Cameron to invoke article 50 (the procedure that starts the two-year countdown to withdrawal) immediately. Cameron said he would do this immediately in the event of a Brexit vote during the campaign. But Fox said that that was a campaign promise that it would be best to ignore.
6.07am BST
06:07
We are going to get a statement from David Cameron shortly, Sky’s Kay Burley says.
PM to make a statement shortly calling for stability and unity #EUref
6.06am BST
06:06
John McDonnell, the shadow chancellor, has urged the government to take steps to stablise the economy.
People will be waking up this morning to turmoil in the markets and the pound crashing, and fearing the emergency budget the chancellor threatened to hike their taxes and cut public services.
The government must now take steps to stabilise the economy, and to protect jobs, pensions and wages. Labour will not allow any instability to be paid for by the working people of this country.
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5.32am BST
6.04am BST
05:32
06:04
Region by region voting figures
Geert Wilders, a Dutch far-right politician, said on his website that Brexit has created a precedent for other European countries to exit the EU:
Here are the latest region by region voting figures.
We want be in charge of our own country, our own money, our own borders, and our own immigration policy. If I become prime minister, there will be a referendum in the Netherlands on leaving the European Union as well. Let the Dutch people decide.
They show that Scotland voted to stay in the EU by a large margin - even though the UK as a whole is voting out.
Hurrah for the British! Now it is our turn. Time for a Dutch referendum! #ByeByeEUhttps://t.co/kXZ0aQtgmx
Eastern After 43 results out of 47 in the EU referendum, running totals are: Voting Total Share areas votes % Remain 1,273,544 - 43.24%Leave 1,671,469 - 56.76%
6.04am BST
East Midlands After 32 results out of 40 in the EU referendum, running totals are: Voting Total Share areas votes % Remain 798,353 - 41.56% Leave 1,122,403 - 58.44%
06:04
London After 29 results out of 33 in the EU referendum, running totals are: Voting Total Share areas votes Remain 1,955,018 - 59.94% Leave 1,306,503 - 40.06%
Leave campaign has officially passed the winning post in the EU referendum, the Press Association reports.
North-east After 11 results out of 12 in the EU referendum, running totals are: Voting Total Share areas votes % Remain 480,573 41.36 Leave 681,404 58.64
Northern Ireland After one result out of one in the EU referendum, running totals are: Voting Total Share areas votes % Remain 1 440,707 55.78 Leave 0 349,442 44.22
North-west After 38 results out of 39 in the EU referendum, running totals are: Voting Total Share areas votes % Remain 1,603,565 - 46.18% Leave 1,868,843 - 53.82%
Scotland After 32 results out of 32 in the EU referendum, running totals are: Voting Total Share areas votes % Remain 1,661,191 - 62.00% Leave 1,018,322 - 38.00%
South-east After 58 results out of 67 in the EU referendum, running totals are: Voting Total Share areas votes % Remain 1,937,512 - 47.71%Leave 2,123,281 - 52.29%
South-west & Gibraltar After 31 results out of 38 in the EU referendum, running totals are: Voting Total Share areas votes % Remain 1,122,386 - 47.86% Leave 1,222,974 - 52.14%
Wales After 22 results out of 22 in the EU referendum, running totals are: Voting Total Share areas votes % Remain 772,347 - 47.47% Leave 854,572 - 52.53%
West Midlands After 27 results out of 30 in the EU referendum, running totals are: Voting Total Share areas votes % Remain 1,038,695 - 40.89% Leave 1,501,474 - 59.11%
Yorkshire & The Humber After 20 results out of 21 in the EU referendum, running totals are: Voting Total Share areas votes % Remain 1,094,681 - 41.63%Leave 1,534,954 - 58.37%
Updated
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5.26am BST
6.02am BST
05:26
06:02
BREAKING: Sinn Fein says "British government has forfeited any mandate to represent economic or political interests of people in N Ireland"
5.25am BST
05:25
Severin Carrell
Patrick Harvie, the Scottish Green party co-leader, has signalled his party could support a second independence referendum if that was called for by Scotland’s first minister Nicola Sturgeon.
The Scottish Greens announced they had launched a public petition calling for Holyrood to “examine and exhaust every option for continuing Scotland’s close ties with Europe” – a move which would include staging a second vote.
Describing the Brexit campaign as “deceitful, manipulative and at times downright racist”, Harvie said it would damage the economy and tear up the many benefits of EU membership.
He said: “Scotland must keep open every option for protecting ourselves from this threat. The Scottish parliament and government must be represented in the negotiations about what comes next. A cross-party plan of action should be sought, so we can defend our rights as EU citizens.”
With the SNP two seats short of an overall majority at Holyrood, Sturgeon would need the six votes of the pro-independence Scottish Green party to win a Scottish parliament vote calling for a second referendum.
The Scottish Greens have previously said they would only back a second vote if 1 million voters called for one. Many observers believe Sturgeon will resist pressure to demand one until opinion polls show far stronger support for breaking away.
5.21am BST
05:21
The Guardian’s Anushka Asthana says while there will be jubilation at the decision to leave the European Union, for many it will be a traumatic experience. She suggests there could be resignations by party leaders, a second independence referendum in Scotland and even a snap general election.
5.19am BST
05:19
Henry McDonald
Northern Ireland has voted remain by a majority of 440,707 to 349,442 for Brexit on an overall turnout of 62.9%.
There were 11 Westminster constituencies with majorities in favour of remain while seven voted for Brexit. Only one solidly unionist constituency – North Down – had a remain majority.
The result will have massive ramifications not just for Northern Ireland but the entire island. The Brexit vote will raise questions about the Irish border. If border checks and controls come back this will enrage the nationalist population of Northern Ireland. It will also undoubtedly be a boon for Irish republican dissidents opposed to the peace process.
The republican hardliners will argue that the principles of freedom of movement on the island and the fact that Northern Ireland voted for remain are subject to an English electorate veto. They will contend that the connection with Britain and the power of England to threaten to reinforce the border through this vote undermines the Good Friday agreement.
Another casualty might be the power sharing executive’s demand for a low 12.5% corporation tax rate for the region. The Irish Republic has used its 12.5% corporation tax rate to attract global corporate giants from Apple to Google, creating hundreds of thousands of jobs. However, the multinationals’ decision to be in the Republic is also based on Ireland being an English-speaking nation inside the EU.
As the Irish Nobel laureate WB Yeats put it, albeit about another momentous event 100 years ago, the 1916 Rising, all is changed utterly on the island of Ireland.
5.14am BST
05:14
Matthew Weaver
Matthew Weaver
Tory rebel and Brexiter Andrew Bridgen, who had called for a new Tory leader and a general election before Christmas, has called on David Cameron to stay to “stabilise the situation”.
The chair of Vote Leave, Gisela Stuart, broke into her native German to reassure Europe that Britain would continue to be an “open” and welcoming society” despite the decision to leave the EU.
Speaking to BBC Radio 4, Bridgen said:
In a speech in Manchester, Stuart provided this translation:
Will it be in the interest of the country for the prime minister to resign this morning? I don’t think so. Given all the volatility at the moment I think we can give the prime minister a little breathing space.
What I have just said [in German] is to make clear to all our colleagues in Europe, that Britain is an open society, it is a welcoming society and we will be continuing to be cooperating with European countries on an international level.
Asked whether he would carry out his threat of a no confidence vote in the prime minister, Bridgen said:
She added:
I don’t think it will come to that. The prime minister will consider what the people have said, I think he will act in the interest of the country. Short term he is going to need to get a grip, reshuffle his cabinet and address the pressing issues of Scotland, Northern Ireland and the financial markets, where there is going to be some short-term volatility.
This referendum has taken place against the backdropof all the might of institutions and of money. The people were given the impression that they had no choice but to remain, but they voted to leave. It is now incumbent on all of us to be very calm ... and work together.
Asked how long Cameron should stay, Bridgen said:
It is our opportunity to take back control of democratic decisions but also an opportunity to renew some of those processes. Vote Leave has been a cross party organisation. I think what happens now also has to be a cross party effort, because we have a responsibility to act in the best long term interest of this country.”
That will depend on how long it takes to stabilise the situation and move forward. He has politically exposed himself immensely in this campaign. I think he has been very badly advised, I think he has underestimated the level of support for leave within the parliamentary party, within the wider party and ultimately within the country. I wish the prime minister had stayed above this and been a little more impartial.
6.01am BST
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06:01
05:11
JK Rowling has used Twitter to says that Daivd Cameron’s legacy will be “breaking up two unions”.
Caelainn Barr
Scotland will seek independence now. Cameron's legacy will be breaking up two unions. Neither needed to happen. https://t.co/4MDj7pndcq
As the results unfolded were there any metrics that could help predict whether an area was likely to vote leave or remain? We’ve taken six key measures for each voting area and mapped them against the results.
5.58am BST
With the over two-thirds of the counting areas reporting a result the strongest predictor of how an area would vote is the education level of the residents. So far the results indicate that greater the proportion of residents with a higher education, the more likely a local authority was to vote remain.
05:58
5.10am BST
EU referendum: how Britain voted out
05:10
We take look back at how events unfolded on EU referendum night. From the moment polls closed at 10pm to Farage’s victorious speech in the early hours of the morning, watch to see how Britain voted to leave the European Union.
This is from ITV’s Allegra Stratton.
5.58am BST
Am being told that Cameron and Osborne are finished. There will be a "dignified exit" say senior Tories. "Not immediate".
05:58
5.08am BST
This is from the Spectator’s James Forsyth.
05:08
Looking at regional breakdown, clear 1 reason OUT won is that Remain didn’t really have any politicians who could speak to the working class
Andy Coulson, David Cameron’s former communications chief, has just told ITV that he thinks Cameron will be pondering his resignation.
Andy Coulson on set w @tombradby saying he thinks the PM "pondering his future". He thinks he should stay, "no time for a novice" #ITVEURef
5.04am BST
05:04
Simon Goodley
There’s a state of shock in the City this morning, as investors digest the news that Britain appears to have voted to leave the European Union.
Markets had rallied yesterday on expectations that the remain side would win, so traders are now facing the prospect of a huge selloff this morning.
Over on IG’s trading floor, chief market analyst Chris Beauchamp says:
We’re seeing an unraveling of positions now that clearly shows that financial markets were heavily weighted one side. The financial markets looked at the polls and the betting markets – all the information available.
They suggested it would be close but history suggests that undecideds tend to go with the status quo. We’re now seeing highly volatile financial markets. We’ve had the worst night for the pound since the financial crisis.
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5.01am BST
05:01
Libby Brooks
Commenting on the result of the EU referendum in Scotland, Nicola Sturgeon said:
Scotland has delivered a strong, unequivocal vote to remain in the EU, and I welcome that endorsement of our European status. And while the overall result remains to be declared, the vote here makes clear that the people of Scotland see their future as part of the European Union.
Scotland has contributed significantly to the remain vote across the UK. That reflects the positive campaign the SNP fought, which highlighted the gains and benefits of our EU membership, and people across Scotland have responded to that positive message. We await the final UK-wide result, but Scotland has spoken – and spoken decisively.
