- David Cameron to step down as prime minister
- Markets tumble before partial recovery
- Boris Johnson: ‘No haste’ to start Brexit process
- Nicola Sturgeon says second Scottish referendum ‘highly likely’
- Union leaders tells Labour MPs not to try to depose Corbyn
We’re closing the live blog for tonight. Here’s a summary of the main points.
•The prime minister David Cameron announced he would step down after failing to convince the country to vote to stay in the European Union in Thursday’s referendum.
President Barack Obama stands by his comment that Britain will move to the back of the queue when it comes to trade deals with the United States after Brexit, the White House said on Friday.
“Obviously, the president stands by what he said and I don’t have an update of our position,” White House spokesman Eric Schultz said.
Saturday’s front pages are out and, unsurprisingly, the papers are all leading on Brexit. Equally unsurprisingly, they’re heavily polarised.
GUARDIAN:.Over. And out #tomorrowspaperstoday#bbcpaperspic.twitter.com/0p5B1gawDh
TELEGRAPH: Birth of a new Britain #tomorrowspaperstoday#bbcpaperspic.twitter.com/FHi5zgxEBX
THE TIMES: Brexit earthquake #tomorrowspaperstoday#bbcpaperspic.twitter.com/fnO0JT9Zf7
SUN EXCLUSIVE: Why should I do the hard s**t? #tomorrowspaperstoday#bbcpaperspic.twitter.com/HW4vmOjGoU
DAILY MIRROR: So what the hell happens now? #tomorrowspaperstoday#bbcpaperspic.twitter.com/8IyZTEGX73
DAILY EXPRESS: We're out of the EU #tomorrowspaperstoday#bbcpaperspic.twitter.com/uo1QEPtckm
INDEPENDENT DIGITAL: Welcome to Boris Island #tomorrowspaperstoday#bbcpaperspic.twitter.com/rHK9xJWTPG
THE I: Caught Out #tomorrowspaperstoday#bbcpaperspic.twitter.com/kFufUVIcYV
THE NATIONAL: Indyref 2 - We're ready #tomorrowspaperstoday#bbcpaperspic.twitter.com/wWdF8NhcUt
DAILY MAIL HISTORIC EDITION: Take a bow, Britain! #tomorrowspaperstoday#bbcpaperspic.twitter.com/VpurBk5KXo
SCOTTISH DAILY MAIL: Disunited Kingdom #tomorrowspaperstoday#bbcpaperspic.twitter.com/ZVm2nyxdyh
Meanwhile, Reuters reports that major Wall Street banks are scouring Europe to find a new home for their traders, bankers and financial licences.
“The question becomes, where exactly do they move to? There’s no clear answer on that. You might end up having a more fragmented financial industry in Europe,” Edward Chan, a partner at law firm Linklaters, told the news agency.
British financial institutions will have more limited access to the EU’s internal market once it leaves the bloc, the chair of the council of eurozone finance ministers says.
Jeroen Dijsselbloem told RTL television that some institutions would leave the City and that limited access was the price of Brexit.
A few years ago, London took out adverts in the Asian edition of the Financial Times saying it was the place to come if you wanted to do business in the EU. Now they can’t place that advert, and the Asians will go to Amsterdam or Frankfurt instead.
The UK’s longterm debt outlook was cut to ‘negative’ from ‘stable’ by the ratings agency Moody’s, which said the Brexit vote would hit the country’s medium-term growth outlook.
It maintained the EU’s outlook at ‘stable’.
There are reports of anti-Brexit protests in Glasgow, Edinburgh and London.
Hundreds gathered in Scotland to show their support for migrants and protest against what they describe as a “torrent of racism” unleashed during the referendum campaign.
Meanwhile at London Bridge pic.twitter.com/QDin4VoMXQ
The secretary general of the Muslim Council of Britain, Dr Shuja Shafi, has called for Britain’s political leaders to unite the country after a campaign that has targeted immigrants.
Clearly, this referendum has shown that there is disenchantment not only with the European Union but also with the way politics is carried out in our country.
Our political leaders must now address these concerns in an inclusive and conciliatory way. We have witnessed a campaign that has been divisive and at times has led to the scapegoating of immigrants and minority groups.
We thank the prime minister for his public service. While the government’s relationship with Muslim communities has been extremely challenging, we commend David Cameron for speaking out against Islamophobia. We hope his successor takes greater strides in working with Muslim communities and in resisting the temptation of xenophobia and intolerance that this result could possibly bring.
The UK should be denied access to the single market if it does not comply with EU environmental laws in areas such as chemicals and food safety, the vice-chair of the European parliament’s environment committee tells the Guardian.
Benedek Jávor, a Green MEP, said: “If food safety standards or chemical standards are weakened in the UK, it raises the issue of the compatibility of British products with the EU market.
More exits from the EU are inevitable if the bloc maintains its current course, Turkey’s president Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has said, according to Reuters.
The French newspaper Libération has released its weekend edition front page.
A slightly mocking headline, with a subheading that reads: “Shock in the UK and plenty of questions among other EU nations after the Boris Johnson-backed Brexit win.”
A la une de @libe ce week-end : «Good luck»https://t.co/BPDFO3GN03pic.twitter.com/fDEMEFfPZK
More quotes from President Obama are now emerging. He, too, is calling for Britain’s special relationship with the US to persist.
While the UK’s relationship with the EU will change, one thing that will not change is the special relationship that exists between our two nations. That will endure. The EU will remain one of our indispensable partners.
The Pentagon has sought to calm fears for the special relationship after the Brexit vote, insisting that the United States is confident Britain will remain a strong ally in Nato, which “will continue to perform its very important function”.
Jean-Claude Juncker, the European commission president, has called for Brexit negotiations to start straightaway, arguing that there is no need to wait until October.
He told Germany’s ARD television station:
Britons decided yesterday that they want to leave the European Union, so it doesn’t make any sense to wait until October to try to negotiate the terms of their departure. I would like to get started immediately.
President Obama has paid tribute to David Cameron at a summit in California.
David has been an outstanding friend and partner on the global stage and, based on our conversation, I’m confident that the UK is committed to an orderly transition out of the EU.
We agreed that our economic and financial teams will remain in close contact as we stay focused on ensuring economic growth and financial stability.
The mayor of Calais has raised the prospect of migrants camped in Calais could be sent to the UK as a result of Brexit because it could see the unravelling of the border deal that currently keeps many of them in France.
The British must take on the consequences of their choice.
We are in a strong position to push, to press this request for a review and we are asking the president to bring his weight [to the issue].
The US would have preferred a remain vote, the US vice president, Joe Biden, has said on a visit to Ireland.
In a speech at Dublin Castle, he attacked “reactionary politicians and demagogues peddling xenophobia, nationalism and isolationism” and said the US wanted to keep growing economic ties with the European Union.
Of course, yesterday a majority of the British people voted to leave the European Union, and as longstanding friends of the United Kingdom, the United States respects their decision.
[It is] not how we would have preferred it to be. But we respect their position.
After cancelling his planned appearance at Glastonbury, Jeremy Corbyn is now believed to be preparing to give a speech tomorrow morning instead.
Amid moves to depose him as Labour leader, a source says he intends to set out a “Labour vision for the future” following the Brexit vote.
Jeremy Corbyn has given an interview to Channel 4 News. He urgedDame Margaret Hodge to withdraw her no confidence motion.
Margaret is obviously entitled to do what she wishes to do. I would ask her to think for a moment: a Tory prime minister resigned, Britain’s voted to leave the European Union, there are massive political issues to be addressed - is it really a good idea to start a big debate in the Labour party when I was elected less than a year ago with a very large mandate – not from MPs, I fully concede and understand that, but from the party members as a whole?
Jeremy is a decent man. He believes in the interests of the Labour party and I think the wise thing for him to do now would be to reflect, do the honourable thing and step down, and let us go forward under a new leadership.
The Labour MP Graham Jones has said he is “inclined” to back Dame Margaret Hodge’s motion of no confidence in Jeremy Corbyn. He said:
Vast swathes of white working-class voters, particularly north of the Trent, turned their backs on our message and our leader. I want a damn good explanation from Jeremy Corbyn as to why we ended up in this mess. If I am not satisfied, I will support the motion.
The referendum results means that the prospect of a third runway being built at Heathrow must now be slim. The Davies commission said it should go ahead last year, and the government was due to make a final decision soon after the referendum. But the leave vote means it is likely that David Cameron will be replaced by Boris Johnson, a strong opponent of a Heathrow third runway.
Brexit must cast doubts on whether a third runway at Heathrow will ever be given the green light. The prime minister and the chancellor have lost the fight of their lives. Outers like Boris Johnson, who is fiercely opposed to Heathrow expansion, have won. At the very least, a decision on a new runway must now be up in the air.
Here is the Guardian Politics Weekly podcast, with Tom Clark, Heather Stewart, Matthew D’Ancona, Hugh Muir and Jennifer Rankin discussing the referendum.
Related: Britain votes for Brexit – Politics Weekly podcast
Jeremy Clarkson, who backed remain in the referendum, has told the nation that it is just going to have to “make this shit shower work”.
Right. We should have 24 hours of despair and moaning, and then we will all have to roll up our sleeves and make this shit shower work.
Responding to the statement from the 12 union leaders who are defending Jeremy Corbyn (see 5.10pm),Dame Margaret Hodge told the Guardian that they were showing themselves to be out of touch with the views of their own members.
This has been a tumultuous referendum which has been a test of leadership. Jeremy has failed that test. There will be a series of incredibly important decisions and negotiations with the EU over the next few year. Are we really saying that we send Jeremy Corbyn on our behalf? Does he have the necessary qualities? There is probably going to be a general election within a year. Do we want Jeremy Corbyn to lead us in to that election?
He has shown us that he can’t do it. We have someone in the position of leader who has shown that he can’t lead.
A desperate scramble for EU passports is under way after Britain voted to leave the union. There has been a spike in the number of online searches for “getting an Irish passport”, and some European citizens publicly offered themselves – probably jokingly – in marriage, my colleague Luke Harding reports.
Related: Brexit vote sparks scramble for European passports
“That’s it, I think we should declare Glastonbury an independent nation-state.” As word of the referendum results slowly rippled across the festival campsite on Friday morning, bleary eyed campers grappled both with hangovers and the realisation that they were unzipping their tents to a UK changed forever. And for the many of the 180,000 ticket-holders who were firmly in the remain camp, talk soon jokingly turned to “Glexit”.
Momentum, the Labour organisation for Jeremy Corbyn supporters, has started an online petition supporting him. This is from James Schneider, Momentum’s national organiser.
This is a time for Labour to be united.
Sign our petition for unity and in support of the leadership: https://t.co/2cr1Zkbzqz
The Labour MP Dame Margaret Hodge has told Sky News that she is is tabling a motion of no confidence in Jeremy Corbyn because the EU referendum was a “test of leadership” and Corbyn failed.
The European referendum was a test of leadership and I think Jeremy failed that test. He came out too slowly, he was very half-hearted about his attempts to campaign and Labour voters simply didn’t get the message. I hope, in the context of a secret ballot, that there will be overwhelming support for this motion I am putting and Jeremy will do the decent thing and resign.
Every MP is going to have to search their conscience about it but I think I would need an awful lot of persuading to have confidence in Jeremy’s leadership going into a general election.
The truth is that Jeremy’s leadership doesn’t seem to be reaching out to those parts of Britain, those parts of the Labour vote we depend on to win a general election.
[Corbyn] needs to know that a substantial number of the parliamentary party have no confidence in his leadership and he needs to consider that and consider whether it is tenable to be leader when his parliamentary party does not support him.
Sir John Major, the former Conservative prime minister, has told the BBC that David Cameron was right to announce that he is standing down.
I think it’s very sad that David has decided he has to go. I think he made the right decision. I think he had no choice.
I think when people look back on his premiership they will see quite a few things.
Upon the day he became prime minister our economy was on the precipice, our banks were very close to collapse, and the forecast was dire. We now have one of the strongest economies, our banks are much better prepared now than ever before to face any of the difficulties that will lie ahead, and I think that is very much to David Cameron’s credit.
Many people didn’t like it, but there were many others who felt life was very harsh about their personal preferences, who will look back and say he brought a breath of fresh air and freedom to our lives that we hadn’t had before. I think that is a very remarkable record, and I think he’ll be remembered for it.
The main trade unions affiliated to Labour have put out a joint statement saying MPs should not try to depose Jeremy Corbyn. The statement does not actually mention Corbyn by name, but it says a “manufactured leadership row” would be an indulgence the party cannot afford.
It says:
The prime minister’s resignation has triggered a Tory leadership crisis. At the very time we need politicians to come together for the common good, the Tory party is plunging into a period of argument and infighting.
In the absence of a government that puts the people first Labour must unite as a source of national stability and unity. It should focus on speaking up for jobs and workers’ rights under threat, and on challenging any attempt to use the referendum result to introduce a more right-wing Tory government by the back door.
The Trade Union and Socialist Coalition (TUSC), the pro-Brexit leftwing group, has put out a statement calling for an early general election. This is from its chair, the former Labour MP Dave Nellist.
TUSC opposes the EU as an ‘employers union’, implementing Thatcherism on a continental scale, and we welcome the decisive rejection of it in the referendum.
This was a revolt against a system that is not delivering for the majority of working class people and many middle class people too.
Loss of UK sovereignty was one of the Brexiters’ chief complaints in the referendum campaign and their resentment of foreign laws was aimed squarely at the European court of justice in Luxembourg. So now that the UK has voted to leave the EU what happens next?
The EU’s highest court, whose rulings are currently binding on British judges and parliament, became the object of venomous rhetoric during the campaign. Those attacks may now intensify.
My colleague Ewen MacAskill has joined the (very, very long, and mostly honourable) list of people who have been insulted by Donald Trump.
Funny thing is this exchange was w/@ewenmacaskill, an awesome reporter who may literally be the nicest guy in media. https://t.co/RKR7RIHJXp
Europeans working in London have reacted to the referendum results with shock.
Groups of 16 and 17-year-olds have been outside Downing Street protesting about the result, my colleague Ione Wells reports.
Many displayed banners saying, “where was our vote” and “it’s our future”. Several of the teenagers quoted the other rights they have at 16 and referenced the Scottish referendum, asking why they were not allowed to vote in a decision that would have a “huge impact on our futures”.
I should have been here a week ago, well, not here in London. We won comfortably here – but elsewhere, further afield, now I feel like we are all living with the result of not doing more while we could.
Tim Farron, the Lib Dem leader, used a speech earlier today to launch a strong attack on Jeremy Corbyn’s conduct during the election campaign.
With politicians of all parties working together, one of the things that stood out in this campaign, was Jeremy Corbyn’s bizarre refusal to share a platform in the face of the greatest challenge our country was faced in a generation.
I have stood alongside Gordon Brown, Harriet Harman, Chukka Umunna, Andy Burnham and Sadiq Khan.
John McDonnell, the shadow chancellor, has put out a statement saying the EU referendum vote represents “a decisive rejection of the Conservative’s economic policy, resulting in stagnant real wages for a decade and widespread disaffection where people have not shared in prosperity”. He said the government should abandon its budget surplus target for 2019-20, launch an investment programme and give up plans to have an emergency austerity budget.
He said:
Labour will not allow any instability to be paid for by the working people of this country. There is no justification or mandate whatsoever for an emergency austerity budget. We need a clear programme of action to protect our economy.
Christine Lagarde, head of the IMF, is speaking to journalists in Washington.
She says it will take some time to work out what the UK’s relationship with the EU will be. And she welcomes the moves taken by the Bank of England today to assure the markets, she says.
EU climate change officials are calling for an early signal of intent from a post-Brexit UK government that it will remain committed to joint European action on global warming.
Of particular interest for Europe is whether the UK shows it is still attached to last year’s Paris climate deal, the 2020 climate targets and, above all, the bloc’s carbon market, the Emissions Trading System (ETS).
Good afternoon. I’m Andrew Sparrow, taking over from Haroon.
The American ambassador to London, Matthew Barzun, has been tweeting about the referendum result.
Well, it’s been a big day…and as @POTUS says, our unmatched & unbreakable #SpecialRelationship will endure. https://t.co/cmOp7Gy0Xr
The commuter town of Watford was England’s most divided town last night, voting to leave the EU by a majority of just 252 votes.
Local politicians describe a fractious campaign season in a town that has a long history as a bellwether, switching between Tory and Labour MPs. Ahsan Khan, a Labour councillor, said that it was “probably the most representative population in the country”, with a mix of commuters and those who work locally, and an immigrant population that is “not huge, but not small either”. He said he had suspected in recent weeks that the town would vote to leave: “We probably didn’t realise soon enough that we need to work harder.”
The Leave campaign in Wales has been holding a celebration in Newport, one of the many Labour strongholds that voted out. The venue was carefully chosen – in front of a statue erected in memory of Chartism, the 19th century working class movement for political reform. The music was more obvious – the theme from the Great Escape.
Leave rally In Newport, Wales. https://t.co/2dj9flfxQJ
Chartism was founded in Wales; it was a grassroots organisation. We have a grassroots organisation. There are people here from all political parties. There’re all kinds of different people. The Chartists knew what they wanted – the fundamental causes on their charter. We knew what we wanted, we could boil it down to one thing: we want our country back.
Leave campaigners David Davies, Tory MP, (left) and Ukip's Nathan Gill in Newport. pic.twitter.com/ZigxzjZ35r
We’re the party that have been saying what all these people have been thinking and worrying about for years. The number one issue throughout the whole of Wales is immigration. Let’s face it, look around, there is very little immigration. So why is it the issue? Many people in Wales go to England, they have family there, they work there. We’ve seen what has happened in England and we don’t want it to happen in Wales. People don’t want their communities changed beyond recognition. They are very happy with their communities. That’s why there is this fear. It’s based on what they have observed.
People aren’t daft. We’re in a very depressed area. All this talk of this huge amount of EU money, where is it?
I think people here feel they haven’t been listened to for years. People are fed up. They haven’t been listened to on issues like immigration. They feel they have been ignored by all the political parties.
Labour member/Leave supporter Luke Carlmain in Newport. pic.twitter.com/3jI2aEbGtu
I’m not racist. I like immigration. I don’t want immigration to stop. I just want it controlled. I think Brussels simply has too much power.
Jeremy Corbyn has cancelled his appearance at Glastonbury after the referendum result.
The Labour leader had been scheduled to speak on Sunday at an event called Jez We Can: Jeremy Corbyn in Conversation, which would have made him the first Labour leader to appear at Pilton.
It wasn’t just a bad night for Europhiles and David Cameron, but also for pollsters, who misread the mood of the electorate in the run-up to the vote.
Of 168 polls carried out since the EU referendum wording was decided last September, fewer than a third (55 in all) predicted a leave vote.
Two senior Iranian officials reacted with glee at the Brexit vote, although there has not been an official statement from the administration of President Hassan Rouhani.
Hamid Aboutalebi, a senior political aide to Rouhani, said on Twitter:
A big earthquake has shaken Europe and England has left the EU, the stars of the EU’s flag are falling down.
The economic developments in the countries situated in the southern Europe and the immigration crisis show that the [European] union is collapsing and Brexit has triggered the domino effect [of this collapse].
England should pay the price of years of imperialism and committing crimes against humanity. The people of Ireland, Scotland and others have the right to bring themselves out of the tyrannical rule of the [British] monarchy, the so-called Great Britain.
Michael Sani from youth voter movement Bite the Ballot said he understood the feelings of helplessness and anger from the younger generation but that turnout had been affected by the direction of both campaigns.
If no one inspires you, that is how you end up being marginalised, divided and fearing. This generation are so passionate, they care so much about issues but they are just not empowered to use the means of communication to get through to make real change. Both campaigns have been a disaster in terms of meaningful engagement on such complex issues.
What people need to do now if they are angry is harness that feeling, these negotiations are still to come, and young people need to be at the table or they will end up being on the menu yet again.
The Guardian’s editor-in-chief, Katharine Viner, and columnist Gary Younge are taking live questions on the referendum result now.
Here is a Guardian video of European leaders, including Jean-Claude Juncker, who said the UK must act on the vote “as soon as possible, however painful that process may be”.
Like Obama, Hillary Clinton has responded to the Brexit vote by reaffirming the special relationship with the UK. She has also used it as an opportunity to take a swipe at her rival for the US presidency, Donald Trump, calling for “calm, steady, experienced leadership”:
We respect the choice the people of the United Kingdom have made. Our first task has to be to make sure that the economic uncertainty created by these events does not hurt working families here in America. We also have to make clear America’s steadfast commitment to the special relationship with Britain and the transatlantic alliance with Europe. This time of uncertainty only underscores the need for calm, steady, experienced leadership in the White House to protect Americans’ pocketbooks and livelihoods, to support our friends and allies, to stand up to our adversaries, and to defend our interests. It also underscores the need for us to pull together to solve our challenges as a country, not tear each other down.
Christine Lagarde, head of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), has welcomed “commitments” from the Bank of England and the European Central Bank (ECB) to try to shore up the markets. She said:
We take note of the decision by the people of the United Kingdom. We urge the authorities in the UK and Europe to work collaboratively to ensure a smooth transition to a new economic relationship between the UK and the EU, including by clarifying the procedures and broad objectives that will guide the process.
We strongly support commitments of the Bank of England and the ECB to supply liquidity to the banking system and curtail excess financial volatility. We will continue to monitor developments closely and stand ready to support our members as needed.
A Channel 4 correspondent in Barnsley, Yorkshire, where 68% voted to leave, has been interrupted by people shouting “send them home”.
Been standing here five minutes. Three different people have shouted "send them home". pic.twitter.com/cVvmYvC73o
The Nasdaq, like the Dow Jones, is down significantly:
BREAKING: Nasdaq seeing worst drop since Nov, 2011 » https://t.co/TGMGUaWBm7pic.twitter.com/VhBwryqrdz
The Turkish prime minister, Binali Yildirim, said that the European Union needed to carefully reconsider its political vision after Britain’s exit vote.
“The EU should read this development very carefully and reassess its vision for the future,” Yildirim said in a televised speech on Friday.
We expect that a more realistic union will emerge after this. There will be more opportunities and new possibilities for Turkey. Whatever will happen next, it will be better for Turkey. As a European power and a European democracy we will keep watching this process.
All throughout the campaign, those lobbying to leave and those lobbying to remain in the EU used Turkey in a disgusting way. It was a vile campaign. They made Turkey the scapegoat and demonised [the country]. We were very uncomfortable with the way this bad Turkey campaign was used in UK politics.
The US stock exchange has experienced a sharp fall on opening.
Dow opens down over 500 points. #Brexit
Sajid Javid, the business secretary, is spending the day in a “calming operation,” speaking to business groups to reassure them that Britain won’t be leaving the EU overnight.
“He’s saying, ‘let’s not rush into anything; let’s stay calm and try and do our best with this situation: we need to do our jobs,” said a department for business source.
In a text less than an hour after the victory for leave was declared, the Sun’s editor Tony Gallagher told the Guardian: “So much for the waning power of the print media.”
The Guardian’s head of media, Jane Martinson, writes:
The Sun, which came out last week with a union jack-draped front cover urging its readers to “BeLeave in Britain” and at 6am on Friday published “See EU later”, did not rise against the EU alone. British newspapers were overwhelmingly in favour of Brexit, with the Mail, Telegraph, Express and Star accounting for four times as many readers and anti-EU stories as their pro-remain rivals.
“If you believe in Britain, vote leave,” urged the Mail on Wednesday, lambasting the “lies” and “greedy elites” of a “broken, dying Europe” on its front page.
The US president, Barack Obama, has said that Britain will remain a key ally, as will the EU:
The people of the United Kingdom have spoken, and we respect their decision. The special relationship between the United States and the United Kingdom is enduring, and the United Kingdom’s membership in Nato remains a vital cornerstone of US foreign, security, and economic policy. So too is our relationship with the European Union, which has done so much to promote stability, stimulate economic growth, and foster the spread of democratic values and ideals across the continent and beyond. The United Kingdom and the European Union will remain indispensable partners of the United States even as they begin negotiating their ongoing relationship to ensure continued stability, security, and prosperity for Europe, Great Britain and Northern Ireland, and the world.
In an address to the Gibraltar parliament, the chief minister, Fabian Picardo, hit back angrily at Spain’s suggestion that the Brexit vote should give rise to joint sovereignty of the territory.
He said:
Let me be absolutely clear. Despite the noises that are bound to be made by some in the neighbouring nation - indeed, some have already been made this morning - this government is confident in the support from the British government that there will be not talks - or even talks about talks - against the express wishes of the people of Gibraltar in respect of the sovereignty of Gibraltar.
So let others make irrelevant noises about flying flags over a rock if they want to waste their breath. Such ideas will never prosper. Gibraltar will never pay a sovereignty price for access to a market. Gibraltar will never be Spanish in whole, in part or at all. So I ask all our citizens to ignore these noises. Our work will be focused on the more pressing issues before us. Redirecting and protecting our economy are what we must all now focus on.
A private exit poll conducted on Thursday by the businessman Lord Ashcroft showed that there was no difference between male and female voters – but very sharp differences between voters according to age, ethnicity, education and personal wealth.
Most of those working full- or part-time voted to remain, for example, while most of those who are not working wanted to leave. More than half of those on a personal pension voted to leave, a figure that rose to two-thirds of those on a state pension. Some 55% of those who own their homes outright voted to leave.
The Guardian has charted David Cameron’s years as prime minister “from fresh-faced upstart to European failure”.
Spain’s acting prime minister, Mariano Rajoy, has sought to allay fears over Brexit’s consequences for Britons in Spain and Spaniards in the UK.
The leave vote has shocked many of the 300,000 Britons who are officially registered in Spain, particularly older expatriates who rely on the Spanish health system for medical care.
Their rights to move freely, to work, to pay social security contributions, to receive pensions, to invest, to vote or be elected in local elections will not be affected at all. The same applies to the rights of British citizens who live or work in our country or in the rest of the EU.
One investment bank is already moving staff overseas, according to the BBC.
Sources at Morgan Stanley tell BBC it's already begun process of moving 2,000 London based investment banking staff to Dublin or Frankfurt
Morgan Stanley denying it is moving 2,000 bankers from the UK to Ireland and or Germany
Chief executive of U.S. bank JPMorgan says will maintain large presence in the UK, but may move some jobs elsewhere in months ahead
The Norwegian minister for the European affairs, Elisabeth Aspaker, told the Guardian that Brexit marked a “loss for European cooperation” but said the results did not mean the UK could withdraw from the EU immediately.
Norway’s relationship with the EU will not be directly affected by the UK referendum. [However], it is a loss for European cooperation that a British majority wants the UK to leave the EU. But naturally, we respect the British people’s decision.
Norway’s trade with the UK will be regulated by the EEA [European Economic Area] agreement until the UK has formally left the EU. For more than 20 years, Norway and the UK have been part of the same internal market, where the free movement of goods, services, capital and people is ensured. Some 8% of Norway’s mainland exports go to the UK. If you include oil and gas, the figure is around 22%.”
When the UK formally leaves the EU, the EEA agreement will no longer provide the framework for Norwegian–UK trade. It is therefore important for us that new arrangements are negotiated that enable us to maintain trade and cooperation with our UK partners.
The chancellor, George Osborne, does not appear to be following David Cameron in leaving office – not voluntarily anyway.
It was a hard fought campaign. It is not the outcome I wanted but I respect decision of British people and will do all I can to make it work
Still in any doubt as to the momentousness of the vote?
Due to the #Brexit vote, @ITV will be airing rolling news coverage this morning and there will be no live Loose Women today.
The short answer to what happens next with pollution, wildlife, farming, green energy, climate change and more is we don’t know – we are in uncharted territory. But all the indications – from the “red-tape” slashing desires of the Brexiters to the judgment of environmental professionals – are that the protections for our environment will get weaker.
From the air we breathe to the food we eat to the climate we live in, how we protect and enhance the environment underpins the healthy and happy lives we all aspire to, now and for generations to come.
Pray for the UK (and its partners) is the message from the Bishops of the Church in Wales:
In facing the outcome of the EU referendum, we commend a period of calm and reflection as the UK seeks to find its way forward in this new situation.
As Christians we hold to the Gospel values of truthfulness, inclusion, and respect; and so after the passionate debate, we pray for reconciliation amongst the divided factions in our nations, communities and families.
The Press Gazette suggests the influence of rightwing papers could have been decisive in the referendum result.
The editors of the Sun, Telegraph, Express and Mail titles can reflect today that it was probably them ‘wot won it’ for the leave campaign.
This week they all declared for leave with prominent editorials. But throughout the campaign they have made their positions clear with front-page stories which have been chosen and written to benefit the leave side of the argument.
Handelsblatt says it has been leaked an eight-page emergency plan with the “German strategy for Brexit”.
The newspaper says Germany would offer “constructive departure negotiations” but divorce proceedings would be difficult, for example regarding Britain’s involvement in the European investment bank. After the two-year period, the German government would aim for “associate status for the UK” and Great Britain would become an “associate partner country”.
Ukip’s Wales campaign manager Sam Gould has been keeping his strength up with help from a steak and a pint of Coca-Cola.
Ukip Wales campaign manager Sam Gould celebrating with his family - and a big steak. pic.twitter.com/SJ7ZRqZfFa
It’s uncontrolled immigration. We’re having to build on a picturesque mountain. They are looking to build thousands of homes on green spaces. This is down to pressures on housing that immigration has contributed to.
We’re going to be getting our freedom and democracy back. It brings hope to our steel industry, to our manufacturers, which have been decimated by the EU. Companies are struggling because of EU regulations. They now have hope. It is now about project hope.
The SNP reports that it is experiencing a surge in membership applications that would seem to mirror that which took place in the hours and days immediately after the 2014 independence referendum and which saw the party swell to the third largest in the UK. A party source said that they were being “inundated” with emails from previous no voters now pledging their support for independence following the conclusion of the EU referendum earlier this morning.
Meanwhile, other grass-roots pro-independence groups are reporting a similar trend. Women for Independence, one of the most successful campaign groups to emerge from the 2014 campaign, has already seen a spike this morning in people signing up, donating money, and identifying their local areas for activism. “The surge is back on” said one activist.
This picture shows Jeremy Corbyn watching David Cameron’s resignation speech as people simultaneously take photos of the Labour leader.
Nicola Sturgeon said her ministers were contacting Scottish business leaders today to reassure them. But one senior business figure, Lindsay Gardiner, regional chair of the consultants PwC Scotland, said raising the prospects of a second Scottish independence referendum was “both premature and unhelpful”.
Gardiner said:
The UK’s decision to leave the EU is already creating uncertainty and impacting business confidence in Scotland so to fuel speculation about another referendum at this early stage would be both premature and unhelpful.
While a second independence referendum will undoubtedly bring added uncertainty, the democratic wishes of the people of Scotland also need to be acknowledged.
However, it is essential that it is fully recognised that the economic implications of an independent Scotland are different now from those in 2014, with the rest of the UK – our nearest neighbour and biggest trading partner – exiting the EU.
The reaction from the EU to Britain’s leave vote has been unequivocal – there is no going back. Not only that but they have told Britain to get a move on in invoking article 50 of the Lisbon treaty, which represents formal notification of the decision to leave.
Jennifer Rankin and others write:
The presidents of the European council, commission and parliament – Donald Tusk, Jean-Claude Juncker and Martin Schulz respectively – and Mark Rutte, the prime minister of the Netherlands, who holds the EU’s rotating presidency, said any delay to Britain’s exit would “unnecessarily prolong uncertainty”.
After emergency talks in Brussels, the four said they regretted, but respected Britain’s decision.
For Jim Plows, in Clacton, Essex, the news of Brexit this morning triggered “panic stations”.
Despite voting to leave Europe, the 77-year-old said he was surprised by the news. His wife, Pam, said her first thoughts as the results came in was: “Oh dear.”
We do have to put our country first. It’s got to the point where there’s been flooding here over the last few days, and there’s no help, and then we’re sending millions to other countries.
I’m glad that we’re out. This country needs to start looking after its own people and not everyone else’s, people like the Chelsea pensioners and the homeless.”
Labour has responded to the motion of no confidence by two MPs against Jeremy Corbyn:
Labour spokesman says Hodge/Coffey no confidence motion is a "self indulgent act" when party should be coming together
Labour MP Margaret Hodge has explained why she has proposed a no-confidence motion against the party leader, Jeremy Corbyn. She told ITV News his performance during the referendum campaign was not good enough:
He came out of the stable too late ... he was half-hearted ... We are about to enter into the most tumultuous period of our lifetime. We need someone who has demonstrated leadership qualities.
There was some briefly stunned reaction when Nicola Sturgeon talked of “clear common cause” between Scotland and London when it came to staying within the EU. This did not, however, mark the start of some complex plan for somehow involving London also holding an independence referendum.
She was referring instead to something also outlined by London’s Labour mayor, Sadiq Khan – the desire of another place which voted firmly against Brexit to have an independent voice in the negotiations over how this happens.
Immigration was one of the key issues cited by voters during the referendum and a primary focus for the leave campaign. However, the Guardian’s home affairs editor, Alan Travis, writes that the results indicate that those who experienced the highest levels of immigration are the least anxious about it:
The highest levels of remain voters were actually in areas of highest net migration while some of the strongest leave areas have had the fewest recent new migrants.
London, which absorbed 133,000 of the 330,000 net migration in 2015, voted the most strongly for remain. Manchester also voted for remain – and with net migration of 13,554 had nearly double the level of net migration seen in Birmingham, which voted leave.
NHS England leaders have moved to reassure EU staff working in the service. The NHS relies heavily on foreign nationals. In 2014, the Guardian revealed that 11% of all staff for whom data was available and who worked for the NHS and in community health services in England were not British (rising to 26% for doctors, not including GPs).
NHS England medical director, Bruce Keogh, said of European staff:
It is important we make them feel welcome.
Leaders across the NHS need to let the EU nationals in their teams know how valued this contribution will continue to be.
Sir Bruce Keogh statement on NHS workforce in wake of #brexit vote: https://t.co/ug8FMyfsVxpic.twitter.com/5G7pt5p0Xp
NHS Employers chief @NHSE_Danny tells HSJ politicians need to ensure continued commitment to EU staff contribution pic.twitter.com/1jKIUQKqg6
Good afternoon, this is a continuation of our live coverage of reaction to the momentous decision taken by Britain to leave the European Union. You can read the previous live blog here.
Here is a summary of the key developments:
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