You can follow Breitbart London’s LIVE coverage of the EU Referendum on our live blog below:
17:41 The front page of the Spanish edition of the Huffington Post is stark:
16:25 Britain, just go. Martin Schulz, the president of the European parliament, has said that he wants Britain out as soon as possible, rather than wait for Mr. Cameron’s replacement as Prime Minister to be appointed at the Conservative party conference in October.
Mr. Cameron said that he wished to wait for his successor to trigger Article 50, and carry the UK through the process. However, Mr. Schulz said today: “Uncertainty is the opposite of what we need,” and that “a whole continent [cannot be] taken hostage because of an internal fight in the Tory party”.
“I doubt it is only in the hands of the government of the United Kingdom,” he said. “We have to take note of this unilateral declaration that they want to wait until October, but that must not be the last word.”
Mr. Schulz’s comments follow an earlier joint statement of Donald Tusk, President of the European Council, Jean-Claude Juncker, President of the European Commission, and Mark Rutte, the President of the Council of Ministers, who stated that the EU expected Britain to act “as soon as possible, however painful the process may be” and that there would be “no renegotiation”.
16:14 The trouble with early newspaper deadlines. The National Post in Canada made an early call and its front page says it all.
16:02 LISTEN – Nigel Farage and UKIP together helped deliver the stunning Brexit victory. You can listen here as Mr. Farage joins Breitbart radio to discuss the triumph and what it means for the future of the United Kingdom now it stands outside the European Union.
14:46 European Union member states have reacted swiftly to the Brexit victory. Here is a selection of leaders stating their universal dismay at the outcome
Jean-Claude Juncker
European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker went into crisis talks with European parliament president Martin Schulz, president of the European Council Donald Tusk and Dutch PM Mark Rutte on Friday morning.
They then released a statement saying they regretted but respected the British decision.
They called for the UK “to give effect to this decision of the British people as soon as possible, however painful that process may be. Any delay would unnecessarily prolong uncertainty”.
They said: “We stand ready to launch negotiations swiftly with the United Kingdom regarding the terms and conditions of its withdrawal from the European Union.”
German Chancellor Angela Merkel
Angela Merkel, the German Chancellor, has appealed for calm and urged states not to draw “quick and simple” conclusions.
“We take note of the British people’s decision with regret. There is no doubt that this is a blow to Europe and to the European unification process,” she said.
But Ms. Merkel said that the “consequences…would depend on whether we – the other 27 member states of the EU – prove to be willing and able to not draw quick and simple conclusions from the referendum in Great Britain, which would only further divide Europe”.
Member states should “calmly and prudently analyse and evaluate the situation, before making the right decisions together,” said Ms. Merkel.
Ms. Merkel will host talks with French President Francois Hollande, Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi and European Council president Donald Tusk in Berlin on Monday.
French President Francois Hollande
French President Francois Hollande said he profoundly regrets the British vote to leave the European Union, but that the union must make changes in order to move forward. In a brief televised statement, Hollande said the vote will put Europe to the test, and he called for bolstering security and industrial policies.
He also called for reinforcement of the zone of countries that use the euro.
He said, “To move forward, Europe cannot act as before.”
14:34 The Brexit vote saw plenty of losers on the UK domestic political landscape, but it also claimed the reputation of George Soros. This view from Breitbart News in the U.S. outlines why.
12:34 A motion of no confidence has been tabled against the Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn following his failure to corral the Labour vote for the remain camp.
Margaret Hodge and Ann Coffey confirmed the move in a letter to the chairman of the Parliamentary Labour Party, the BBC has reported.
The motion calls merely for a discussion of the matter at the next Parliamentary Labour Party meeting, due to be held on Monday. It has no constitutional force, and it is therefore up to the chairman, John Cryer, whether he accepts it or not.
Mr Corbyn has only been in place since 12 September 2015, winning the leadership of the party in a landslide victory following the resignation of Ed Miliband thanks to Labour’s poor result in the 2015 general election.
Despite his widespread support among the party’s grassroots, however, Mr Corbyn is facing a backlash from his party today after a leaked Labour script claimed that Jeremy Corbyn is “uniquely placed as a critical Remainer” to help unify Britain in the wake of the referendum, according to The Telegraph.
12:06 Scottish First Minister and leader of the Scottish National Party (SNP), Nicola Sturgeon, has said that she will push for a second vote for Scottish independence.
Ms. Sturgeon spoke this morning following the referendum result, in which Scotland voted 62% in favour of remaining as part of the EU.
The First Minister stated that “Scotland voted overwhelmingly to remain in EU… to protect place in single market and protect jobs and investment that depend on it”.
Recognising that the result was sign of divergence between Scotland and the rest of the UK, she said that Scotland faces the prospect of being taken out of EU against her will, regarding that as democratically unacceptable
Ms. Sturgeon stated that the Scottish cabinet will meet tomorrow to discuss next steps, but that trade and business should continue as normal.
“I intend to take all possible steps to give effect to how people in Scotland voted – to secure our place in EU and single market.”
12:00 The Brexit vote has now triggered a counter demand for another referendum.
The petition reads in part:
`We the undersigned call upon HM Government to implement a rule that if the remain or leave vote is less than 60% based a turnout less than 75% there should be another referendum.’
It has already garnered over 100,000 signatures
11:53 Leave campaigners Boris Johnson and Gisela Stuart have spoken to the media this morning on the Brexit vote outcome. Here is a synopsis of what they said:
Gisela Stuart
“This is the most extraordinary opportunity of democracy. The process of implementing the wishes of people will be seen as freeing the UK but is also in the interests of Europe.
“We will continue to be an outward-looking country, a good neighbour, and internationalist but we have taken back control of our democratic institutions.”
Boris Johnson
“In voting to leave the European Union it is vital to stress that there is now no need for haste, and nothing will change in the short term except that work will have to begin to affect the will of the people to extricate this country from the supranational system.
“As the Prime Minister has rightly said there is no need to invoke Article 50. And to those who may be anxious either at home or abroad this does not mean that the UK will be in any way any less united, nor indeed mean that it will be any less European. We cannot turn our backs on Europe. We are part of Europe. Our children and grandchildren will continue to have a wonderful future as Europeans travelling to the continent understanding the languages and cultures that make up our common civilisation.
“Britain will continue to be a great European power leading discussions on foreign policy and defence and intelligence sharing which currently goes on to make our world safer.
“But there is simply no need in the twenty-first century to be part of a federal system of government based in Brussels which is imitated nowhere else on earth.”
10:43 The British pound has steadied against the U.S. dollar after an overnight period of uncertainty following the Brexit result. It hit its lowest at 4:30am and has been climbing steadily, as at 10:43 it stood at $1.39
10:13 The right-wing parties of Europe who have been keenly watching Britain’s EU referendum with an eye on their own efforts to exit the European Union have reacted to the Brexit vote with jubilation today. Read more here
09:52 Former Italian Prime Minister Romano Prodi has called for calm in the EU after the Brexit vote. Here is his statement:
“I don’t think [Brexit will lead to the breakup of the EU]. The [EU] will remain as it is now, so calm, calm, calm… We shall lose also the best army in the common EU defence.
“What we have to avoid is [to] think that this is only an alarm for Britain. I do think that the votes when we analyse come out as so pro EU in London anti EU outside London. The EU policy has not been in the favour of all people. This austerity has pushed the EU far away from people in need. I hope lessons have been learned.
” What I hope is that…all the trade agreements will go on as they went in the past. We have to take the political consequences but minimise economic ones.”
09:24 Below is the opening to the statement issued by the Bank of England governor, Mark Carney, following the EU referendum result:
The people of the United Kingdom have voted to leave the European Union.
Inevitably, there will be a period of uncertainty and adjustment following this result.
There will be no initial change in the way our people can travel, in the way our goods can move or the way our services can be sold.
And it will take some time for the United Kingdom to establish new relationships with Europe and the rest of the world.
Some market and economic volatility can be expected as this process unfolds.
But we are well prepared for this. The Treasury and the Bank of England have engaged in extensive contingency planning and the chancellor and I have been in close contact, including through the night and this morning.
The Bank will not hesitate to take additional measures as required as those markets adjust and the UK economy moves forward.
08:30 Prime Minister David Cameron has spoken outside Number 10 and conceded he is no longer the man to lead the country after Brexit. This is a synopsis of what he said:
“We should be proud that we trust our people”
“The British people have voted to leave the European Union and their will must be respected”
Calls Leave campaign ‘spirited and passionate’
“There can be no doubt about the result”
“I would reassure those markets and investors that Britain’s economy is fundamentally strong”
“I’m very proud and honoured to have been Prime Minister of this great country for six years”
“I think the country requires fresh leadership”
“I will do everything I can as prime minister to steady the ship over he coming weeks and months but I do not think it would be right for me to be the captain”
““It’s in the national interest to have a period of stability”
07:54 Farage speaks outside Parliament:
https://twitter.com/RaheemKassam/status/746227880565190656
https://twitter.com/RaheemKassam/status/746228125952933888
07:52 Donald Tusk has said the remaining EU nations will stay united:
European Council President Donald Tusk has just given a press conference where he said that the remaining EU member states would stay united. He said that EU law would still apply to Britain during its leaving period. And he said that the method by which Britain will leave the European Union is set out in the EU’s treaties.
07:09 The Daily Mail’s sketch writer says:
06:59 Full page ad in today’s Telegraph:
06:59 AFP reports Cameron will stay on as PM:
06:33 Aussie PM Says Impact Will Be “Limited”, Reuters reports:
Australia’s prime minister said on Friday he expects a period of uncertainty and some instability in global markets as Britain was on the verge of Brexit but the immediate impact on Australia will be limited.
‘The impact on Australia immediately, directly, from a legal point of view, will be very limited because it will take some years for the United Kingdom to leave the European Union, to negotiate an exit,’ he told reporters.
‘However, we’ve seen already large falls on stock markets and there will be a degree of uncertainty for some time.’
06:10 David Cameron to call for “stability and unity”:
05:56 Watch Again: Nigel Farage declares victory:
05:46 Exclusive Video: Nigel Farage celebrates Brexit:
Breitbart London has exclusive footage of the UKIP leader celebrating Independence Day.
05:40 Geert Wilders Congratulates Britain:
PVV congratulates British with Independence Day!
Thursday, June 23, 2016, will go down in history as Britain’s Independence Day. The Europhile elite has been defeated. Britain points Europe the way to the future and to liberation. It is time for a new start, relying on our own strength and sovereignty. Also in the Netherlands.
A recent survey (EenVandaag, Dutch television) shows that a majority of the Dutch want a referendum on EU membership. It also shows that more Dutch are in favour of exit than of remaining in the EU.
The Dutch people deserve a referendum as well. The Party for Freedom consequently demands a referendum on NExit, a Dutch EU exit.
As quickly as possible the Dutch need to get the opportunity to have their say about Dutch membership of the European Union.
Geert Wilders: “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.”
05:30 IRA-linked Sinn Féin release a statement:
05:28 The Sun’s second edition front page:
05:17 Cameron and Osborne “Finished”:
04:59 Icing on the cake for Brexit: UK’s Second Largest City Votes To Leave
04:43 +++ALL MAJOR NEWS OUTLETS CALL IT FOR BREXIT+++
04:37 ITV calls it for Leave:
04:34 Sky News forecast a Leave win with 52 per cent:
04:27 WALES HAS VOTED FOR BREXIT
04:22 Rumours that Birmingham, UK’s second largest city, may have voted Leave.
If that’s true, game over.
04:09 Lindsay Lohan gets in on the action:
https://twitter.com/lindsaylohan/status/746164897801732096
https://twitter.com/lindsaylohan/status/746165138504421376
https://twitter.com/lindsaylohan/status/746166003369926656
https://twitter.com/lindsaylohan/status/746166345734176769
https://twitter.com/lindsaylohan/status/746167573453094912
https://twitter.com/lindsaylohan/status/746169155284439040
04:07 Nigel Farage gives a buoyant speech:
“I hope victory brings down this failed project. Let’s get rid of the flag, the anthem. Let June 23 go down as our Independence Day.”
04:04 “David Cameron’s Career Is Over”:
Chief political commentator at the Independent writes:
04:00 Britain Hasn’t Rolled Over:
At the national referendum results event at Manchester Town Hall, Breitbart London spoke with the Bruges Group director, Robert Oulds. Commenting on the nature of British voters he said:
“A lot of the analysts do think that Leave is ahead and Leave will win, which is absolutely amazing if you consider what the British people have had thrown at them from the government in terms of scare stories, fear and intimidation in terms of their jobs and livelihoods — and of course accusations, sometimes of a vile nature, smears.
“That people are still voting to leave and have not been shamed into voting Remain is quite an achievement. It goes to show how resilient the British people are in the face of fear and intimidation.
“They have really shown their true spirit. Whether we win or not, they haven’t rolled over.”
03:54 Remain Seem To Be Losing Hope:
03:50 Nigel Farage writes:
03:45 ConservativeHome website calls it for Leave
03:41 Bromsgrove Votes Leave:
The area is represented by Business Secretary Sajid Javid, who was expected to declare for Leave but ended up backing Remain under pressure from Prime Minister.
03:32 The government are not happy:
The Political Editor of the Sunday Times says:
03:30 Labour are not happy:
03:28 Another big coup for Leave – Sheffield votes for Brexit:
03:25 The Telegraph reports…
The Labour party is now working on the assumption that leave will win, according to party source. The view in Labour HQ is that, if Britain does vote to leave, Jeremy Corbyn should call upon David Cameron to resign, but senior figures believe that that may prove unnecessary because Cameron may announce his departure of his own accord.
03:23 ITV says 75% probability of Leave win:
03:21 Another analyst says ‘Leave’ are now favourites:
03:18 Analysts say probability of ‘Remain’ win is zero:
Chris Hanretty of the University of East Anglia writes on his blog:
- Predicted probability of Britain Remaining: 0
- (81 of 382 areas reporting.)
- Predicted vote share for Remain: 47.1 percent.
- (90% prediction interval: 46.1 to 48.1 percent)
03:13 Conservative MP Nigel Evans speaks to Breitbart:
Conservative MP and Brexit supporter Nigel Evans has told Breitbart London that he expects tonight’s result to be close, but that if Remain does end up winning it could be by such a narrow margin that it ends up a very divisive result for the country.
Speaking at the national referendum results event at Manchester Town Hall, he compared it to the Welsh referendum of 1997, when 11 of the country’s 22 local authorities voted for devolution, 11 against, and it was enacted with a majority of just 6,721 votes.
03:12 Former YouGov head Peter Kellner, who predicted a Remain win earlier, has changed his mind:
03:09 Prime Minister’s staff are clearly worried:
03:05 Westminster Votes Remain
03:04 North West England has 70% turnout
03:02 The Two Richmonds Are Divided
Richmond-upon-Thames (London) has voted Remain, but Richmondshire (North Yorkshire) has voted Leave.
02:58 Big LEAVE victory in Cast Point:
02:55 Liverpool votes Remain, but on comparatively low turnout:
02:53 UKIP deputy leader Paul Nuttall speaks to Breitbart:
Speaking to Breitbart London at the national referendum results event at Manchester Town Hall, UKIP’s Deputy Leader Paul Nuttall said:
“It’s going to be tight, very tight.”
Mr. Nuttall said that he expects the rest of the night to be a “roller coaster” with the overall result dependant on whether there are enough Leave votes in the North East and North West and some other areas to balance out London.
He said at the moment it’s looking good, but there are still too few results to be sure of anything.
02:50 Watford Votes LEAVE
This is big. It was predicted to vote Remain.
https://twitter.com/MarksOutOf100/status/746157814700204033
02:43 Vote Leave seem confident
02:42 Looks like Leave have won two key southern cities:
2:32 BARKING AND DAGENHAM IS FIRST LONDON BOROUGH TO GO FOR LEAVE
02:27 REMAIN WINS IN WANDSWORTH
02:16 Remain Now Edges Ahead, But Long Way To Go Yet
02:22 More results come in:
02:19 Leave Now Favourite To Win On Ladbrookes:
02:18 Aaron Banks is calling it for Leave:
02:17 LEAVE IS CURRENTLY AHEAD NATIONWIDE BY 53% TO 47%
02:17 RESULT – LEAVE WINS IN ST HELENS
02:16 RESULT – REMAIN WINS IN ANGUS
02:16 RESULT – REMAIN WINS IN WEST LOTHIAN
02:16 RESULT – LEAVE WINS IN DENBIGHSHIRE
02:15 RESULT – LEAVE WINS IN REDCAR AND CLEVELAND
02:14 RESULT – LEAVE WINS IN EDEN
02:14 RESULT – REMAIN WINS IN INVERCLYDE
02:14 RESULT – LEAVE WINS IN WEYMOUTH
02:13 RESULT – LEAVE WINS IN HARLOW
02:12 RESULT – REMAIN WINS IN NORTH DOWN
Remain: 23,131
Leave: 21,046
02:11 RESULT – LEAVE WINS IN BURY
Remain: 46,354 (46%)
Leave: 54,674 (54%)
02:09 RESULT – REMAIN WINS IN BELFAST WEST
Remain: 23,099 (74%)
Leave: 8,092 (26%)
2:04 Shadow Home Secretary Andy Burnham Speaks To Breitbart:
Speaking at the national referendum results event at Manchester Town Hall about voters’ attitudes to immigration, Labour’s Andy Burnham MP said that he has been saying for some time “that the political class hasn’t listened to their concerns over immigration over many years.”
Talking about immigration as Shadow Home Secretary, Mr. Burnham said the country needs to “review how freedom of movement works in practice” and look at the impact it has on public services in more deprived communities. He said this would be a “crucial” element to the UK’s upcoming Presidency of the EU.
Pushed by Breitbart London on how that review could happen when the freedom of movement of people is fundamental to the EU’s traties, Mr. Burnham rejected the idea of treaty change, saying:
“It’s about the rules that underpin free movement, for instance the Posted Workers Directive would be a good place to start, a directive which deals with employment where peoples’ employment is held in country of origin and yet they still work in other EU member states. I think that has to be looked at, because that can lead to the undercutting of wages. It’s how it works in practice, the issue, rather than reopening the principles of free movement.”
02:02 RESULT – LEAVE WINS IN WELLINGBOROUGH
02:01 Leave now has over 1 million votes
01:59 RESULT – LEAVE WINS IN SWANSEA
01:57 RESULT – REMAIN WINS IN CITY OF LONDON
01:55 RESULT – LEAVE WINS IN BLAENAU GWENT
01:55 RESULT – LEAVE WINS IN ROCHFORD
01:54 RESULT – REMAIN WINS IN RENFREWSHIRE
01:48 RESULT – REMAIN WINS IN MIDLOTHIAN
01:47 RESULT – LEAVE WINS IN STOCKTON-ON-TEES
01:44 RESULT – LEAVE WINS BIG IN HARTLEPOOL
01:40 RESULT – LEAVE WINS IN BASILDON
01:39 RESULT – REMAIN WINS IN EAST AYRSHIRE
01:37 RESULT – REMAIN WINS IN WEST TYRONE
01:36 RESULT – REMAIN WINS IN EILEAN SIAR (WESTERN ISLES)
01:30 Infighting in the Remain camp
Guardian reports that Labour MP Chris Bryant described former party leader Ed Miliband as a “tosspot” at the Remain party.
01:28 Rumours of massive Leave victory in Hartlepool:
01:27 RESULT – REMAIN WIN IN DUNDEE CITY
01:26 RESULT – LEAVE WINS IN LAGAN VALLEY
01:23 RESULT – LEAVE WINS IN NORTH ANTRIM
01:20 How the mood of the night has changed:
01:18 RESULT – REMAIN WIN IN WEST DUNBARTONSHIRE
01:16 RESULT – LEAVE WINS IN SOUTH TYNESIDE
01:16 RESULT – REMAIN WIN IN SHETLAND
01:12 London turnout seems to be lower than expected:
Professor John Curtice says turnout in London seems to be 2 or 3% lower than expected. If so, this is bad for remain.
01:10 Lily Allen posts bizarre tweet:
01:08 RESULT – LEAVE WINS IN KETTERING
00:57 RESULT – LEAVE WINS BROXBOURNE
00:53 RESULT – LEAVE WINS IN SWINDON
Remain – 51,220 (45%)
Leave – 61,745 (55%)
00:49 RESULT – REMAIN WIN IN ISLES OF SCILLY:
00:47 Could be huge win for Leave in Warwickshire:
00:42 The tension is getting too much for some Scots:
00:41 RESULT – REMAIN WIN IN FOYLE
00:39 Could be a big Leave win in Wigan too:
00:23 Pound tanks after Sunderland result:
Leave were looking for a 6 per cent lead in Sunderland to be on course to win. They ended up with a 22 per cent lead.
Joe Rundle, head of trading at ETX Capital said: “The pound is plummeting as Sunderland votes heavily for Leave. Markets are very nervy at the moment as the polls – and the markets – could be wrong. The Sunderland result has definitely altered the tone of the evening and markets are getting very choppy.”
00:20 RESULT – REMAIN WIN IN CLACKMANNANSHIRE
Remain: 14,961 (57.8%)
Leave: 10,736 (42.2%)
00:16 RESULT – LEAVE WINS IN SUNDERLAND
Remain: 51,930 (61%)
Leave: 82,394 (39%)
Huge result for Leave.
00:09 Pound plunges after Newcastle:
00:06 – Telegraph writes on Newcastle result:
“The Newcastle result is the first shock of the night. This counting area – one of the referendum’s largest – was expected to come out much more strongly for Remain. JP Morgan, one of the largest and most influential investment banks, expected 66.8pc of the vote for Remain. The actual margin of victory was much smaller, with only 51pc voting to stay in.”
00:03 RESULT – REMAIN WIN IN ORKNEY
63% Remain 37% Leave – but only a very small population.
00:00 RESULT – REMAIN WIN NEWCASTLE
Only a narrow win for Remain in a supposedly strong area for them
23:58 French ambassador to the U.S. says “crisis will go on”
https://twitter.com/davewhite1101/status/746110697860440064
23:55 Looking like a big win for Leave in Sunderland
Could be a good sign for Leave, but too early to say for sure.
23:46 Nigel Farage has said he thinks, “the Remain side edged it”, thanks to a massive tax payer-funded push to register more than one million young and and extension on the time limit allowing them to do so.
He told the Huffington Post tonight: “My view has been the sizeable number of registrations which took place in the 48 hour extension has played a part.
“They got a huge number of young people. That’s going to make a difference.
“The whole Government campaign has been about registering young people and that’s made a big, big difference.”
Young people are significantly more likely to support the EU, but less likely to be on the electoral register or to turn out to vote.
In May, more than 1.6 million people registered to vote in the referendum on EU. 900,000 of them were aged 34 of younger.
A last minuet 48-hour extension, ostensibly because of a website crash, allowed thousands more to register after the legal time limit.
23:40 Farage: “The eurosceptic genie is out of the bottle and it will not be put back”
He adds:
“If we do stay part of this European Union it is doomed. It will fail anyway. We just won’t be the first brick knocked out. The landscape of British politics has changed forever.
“We may lose this battle but we will win the war.”
23:36 FIRST RESULT – REMAIN WIN IN GIBRALTAR
19,322 Remain
823 Leave
23:34 Strange spike in the pound before close of polling:
23:30 Tomorrow’s Daily Mail front page lashes out at “parasite bankers”
23:21 YouGov poll shows class split: ABC1 – In 58, Out 42; C2DE – In 36, Out 64
Could traditional Labour voters be revolting against their party?
23:15 Could Be An Encouraging Result For Leave In Sunderland
23:10 Pro-Brexit Cabinet Minister Calls It For ‘Remain’
Northern Ireland Secretary Theresa Villiers says “My instinct is that Remain have won”.
23:10 Now he has apparently “re-conceded”
23:00 Farage has reportedly “un-conceded”
22:58 More reports of high turn out in supposedly Leave-supporting areas:
22:50 Kate Hoey: Leave Could Still Win
Leave-supporting Labour MP Kate Hoey says “we’ll get close and we could still win”, adding: “Whatever happens, this will not go away.”
22:52 High turnout reported in supposedly pro-Leave areas. Will it counter-balance high turnout in Remain areas, though?
22:47 Sun Front Page Says Britain Has Gone ‘Brex Mad’
22:45 84 Leave-Supporting Tory MPs Pledge Loyalty To Cameron:
Many names missing, however.
22:34 Nigel Farage’s exact comments:
“It’s been an extraordinary referendum campaign, turnout looks to be exceptionally high and looks like remain will edge it. Ukip and I are going nowhere and the party will only continue to grow stronger in the future.”
22:26 Chief Counting Officer Jenny Watson hasn’t yet announced turnout for Britain’s EU referendum and this information isn’t expected until midnight, but a spokesman for the Electoral Commission told Breitbart London this evening that it was “brisk and busy at polling stations” today.
Turnout in some areas has been reported to be extremely high:
22:21 Ballot boxes arrive for counting
22:17 Chief Counting Officer Jenny Watson sets out the rules for the night
22:05 YouGov Say Remain 52 Leave 48
(within margin of error, however)
22:04 Leave.EU Predict A Leave Victory
22:02 Nigel Farage Said He Thinks Remain Have Won
22:00 +++POLLS HAVE CLOSED+++
21:49: The media gather in Manchester:
21:47 This is where the final result will be announced:
21:17 #IVotedLeave Trends On Twitter While Labour Forks Out For Social Media Exposure
Number one trending on Twitter this evening is the hashtag ‘IVotedLeave’, as thousands of Brits took to the micro blogging platform to express their pride at having taken place in today’s referendum.
Other referendum topics are also trending this evening, but conspicuous by their absence in the organic trending ranking are vote remain. Only appearing by virtue of a ‘featured’ topic — in other words an expensive paid-for promotion — is #LabourInForBritain.
21:12 The number one trending story on Facebook on the day Britain votes on its membership of the EU is radical hate preacher Anjem Choudary lending his support to Remain.
Breitbart London broke the story on Tuesday. Read more here.
20:11 The EU referendum is set to be the most bet on political event in British history according to betting house William Hill.
Graham Sharpe, spokesman for the company, said they had received wagers not only from the UK but countries across the globe including Japan and Russia.
William Hill claims to expect over £20 million to have been bet across the gambling industry with their company taking in 3 million so far.
The previous record holder for most bets in a British political event was the Scottish referendum. It took in £20 million but according to Sharpe the industry had met those numbers long before betting closes.
“Given we have the rest of the day and evening to go we are optimistic. And I’m confident in saying we have never had a political event which more people have bet on. Across the industry probably hundreds of thousands of people have bet on it.”
19:48 Last week Sir Bob Geldof and his ship of fools took to the Thames to jeer at Nigel Farage’s pro-Brexit flotilla and his support for the English fishing community and their desire to break free from the EU.
Now it seems one of the passengers onboard with Geldof has had a change of heart.
19:08 A woman in Stevenage, Herts was turned away from a polling station after election officials told her she was inappropriately dressed.
Teresa Hicks, 68 was clad in patriotic apparel wearing Union Jack flags and the England flag as a cape as she entered the polling station. Mrs. Hicks also carried a hand-made Vote Leave sign which the election officials objected to.
The sign read: “Vote to leave the EU. Make 23 June Independence Day.”
Hicks said: “I was just in the queue and this man came up to me and said ‘you are inappropriately dressed’ so I asked if they’d send somebody away with a burka on?”
Officials claim that the reason for turning Mrs. Hicks away was due to her sign rather than her patriotic choice of dress. You can see an image of Mrs. Hicks below and make your own mind up.
19:00 Man Stabbbed Outside Polling Station in West Yorkshire
A Huddersfield polling station was closed by police this evening to “preserve a crime scene” after a man was stabbed in close proximity to the venue, a church.
A spokesman for West Yorkshire police stressed to Breitbart London this evening that they didn’t believe the attack was related to the EU referendum. A 19 year old male has been arrested in relation to the attack, but Police refused to release any more details on the man.
18:45 The Daily Mail reports: A UKIP supporter who offered voters a PEN in case their pencil markings on ballot paper were erased was questioned by Sussex Police. Read more here
18:05 TOWER HAMLETS, United Kingdom – Perhaps the most “diverse” part of Britain, Tower Hamlets, saw steady voting today as well as questions raised over the proximity of ‘Remain’ activists to polling stations.
Breitbart London visited half a dozen polling stations in the London borough which played host to Britain’s famous “Shariah patrols”, finding a steady turnout of hijab-clad voters (and their husbands).
At one polling station in Tollet Street, we discovered a ‘Remain’ campaigner standing in the doorway of the polling station handing out Remain leaflets to voters. While not illegal, and just a “guideline”, campaigners are usually asked not to stand in doorways where they may obstruct voters. She also told Breitbart London that people who had never voted before were “asking her how to vote”.
And local police told us that while at local and general elections there are “issues” related to men standing inside polling station grounds instructing people how to vote, this has not manifested itself today.
A selection of images appears below.
17:52: Breitbart London’s Sarkis Zeronian is in Manchester for tonight’s count at Manchester Town Hall. He reports the venue is currently under lockdown for a scheduled security sweep, but some confusion remains between police and others as to when it is supposed to reopen.
Some said 5:00 pm and others 6:00 while one policeman said his briefing had been very vague. A selection of images appears below. All pictures Sarkis Zeronian/Breitbart London
16:44 Remember that time Obama urged UK voters not to leave the EU? Seems 80% of Americans disagreed with him. They would be happy to see a Brexit. Read more here
16:22 A polling station in London has been forced to remove the St. George’s flag after a man on social media claimed it was a “dog whistle for the leave campaign” and made the room look “like an EDL rally”. Read more here
15:32 A Labour In activist handing out voting information on Tollet Street, Tower Hamlets, right in the doorway of the polling station. She told Breitbart London she had been asked by new voters how to vote. Picture Rachel Megawhat/Breitbart London
14:54 Met Office predicts more thunderstorms this evening:
14:27 The Electoral Commission has released a video explaining what happens later today when the polls close; who is allowed in and who isn’t as the clock ticks down to 10:00 PM
14:02 Today’s edition of The Guardian left no doubt about its EU Referendum position by adding a dash of colour to two letters in its masthead
13:45 The latest polling average has just come in
13:06 Britain’s newspaper front pages today highlight the stark difference in tone between the Brexit and the Remain campaigns. Breitbart London has the full story in words and pictures here
12:37 In case anyone was wondering, Tony Blair took to Twitter to make the following personal announcement:
12:17 Labour Leave is reporting there is a plan in the Netherlands to table a motion tomorrow to call their own referendum if the UK votes out today
12:06 James Delingpole writes for Breitbart London that if you truly believe in Britain then there is really only one way to vote today. Read more here
11:38 The latest polling numbers have just come through.
11:23 WESTERHAM, United Kingdom – We’ve just witnessed UKIP leader Nigel Farage voting, just an hour after we saw the Prime Minister in Westminster.
Mr. Farage was upbeat and optimistic, though wary that the betting markets are now making Brexit a less and less likely possibility as the day continues. Nevertheless, Mr. Farage told Breitbart London how he’s been waiting for over two decades for this moment and to cast this vote.
He will now likely spend the day with family before heading into London for a referendum night results party. Exclusive pictures: Rachel Megawhat/Breitbart London
11:07 Breitbart London exclusively revealed on Tuesday that Anjem Choudary supports Remain because “there are certain principles and caveats” in EU law that offer “recourse” to Islamist radicals.
The Tweet below appeared briefly this morning attesting to that fact before being quickly deleted
10:56 Methodist Central Hall in Westminster has its own take on polling
10:45 Follow the money: Investors are moving Brexit markets with massive bets
10:33 There will be no exit polling conducted today
10:15 German tabloid newspaper states its case for Remain with offer of sunloungers and various other enticements.
09:32 Spotted in South London… an unfortunate start to the day for the Stronger In van. Pic: Raheem Kassam/Breitbart London
09:15 Prime Minister David Cameron votes
David Cameron and his wife Samantha voted this morning at Methodist Hall, Westminster just after our Editor in Chief cast his vote in the same ballot box. Picture: Chris Tomlinson/Breitbart London
Millions of people across Britain vote Thursday in a bitterly fought, knife-edge referendum that could tear up the island nation’s EU membership and spark the greatest emergency of the bloc’s 60-year history.
A record 46.5 million voters are signed up to take an irreversible decision on Britain’s future in the 28-nation European Union, which was born out of a determination to forge lasting peace in the continent after the carnage of two world wars.
The once-in-a-generation referendum asks: “Should the United Kingdom remain a member of the European Union or leave the European Union?”.
Each voter must write a cross by one of two options:
– “Remain a member of the European Union”
– “Leave the European Union”
World financial markets, like voters, are in suspense over the result.
On the eve of the historic referendum, two polls — both conducted over the Internet — put the “Leave” camp ahead by one or two percentage points, well within the margin of error.
But a telephone poll gave “Remain” a notable lead of 48 percent, ahead of “Leave” on 42 percent.
Financial institutions are reinforcing teams to cope with the prospect of frantic trading through the day and the world’s leading central banks say they are ready to react in any eventuality.
– ‘Independence Day’ –
The often acrimonious, deeply emotional campaign has exposed a gulf among Britons on membership of Europe.
The Thursday editions of British newspapers captured the drama of voting day. “Independence day” was the headline of the pro-Brexit Sun, while the Times called it a “Day of reckoning”.
Leading Brexit backer Boris Johnson, a former London mayor who is widely touted as a future prime minister, insisted the “Leave” campaign was on the brink of victory.
“I do think that we are on the verge, possibly, of an extraordinary event in the history of our country and indeed in the whole of Europe,” Johnson said in eastern England in a final scramble for support on Wednesday.
Prime Minister David Cameron, who has staked his political legacy on the referendum, implored people to vote to stay in the bloc at a final rally in Birmingham on the eve of voting.
“Winston Churchill didn’t give up on European democracy… and we shouldn’t walk away,” he said.
“Our economy will suffer if we leave,” he warned.
– ‘Out is out’ –
“If you jump out of the aeroplane you cannot clamber back through the cockpit hatch. That is why anyone in any doubt should vote remain tomorrow.”
EU leaders warned Britons that there would be no turning back from a vote to quit.
“Out is out,” European Commission chief Jean-Claude Juncker said in Brussels, dismissing any talk of a post-vote renegotiation of Britain’s membership terms.
French President Francois Hollande warned an exit would be “irreversible”.
A British withdrawal from the EU would trigger a lengthy exit negotiation, leading to the loss of unfettered access to its partners in the EU’s single market and forcing the country to strike its own trade accords across the world.
In Europe, the referendum has raised concerns of a domino effect of exit votes that would imperil the integrity of the bloc, already buffeted by the eurozone and migration crises.
Though many voters fret over the financial consequences of a Brexit, others relish the prospect of taking back power from Brussels and reining in high levels of immigration.
Pat Hand, a 50-year-old construction worker, said he would be voting to leave the EU. “The country is in an absolute mess. I work in construction and every single person on my job is not English,” he said.
The referendum battle paused for three days to honour the brutal murder of pro-“Remain” British lawmaker Jo Cox, a mother of two who was stabbed, shot and left bleeding to death on the pavement a week ahead of the vote.
“Jo’s killing was political. It was an act of terror,” her husband Brendan Cox told around 5,000 people gathered in London’s Trafalgar Square on Wednesday what would have been her 42nd birthday.
Thomas Mair, 52, has been charged with Cox’s murder.
On his first appearance in court on Saturday, he gave his name as “Death to traitors, freedom for Britain”.
A psychiatric report was requested.
EU leaders will open a two-day summit in Brussels on Tuesday to deal with the result and decide how to cope with the risk of similar referendums on the continent that could threaten the bloc’s integrity
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