The UK has voted leave the European Union. Leave vote won with 52% of the vote, whilst the Remain vote was 48%. The Leave vote won by 1,269,501 votes.
The Electoral Commission advised that Britons turned out in huge numbers to vote on their future in the European Union, with 72.2% of registered voters casting their ballots in yesterday’s referendum.
In Norfolk, only the Norwich district voted to Remain, whilst all other areas voted to Leave. Overall in the East of England the Leave vote was 68.8%, with Remain at 31.2%.
Norfolk EU Referendum Results Area Leave Remain East of England 56.5% 43.5% Breckland 64.2% 35.8% Broadland 54.4% 45.6% Great Yarmouth 71.5% 28.5% King’s Lynn & West Norfolk 66.4% 33.6% North Norfolk 58.9% 41.1% Norwich 43.8% 56.2% South Norfolk 51.7% 48.3%
Following this historic result David Cameron has announced that he will be stepping down as Prime Minister. He advised that he will stay on whilst a new Tory leader is elected, but it is expected that he will be gone by the time of the Conservative Party Conference.
Mr Cameron said that it was “not right” for him to be “the captain that steers the country in a new direction”. He went on to say “We must now prepare for a renegotiation with the EU. Above all this will require strong determined and committed leadership.”
More importantly, Mr Cameron said he would not invoke Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty that will start the process of Brexit – leaving that decision to his successor.
Following the UK’s EU decision, Mark Carney, Governor of the Bank of England, has released a statement. In it he said: “Market volatility can be expected, 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.
“To be clear, the Bank of England will not hesitate to take additional measures as required as markets adjust and as the UK economy moves forward. The bank has stress tested our banks against conditions much more severe than those we currently face.
“A few months ago, the Bank judged that the risks around the referendum were the most significant, near-term domestic risks to financial stability. To mitigate them, the Bank of England has put in place extensive contingency plans. These begin with ensuring that the core of our financial system is well-capitalised, liquid and strong.”
To read the full Bank of England statement click here
