It’s seven years since Britain voted to leave the EU. We’ve dug up some archive reporting from the day after the vote.
11:30 / 24th June 2016
A lot has happened since we woke up this morning to the news that Britain had voted to leave the European Union.
There’s a lot to digest and take in, so we’ve put together a list of the day’s key events so far.
1. David Cameron resigned
He said Britain needed a new leader to steer the country to its new destination. He said there was no immediate rush to step down, but that he would like a new Prime Minister to be in place by the start of the Conservative Party conference in October. “I love this country and I feel honoured to have served it and I will do everything I can in future to help this great country succeed,” he said.
2. The pound dropped to its lowest level since 1985
The FTSE 100 plunged, and banks such as Barclays, Lloyds and RBS reported share value drops of 30%. There were reports that Britain was no longer the world’s fifth largest economy, as France had overtaken it in a single morning.
3. Mark Carney said the Bank was ready
“Some market and economic volatility can be expected,” he said. “As a backstop, and to support the functioning of markets, the Bank of England stands ready to provide more than £250 billion of additional funds through its normal facilities.”
4. Nigel Farage made an admission on the NHS pledge.
He said on Good Morning Britain that it was a ‘mistake’ for the Leave campaign to say that the £350 million a week saving from being in the EU would be spent on the NHS.
5. The SNP indicated there could be another referendum on the cards.
Scotland “sees its future as part of the EU”, said SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon, as it emerged all 32 Scottish council areas backed Remain.
6. Sinn Fein called for a unified Ireland.
As the only UK country with an EU border, Northern Ireland’s Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness called for a border poll on a unified Ireland. Sinn Fein said the British government has “forfeited any mandate” to represent the economic or politic interests of Northern Ireland after the country voted to remain in the EU.
7. A petition to call a second referendum has reached 70,000 signatures.
The parliament petition was unable to load for much of the morning as it had received so much support. It asks the government to “implement a rule that if the Remain or Leave vote is less than 60% based on a turnout less than 75% there should be another referendum.”
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