Update, 3pm June 26 2016 : Over 3.2 million people have now signed a petition on parliament's website calling for a second referendum on Brexit.
The petition, which was actually launched before Thursday's EU Referendum, states: "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."
Thursday's turnout was 72.2%, the highest for a national ballot since 1992, with 52% voting to leave the EU and 48% voting to remain.
Parliament considers all petitions that attract over 100,000 signatures for a debate. Prime Minister David Cameron, who announced his resignation after the vote, has previously said there would be no second referendum.
Somewhat ironically, the petition was started by Oliver Healey, a Leave campaigner who had feared before the referendum that the UK would vote to stay in the EU by a narrow margin. In a Facebook post shared earlier today, Healey wrote, "Due to the result, the petition has been hijacked by the remain campaign... I am it's (sic) creator, nothing more!"
Though some European Union officials have pushed for a speedy withdrawal, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Saturday that she believed there was no need for Britain to rush through the process. Merkel spoke in favour of creating an “objective, good” environment for talks about the exit, saying that the EU has “no need to be particularly nasty” about Britain’s choice to leave.
Update, 11.50 am June 24 2016:
Reactions to this morning's result of a Brexit continue to unfold. At a press conference, Boris Johnson has paid tribute to a newly resigned David Cameron, calling him an "extraordinary politician". Johnson expressed that nothing would change over the short term, and there was "no need for haste", according to a video from the conference, posted by the Guardian.
Elsewhere, Donald Trump has hailed the UK's decision for a Brexit as a positive move, writing on Twitter this morning after touching down at his golf resort in Scotland: “The UK had taken back control. It is a great thing.”
Update, 8.34 am June 24 2016:
David Cameron has resigned as Prime Minister. In a statement outside 10 Downing Street this morning, he told the press that he is "very proud of what he has done as Prime Minister," but that the public "have chosen another path."
According to the Guardian, he added that he will do what he can to "steady the ship" and that he believes "Britain can find a way outside of the EU, and find a way."
Turnout was the highest for a national ballot since 1992, reports The Telegraph, with 72.2% of the electorate heading to the ballot box. Of those that voted, it was the youngest age bracket – aka those that will have to live with today's decision the longest – who most wanted to remain as part of the EU, with over 70 percent voting to stay. The over-65s, however, overwhelmingly voted for Brexit.
Original article published 8:04am , June 24th, 2016:
At approximately 6am today it became official: Britain has voted to leave the European Union. After months of campaigning, 17,410,742 million people voted to leave the EU, while 16,141,241 voted to remain. That's a 52% majority.
If you went to bed before 11pm and only just woke up, then you might be more than a little shocked to see that result, what with UKIP leader Nigel Farage and several media outlets still predicting a win, albeit tight, for the Remain camp up until midnight.
But in the hours that followed, it became clear that Leave was gaining significant ground with the North East leading the way, and the rest of the UK – bar Scotland and London – following suit.
Final count:
— Guardian politics (@GdnPolitics) June 24, 2016
Votes for Remain: 16,141,241
Votes for Leave: 17,410,742#EURefResults https://t.co/WZBC9V9tmV pic.twitter.com/EcBtwpz8Q0
So, what happens now? Well, everything and nothing. The first most obvious affect of the result is on the economy, with the pound already plummeting to levels not seen since 1985, according to the Guardian. And then there's the question of whether or not David Cameron will remain Prime Minister, considering he was firmly pro-remain. While 84 Tory MPs last night wrote a letter backing the PM, Farage, arguably the loudest voice on the leave side, has made it clear that he wants a pro-Brexit politician to lead negotiations.
With all 32 areas of Scotland voting remain, it's unsurprising that The Scottish National Party leader Nicola Sturgeon has already hinted at a call for another Scottish Independence referendum, while a healthy dose of Twitter users are attempting to do the same for London. Wishful thinking? Perhaps.
This story will be updated throughout the day.
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