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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Politics
Haroon Siddique, Andrew Sparrow and Kevin Rawlinson

EU referendum as it happened: Juncker calls for start to Brexit negotiations

EU referendum: how Britain voted for Brexit – video

Summing up Friday's events: the Brexit fallout

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.

•The fallout started immediately: the pound collapsed, prompting recession fears, and by the end of the day Brexit panic had wiped $2tn off the world economy.

•European leaders reacted to the vote by insisting that Britain start negotiations to leave immediately. The UK has also been told that its access to the internal EU market would be restricted – the “price”, it was said, for leaving.

•Political figures on both sides of the debate, however, insisted there was no need to rush through the process.

•The US tried to soothe British concerns about the status of the special relationship but President Obama reiterated his warning that the UK will go to the “back of the queue” for trade deal negotiations.

•Jeremy Corbyn, the Labour leader, faced a challenge to his leadership as a group of his MPs tabled a motion of no confidence in it.

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.

And there’s even polarisation within the Daily Mail’s offices.

Updated

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.

Updated

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.

Updated

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’.

Moody’s also affirmed European Union’s AAA rating and the United Kingdom’s Aa1 rating on Friday, Reuters reported.

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.

In London, one group went to London Bridge – the site of the offices of Rupert Murdoch’s News UK, the parent company of the Sun and Times newspapers. The two papers took opposing stances on the referendum; the former backing Brexit and the latter Remain.

About 30 were also reported to have demonstrated outside the gates of Downing Street, saying they had been “robbed” of their futures and chanting: “No borders! No Boris!”

Updated

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.

It is vitally important now that those in power must come together and heal divisions. We must also work hard to change the tone of our politics, to continue to be welcoming to those who are in need and to be an outward looking country.

And while our country has voted to officially leave the European Union, we hope we can nevertheless retain bonds of friendship and peace with the rest of the continent.

Reacting to the resignation of David Cameron, Dr Shuja Shafi said:

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 Muslim Council of Britain did not take a position during the referendum campaign, but did urge British Muslims to exercise their vote.

Updated

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.

“I believe that if the UK is to stay in the single market, we have to ensure that its products fulfil all of the EU’s environmental and food safety standards.”

Beyond questions of market access, the UK is likely to soon be cut free from EU laws such as the birds and habitats directive, which anchors the world’s largest coordinated network of protected nature reserves.

These spread across 18% of European territory – and 8% of Britain – providing havens to threatened wildlife and sites of natural beauty.

Updated

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.”

Updated

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.

He said the EU would pursue a “reasonable approach” in negotiating the separation. “It’s not an amicable divorce, but it was not exactly a tight love affair anyway.”

Updated

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.

I then spoke to Chancellor [Angela] Merkel of Germany and we agreed that the United States and our European allies will work closely together in the weeks and months ahead.

I do think yesterday’s vote speaks to the ongoing changes and challenges that are raised by globalisation.

Updated

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.

Migrants in the makeshift camp in Calais.
Migrants in the makeshift camp in Calais. Photograph: Pascal Rossignol/Reuters

Natacha Bouchart told French broadcaster BFM TV:

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].

We must put everything on the table and there must be an element of division, of sharing.

This echoed calls from Xavier Bertrand, the centre-right president of the Hauts-de-France region, who tweeted: “The English wanted to take back their freedom, they must take back their border.”

Updated

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.

US vice-president Joe Biden prepares to deliver a keynote speech in the grounds of Dublin Castle.
US vice-president Joe Biden prepares to deliver a keynote speech in the grounds of Dublin Castle. Photograph: Niall Carson/PA

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.

Updated

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 urged Dame 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?

Ben Bradshaw.
Ben Bradshaw. Photograph: Christopher Furlong/Getty Images

But Ben Bradshaw, the Labour former culture secretary, has just told Sky News that Corbyn should resign. He said that David Cameron had taken responsibility and resigned, and that Corbyn should do the same.

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.

That’s all from me. My colleague Kevin Rawlinson is taking over.

Updated

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 Labour MP Stephen Kinnock has backed the no confidence motion too.

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.

A British Airways 747 aircraft prepares for landing at London’ s Heathrow Airport.
A British Airways 747 aircraft prepares for landing at London’ s Heathrow Airport. Photograph: Justin Tallis/AFP/Getty Images

John Stewart, chairman of anti-Heathrow expansion group Hacan, said:

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.

The Davies commission said a new runway at Gatwick would be an acceptable alternative. That is an option Johnson could support.

Updated

Here is the Guardian Politics Weekly podcast, with Tom Clark, Heather Stewart, Matthew D’Ancona, Hugh Muir and Jennifer Rankin discussing the referendum.

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”.

Updated

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.

Dame Margaret Hodge.
Dame Margaret Hodge. Photograph: Yui Mok/PA

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.

A wet Glastonbury
Glastonbury festival.
 Photograph: Jonathan Hordle/REX/Shutterstock

“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”.

It was a noticeably sombre mood that gripped Worthy Farm as the first acts of the festivals took to the stage under darkening clouds. The 50-piece Syrian National Orchestra for Arabic Music, accompanied by Blur frontman and founder of the African Express project Damon Albarn opened the Other Stage. Albarn did not mince his words as he spoke of his anger at the referendum results.

“I have a heavy heart today,” he said to the gathered crowds. “Democracy has failed us. Democracy has failed us because it was ill informed. And I want all of you to know that when we all leave here, we can change that decision. It is possible.”

It was a strangely uplifting performance, as the audience were reminded there are places in the world worse to be even than a broken Britain.

Damon Albarn at Glastonbury Festival
Damon Albarn at Glastonbury. Photograph: Guy Bell/REX/Shutterstock

“It’s really emotional. It suddenly brings it all to the front of your mind how united we should be, when you consider what these people from Syria are going through,” said Tanya Chesworth.

“That made my Glastonbury. It’s brought unity after what we have woken up to,” said Mitch Pendered, who lives in Switzerland but comes from Devon and voted remain.

The political mood also gripped other stages. As Novelist, the grime artist, took to the stage he started up a rousing chant of “Fuck David Cameron”, while the guitarist from rock band James told the crowd: “It is with incredible sadness that we stand here today, unified in sadness that our country has turned on people. Fuck them!”

“It’s like Yugoslavia without the bombs, a country disintegrating,” said Robert Smith from Swindon.

Spirits were also not lifted by the weather, which by midday had turned to torrential rain and did little to improve the treacherously muddy conditions underfoot.

The Other Stage was almost an hour late opening and logistical difficulties meant the controversial women-only Sisterhood stage, which was due to host various female-led performances and even a twerking workshop, was still not open on Friday.

The seismic referendum aftermath also led to the Labour leader, Jeremy Corbyn, pulling out of his appearance at the Left Field tent on Sunday, with a spokesperson saying he was focusing on “momentous” results.

Nonetheless, Corbyn’s continued popularity with young voters was re-affirmed as mere mention of his name in the tent prompted a huge cheer.

And while many festivalgoers tried to focus their efforts on forgetting politics for the rest of the weekend, throwing themselves into watching acts such as Skepta, Sigur Rós and headliners Muse, the Left Field remained a hive of heated political discussion.

Speaking before his performance, Glastonbury stalwart Billy Bragg offered a call to arms to the young generation, the majority of whom voted to stay in the EU. Admitting he had not voted when he first got the vote in 1979, Bragg said now was not the time for political apathy.

A muddy end to the In campaign’s dream
A muddy end to the in campaign’s dream. Photograph: Stoyan Nenov/Reuters

“My guess is there’s a lot of young people who woke up this morning thinking ‘there’s absolutely no way this country would be so stupid to vote us out’,” he said. “You probably thought there’s no point in going to the polling station, I’ll let someone else do that. I’m not here to condemn them, after I made the mistake I got stuck into the fight. So now it’s your job to get stuck in.”

A message echoed by Clive Lewis, Labour MP for Norfolk South, who called for “progressives” to “rebuild”, “be resolute” and help him make the world know that “the England Nigel Farage represents is not the UK I want to be part of”.

Updated

Momentum, the Labour organisation for Jeremy Corbyn supporters, has started an online petition supporting him. This is from James Schneider, Momentum’s national organiser.

Hodge says EU referendum was a 'test of leadership' and Corbyn failed

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.

Some other Labour MPs have backed the move.

Chris Leslie, the former shadow chancellor, said:

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.

Caroline Flint, the former minister, said:

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.

Ann Coffey, who has seconded Hodge’s proposal for a no-confidence motion, said Corbyn needed to take responsibility for what had happened in the referendum.

[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.

Jeremy Corbyn surrounded by journalists as he walks to the Commons.
Jeremy Corbyn surrounded by journalists as he walks to the Commons. Photograph: Rob Stothard/Getty Images

Updated

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.

Major praised Cameron for his achievements with the economy.

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.

Major also said that Cameron’s social agenda had been “very progressive” and that introducing marriage equality was a major change.

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.

Sir John Major
Sir John Major Photograph: Steve Parsons/PA

12 union leaders tell Labour MPs not to try to depose Corbyn

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 last thing Labour needs is a manufactured leadership row of its own in the midst of this crisis and we call upon all Labour MPs not to engage in any such indulgence.

The statement is signed by the general secretaries of 12 unions: Len McCluskey, Unite, Dave Prentis, Unison, Tim Roache, GMB, Dave Ward, Communication Workers Union, Brian Rye, Ucatt, Manuel Cortes, Transport Salaried Staffs Association, Mick Whelan, Aslef, Matt Wrack, Fire Brigades Union, John Smith, Musicians’ Union, Gerry Morrissey, Bectu, Ronnie Draper, BFAWU, Chris Kitchen, National Union of Mineworkers.

Updated

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.

But Britain’s political and economic establishment no more defends the interests of the majority than the EU does and the vote for change that was expressed in Thursday’s poll will not be met by replacing one ex-Eton schoolboy with another.

The labour and trade union movement must follow up this massive vote of no confidence in the Tory government and demand a general election now.

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.

The justice secretary and leave campaigner, Michael Gove, denounced the Luxembourg court as a vehicle for giving the EU “more power and reach than ever before”.

Boris Johnson’s wife, Marina Wheeler QC, published an influential article in February entitled Cavalier with our Constitution criticising the “jurisdictional muscle-flexing of the court in Luxembourg” since the EU’s charter of fundamental rights came into force in 2009. The court, she added, acts “capriciously not judiciously”.

And in a joint statement earlier this month, the leaders of Vote Leave pledged to “regain the power to deport terrorists and terrorist sympathisers and stop violent criminals entering the UK – powers that EU law currently denies to us.”

They would, the Vote Leave leaders said, “immediately end the application of the EU’s charter of fundamental laws. This charter gives the rogue European court practically unlimited powers to extend its jurisdiction. By ending its application in UK law, we will take back control of how Britain implements the crucial 1951 UN convention on refugees and end the charter’s ability to affect immigration and asylum law.”

One impact of the Brexit vote is that judgments from Luxembourg will eventually no longer apply to the UK. A judgment on bulk interception of communications data by GCHQ, the government’s monitoring agency, is due imminently.


But the impact could come before the end of the two-year process of Brexit renegotiation. In the aftermath of the leave vote, rulings could be challenged in parliament and by Eurosceptic lawyers even before the UK formally cuts its ties with Brussels. Those British judges already serving in Luxembourg are likely to stay in the court for their remaining period of service.

And the consequences of the leave vote are likely to take years to work through, as MPs assess which elements of EU law should be preserved, and which rejected. The European arrest warrant is one of the continental law and order agreements that may have to be re-examined. London’s planned status as home to one of the main registries for a European unified patent court will now also be in doubt.

Perhaps the biggest question for UK citizens though is what happens to the rights and legal protections that are currently afforded by EU membership. That is an open question that was barely touched on by the leave side during the campaign beyond broad statements of reassurance.

Philip Kolvin QC of Cornerstone Barristers, who is an expert in licensing, said: “The consequences for our legal system have barely figured in [the debate]. But EU-inspired or mandated legislation is part of the bedrock of societal protection. Are these protections to be thrown onto a bonfire of laws? If not, which are to survive and which are to be replaced, and if so by what?”

Updated

My colleague Ewen MacAskill has joined the (very, very long, and mostly honourable) list of people who have been insulted by Donald Trump.

Donald Trump calls reporter Ewen MacAskill ‘a nasty, nasty guy’ – video

It goes without saying that Trump is wrong.

Europeans working in London have reacted to the referendum results with shock.

‘Total shock’: London’s Europeans react to Brexit — video

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”.

“We are out here today, which shows we have political beliefs and know how to express them,” one said. Another commented how she believed the result could have been significantly different were 16-year-olds allowed to vote, citing the 75% of 18-35 year olds who voted to remain.

Young campaigners outside No 10.

Ben, 26, sitting outside the gates of Downing Street protesting against the result, said:

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.

He told the Guardian that for him the referendum “was not about economics, or migration, alone. It is about the sort of society, world and Europe that I wanted Britain to help create and maintain in the future”.

Ultimately, he said, he was very disappointed that the result was largely due to fears of immigration. “That makes me very sad,” he continued, “because endless studies have shown that migrants contribute more than they take out.”

Young people protesting outside Downing Street.
Young people protesting outside Downing Street. Photograph: Ione Wells

Updated

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.

Great progressive Labour politicians that I admire – forced to campaign with their hands tied behind their back because of short-sighted demands from their leader’s office.

Where was the leader of that party?

Even when the future of our country depended on him, he could not bring himself to reach across the aisle.

When the call went out for help, Jeremy Corbyn refused to answer.

The once-proud working class Labour vote has abandoned Corbyn in droves.

Great Labour cities have been driven into the arms of Ukip and Nigel Farage.

It is clearer than ever that Jeremy Corbyn has more concern for his own position in his own party, rather than his country.

Farron also urged people who wanted “a new modern breed of politics – liberal, hopeful, international, rational – driven by real British values” to join the Lib Dems.


Updated

Labour says government should abandon its budget surplus target

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).

Committing to stay in the ETS, as non-EU countries Switzerland and Norway have done, would demonstrate that the new UK government was prepared to honour existing international agreements, sources say.

“It is not impossible to imagine that kind of overture coming from the British side,” one senior official told the Guardian. “Everything is going to be a political football now, and it is just whether we play nicely with climate policy or not. There are mutual benefits to playing nicely.”

The UK is unlikely to renege on carbon emissions reduction targets for 2020 that it has already substantially met. But the country is lagging on renewable energy goals and has credible enforcement mechanisms to rectify that have just disappeared.

Good afternoon. I’m Andrew Sparrow, taking over from Haroon.

The American ambassador to London, Matthew Barzun, has been tweeting about the referendum result.

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 local campaign was “polarised” and “passionate”, local Lib Dem councillor Stephen Johnson said. “One of my colleagues was spat at twice on a street stall. It brought out quite a lot of intolerance. It was quite bad-tempered.”

But not for everybody. Sheltering in the shopping mall from yet another downpour with their five-week-old baby, Andrea Garcia and her husband Dominic said that they had backed opposite sides. “In the last few days we were talking about it,” Andrea said, but there were “no arguments”.

On hearing the outcome, Dominic Garcia, an engineer, said: “I was – gutted’s not the word - but shocked that it’s happening.” He was concerned about “backtracking” by leave-supporting politicians, he said, “especially about the £350m to the NHS. That was on the side of a bus and now it’s not going to happen.”

Updated

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.

Nathan Gill, the Ukip leader in Wales, said the setting was significant.

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.

The celebration was heckled by a passer-by who accused the Leave activists of being racists. Gill denied the accusation. He said:

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.

He also pointed out the empty shops near the statue.

People aren’t daft. We’re in a very depressed area. All this talk of this huge amount of EU money, where is it?

Gill was joined by Tory MP for Monmouth David Davies, who has campaigned for Leave. He said:

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.

There were people of all political persuasions at the event, some of whom have been getting a tough time for supporting leave. “People have called me racist, they have been swearing at me,” said student Luke Carlmain, 27.

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.

Should the Labour first minister, Carwyn Jones, follow David Cameron and resign because of his part in the failed remain campaign?

“I’d like to see him go. I think he has to think very carefully,” said Carlmain.

Updated

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.

A spokesman confirmed to the Press Association that he would be “focusing on the issues” thrown up by the “momentous” vote rather than travelling to Worthy Farm.

He is also facing a no confidence motion from two of his MPs.

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.

The actual result on the night came in at 51.9% leave, 48.1% remain. Just 16 of 168 individual polls predicted a 52:48 split in favour of leave.

Polls did give a sense of the swing to leave in the first weeks of June, but edged back to favour remain in the final days before the vote. Just two of six polls released the day before the referendum – those carried out TNS and Opinium – gave leave the edge.

EU referendum polls from September to June
EU referendum polls from September to June

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].

The leaving of England from the EU is a historic opportunity for Iran and we should make the most out of this new opportunity.

Deputy chief of staff of Iran’s armed forces, Massoud Jazayeri, was quoted by the Fars news agency as saying that “the European Union is a pawn in the hands of America”. He added:

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.

There was still opportunity to make the issues that the younger generation care about a priority during the Brexit negotiations, Sani said.

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”.

European leaders react to UK’s vote to leave the EU

Hillary Clinton: 'time of uncertainty'

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”.

The Nasdaq, like the Dow Jones, is down significantly:

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.

Turkish EU minister Ömer Celik brushed aside fears that the UK exit would spell yet more trouble for the country’s stalled EU accession talks, as Britain had previously been one of the strongest supporters of a Turkey membership. He said in a TV broadcast:

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.

Co-chair of the main opposition Republican People’s party (CHP) Öztürk Yilmaz criticised the strategy to vilify Turkey as part of the referendum campaign. The Brexit camp had argued that Turks were inherently disposed to criminality and that all of them were desperate to come to the UK, whereas David Cameron had suggested that Turkish membership was not even “remotely on the cards” and that the country may not join until the year 3000.

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.

Updated

Dow Jones plummets 500 points

The US stock exchange has experienced a sharp fall on opening.

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.

Such headlines were not just the hallmark of an increasingly bitter referendum campaign – with its relentless focus on anti-immigration stories – but came after years of anti-EU reporting in most of the British press.

In February, the Mail front page asked simply “Who will speak for England?”, highlighting the causes of independence and nationhood that have so helped the leave campaign. As the UK considers the far-reaching consequences of leaving the EU, it seems as good a moment as any to consider who has now spoken for England – the people alone or a Eurosceptic press that has campaigned against Brussels for decades.

Obama: 'special relationship will endure'

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.

In a dig at Spain’s acting foreign minister, José Manuel García-Margallo, he added:

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 older the voter, the more likely they were to vote to leave: 60% of those aged 65 or more voted to leave, while nearly three-quarters of 18-to-24-year- olds voted to remain.

A large majority of those whose formal education ended at secondary school level voted to leave, while 67% of those with a university degree and 64% with a higher degree voted to remain. More than four-fifths of those voters still in full-time eduction voted to remain.

Among those voters describing themselves as white, 53% voted to leave. More than two thirds of Asian voters and almost three-quarters of black voters wanted to remain. Some 58% of voters who described themselves as Christian voted to leave, while 70% of Muslims voted to remain.

Analysis of voting patterns according to occupation showed that the so-called AB voters – people engaged in professional and managerial work – voted 57% to 43% in favour of remaining in the EU, while C1s – clerical and junior managerial workers – were divided evenly and C2DEs - skilled or unskilled white-collar and manual workers and those receiving benefits - voted overwhelmingly in favour of Brexit.

Ashcroft’s poll also showed that the majority of voters thought the remain campaign would win, including among those who voted to leave.

Updated

The Guardian has charted David Cameron’s years as prime minister “from fresh-faced upstart to European failure”.

David Cameron: a political obituary

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.

In a televised address on Friday, Rajoy said the EU treaties governing Britain’s relations with the rest of the bloc would remain in force while London negotiates the terms of its exit – a process he said could take “at least two years”.

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.

Pablo Iglesias, leader of Spain’s anti-austerity party Podemos tweeted that it was a “sad day for Europe”, adding: “No one would want to leave a fair and supportive Europe. We have to change Europe.”

The fate of Gibraltar appeared less clear after Spain’s acting foreign minister, José Manuel García-Margallo, said the leave vote had brought the prospect of a Spanish flag flying on the rock of Gibraltar closer.

Updated

One investment bank is already moving staff overseas, according to the BBC.

UPDATE: Morgan Stanley has denied this:

One of its rivals, JP Morgan, said earlier that there could be changes to “the location of some roles”.

Updated

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.

The Norwegian minister said it was unclear what sort of association the UK will want to have with the EU, and not least what sort of arrangement the other EU member states will offer the UK after it leaves. According to Aspaker, if a new agreement between the EU and the UK is not in place before the UK formally withdraws from the EU, trade with the UK will be governed by the World Trade Organisation rules.

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.

Updated

Osborne: 'I'll do all I can to make it work'

The chancellor, George Osborne, does not appear to be following David Cameron in leaving office – not voluntarily anyway.

Updated

Still in any doubt as to the momentousness of the vote?

The BBC has also made a lot of changes to its schedule, including extending the News at One, the News at 10, airing a one-off special with Nick Robinson on BBC One and extending Newsnight.

On the radio, all the main news bulletins on BBC Radio 2 and BBC Radio 4 are to be extended and BBC Radio 5 live has cleared its schedule to provide live reaction and analysis until Saturday afternoon when it will resume coverage of Euro 2016.

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.

The Brexit vote leaves it highly uncertain which protections will remain in place and the prospect of improving them seems remote. Nigel Farage, the politician who did more than anyone to force the EU referendum, doesn’t even think climate change is a problem and wants to scrap pollution limits on power stations.

With 400,000 early deaths a year from air pollution – 40,000 in the UK – the EU saw things differently and set new legal limits in 2010. Many UK cities and towns remain above those limits today and campaigners have used EU rules to successfully sue the UK government. But UK ministers are even now fighting new EU rules to reduce early deaths. Pollution does not stop in its tracks at national borders, and 88% of environment professionals in the UK think an EU-wide policy is needed.

Earlier legal action from the EU forced the UK to clean up its sewage-strewn beaches, while many of the protections for nature and wildlife across the nation stem from EU rules.

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.

We pray for the United Kingdom and for our partners in Europe and the rest of the world at this time of uncertainty, as we continue to work together to build a just and peaceful future in which all people can flourish.

Updated

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.

Together these titles reach around 28 million readers in print over the course of the month, according to the National Readership Survey.

With just over a one million votes separating the leave and remain sides their influence could well have been decisive.

It notes that 26 out of the last 28 Daily Express pages were positive for the leave campaign. By contrast it says remain received “luke-warm” support from the Guardian, Times and Mirror.

Updated

Associate EU status for Britain?

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”.

But the paper also says there would be “no automatic access to the single market”, for fear of encouraging other countries such as France, Austria, Finland or the Netherlands to follow Britain’s lead. One would try to “avoid offering false incentives for other member states when settling on new arrangements”.

It adds: “The extent of such imitation effects would depend largely on how Great Britain was being treated.”

Updated

Ukip’s Wales campaign manager Sam Gould has been keeping his strength up with help from a steak and a pint of Coca-Cola.

His home patch is Caerphilly, which has always returned Labour MPs. It was one of those Labour heartlands that voted resoundingly for out – 57.6% against 42.4%.

Gould rejects the idea put forward by the Labour first minister Carwyn Jones that such results were a protest against the Tory government in Westminster. “That is them trying to deflect attention,” he said. “They need to wake up and look at the facts.”

The real number one issue?

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.

What next for Wales?

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.

Jeremy Corbyn, the leader of the opposition Labour Party, watches Prime Minister David Cameron on a screen as he speaks outside 10 Downing Street after Britain voted to leave the European Union.
Jeremy Corbyn watches David Cameron on a screen as he speaks outside 10 Downing Street . Photograph: Toby Melville/Reuters

Updated

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.

Grahame Smith, general secretary of the Scottish TUC, said there were substantial issues posed by a second independence referendum.

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.

Updated

UK told to leave as soon as possible

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.

“This is an unprecedented situation, but we are united in our response,” they said in a joint statement.

While the UK – the first sovereign country to vote to leave – would remain a member until exit negotiations were concluded, they said, Europe expected it to “give effect to this decision ... as soon as possible” by triggering article 50 of the Lisbon treaty, which is in effect Britain’s formal letter of resignation.

The special settlement negotiated by David Cameron earlier this year was void and could not be renegotiated, they said.

This would appear to dash the hopes of Boris Johnson and others in the leave camp who have suggested there is no rush for Brexit.

Updated

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.”

The retired couple from Jaywick, in Essex, were among several visitors to Clacton pier to say they were concerned about the process for Britain leaving the EU.

“The next year will be a worry,” said Jim Plows.

Pam Plows said:

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.

Diane Claringbold, 51, said she was pleased about the result:

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.”

Claringbold, who is disabled, said that she voted leave because of pressures on the NHS.

“I’ve waited eight months for an appointment at Colchester hospital. Other countries are fine outside Europe, we’ll be fine too.”

Jim and Pam Plows in Clacton
Jim and Pam Plows in Clacton. Photograph: Holly Watt for the Guardian

Updated

Labour has responded to the motion of no confidence by two MPs against Jeremy Corbyn:

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.

Hodge said most Labour voters did not know where the party stood on the EU, a criticism that was also made during the campaign.

She said “one of these, young, talented MPs” will hopefully come forward to take Corbyn’s place.

Updated

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.

In a statement on the mayoral website Khan said it was “crucial” for London that it remained part of the EU’s single market, and that he would push the government to make sure this happened. “It is crucial that London has a voice at the table during those renegotiations, alongside Scotland and Northern Ireland,” he said.

It is understood that what this means in practice will be a demand for the capital to have actual representation in Brussels during any negotiations over departure, when this happens, whether in the form of Khan himself or officials from City Hall. Khan’s official had been in touch with Sturgeon’s team to present a unified front on this ambition.

London voted 60% in favour of remaining in the EU, although within this there were significant splits between boroughs, with inner London notably more pro-EU than the outer suburbs. For example, Lambeth recorded a 78.6% vote in favour or remain, while in Barking and Dagenham this was just 37.6%

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.

The pattern is starkest at the local authority level. Lambeth in London, which recorded the highest remain vote of 78%, saw a net influx of 4,598, while Castle Point in Essex, which includes Canvey Island, saw a net inflow of only 81 new international migrants in 2015, but 72% of people there voted leave.

The pattern was repeated in Conservative Wandsworth in London, where net migration was 6,295 and 75% voted remain, and Labour Hartlepool, where there was a net increase of only 113 in new migrants but 69% voted to leave.

He does go on to point out that there are variations to this pattern.

Nigel Farage launches a controversial poster ahead of the EU Referendum
Nigel Farage launches a controversial poster ahead of the EU Referendum
 Photograph: Facundo Arrizabalaga/EPA

Updated

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.

NHS Employers chief executive Danny Mortimer told HSJ:

Leaders across the NHS need to let the EU nationals in their teams know how valued this contribution will continue to be.

Summary

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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