For those who are wondering what Brexit is. The current prime minister of the UK, David Cameron proposed a referendum recently to put up to the people for vote whether or not the UK should leave the EU. It was meant to go up for vote in the polls on June 23.

It passed. The UK is leaving the EU. This has huge ramifications for the stability and longevity of the EU especially since a huge portion of the EU is supported on the backs of only 3 countries, Germany, France and the UK. It's also going to have huge ramifications on a global scale because of the economic shift that's going to occur because of it.

UK votes to leave the EU

In further news, David Cameron has resigned as prime minister citing the need for the UK to have new blood following the referendum passing.

I am absolutely seething. I am affected by the currency exchange directly in a way I do not wish to go into. Pound is lowest since 1985. GOOD GOING, UK. I hope I eat my words and it soars up. I want to eat my words. Good god, I want to eat my words.

Thank you, UK, for screwing me over. Fear won.

At least now the UK can't say shit about America, because it just proved in its referendum how stupid it is. This is why referendums are not a good idea. Let's ignore major financial institutions like the IMF and give the PEOPLE the right to vote. LMAO I JUST CAN'T ----

Everything is the fucking worst.

It makes me sick to my stomach to know Farage has got what he's always wanted.

Watching him on Good Morning Britain makes my stomach churn. To paraphrase... So are you going to put more money into the NHS (Britain's health service btw) now that we're out because that's what the Leave campaign was saying? Nigel: We never guaranteed that. That was a mistake. YOUR ADVERTS WERE A "MISTAKE"??

Love the reaction to him. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B0ktojE6WQA

I'm just going to play Hans Zimmer's Day One Dark because it encapsulates my mood right now so well. Nigel can call it Independence Day. I'll call it Day One.

So I've just read this... I didn't even bother to pay that much attention to it yesterday because this result wasn't even a possibility for me. I mean British people always seemed a lot more intelligent than this.

For real Britain? Really? I'm still baffled about this.

And of course now we've essentially handed the government over to a bunch of goons who actively want to dismantle the NHS. The EU were essentially propping up agriculture, so I don't know what my parents are going to do. The "United Kingdom" as we know it is dead; Scotland are as good as gone, and Ireland might re-unify, and fair on them in the face of this mess.

We've just clawed our way out of one recession, and I can't deal with another one. I'm so angry and so scared.

. I'm not British. I'm American but I can still see this as having lasting consequences especially if any other countries decide to follow the UK in leaving. Economically, this is also going to affect the world on a global scale because of the risk to the value of the British pound too.

There's also the matter of whether or not Scotland and Northern Ireland may use this chance to vie for independence from the UK.

I'm not Brit either but I live in the EU and know that we will all suffer greatly because of this imbecility. And can sense that foremost of all, UK will suffer the most, both its people and the country itself. Scotland remained in the UK before much because of the EU pressure. Now there will be no reason at all for Scotland to reject independence in a future referendum. And after them N. Ireland. And after, maybe Cataluña will follow and start destroying Spain. And who next? This ridiculous decision is some kind of a door opening to a new European fragmentation and in a moment in time when the larger blocks rule economy (US/EU/China). The UK is forcing the EU(and itself) out of this game.

Ludicrous.

This is a truly sad day for GB imo :( The country is torn between those thinking this is the greatest thing ever and those who are not scared and unsure of what the future now holds. Also now there is a growing petition (almost 30k signatures!) for London independence from the rest of the UK, Scotland will most likely have another referendum and break away from the uk and stick with the EU...this is crazy

Basically, everything is fucked and I'm going back to bed. Tell me when 2016 ends.

I'm Canadian and I'm sitting there just saying: they fucked up their economy and just left aside some important laws coming from the EU.

I seriously hope that my province will not make the same mistake. That's basically how you start a war.

I'm Canadian, and I just can't imagine how terrified the people of the UK are. Even the ones who voted to leave must be at least a little scared. This has ramifications that we don't even know of yet. Yesterday was a day that will write a new page in history. Insane.

I'm still mind boggled and everyone I know is. We're all a bit stunned. Fingers crossed.

I'm amazed this happened, I have no idea what will happen next, I guess we will just have to sit and watch. There are so many things that will change. But reading some articles it looks like a lot of people are worried bureaucracy will stall any real change/leadership, possibly for years. What a mess. It seems cowardly to me that the PM resigned as soon as this happened, but as an outsider I don't have a very clear view of him as a leader so that's worth a grain of salt.

My first thoughts.

muffled screaming

Don't blame me, I voted in... :O

I'm actually curious if the Brexit vote will have ramifications for commonwealth nations. I know prior to the vote there had been suggestions to substitute trade with the EU with the commonwealth instead.

quote by :

I admittedly feel the same.

I'm an outsider so obviously I don't know Prime Minister David Cameron that well and all I really know of him is from news snippets that are occasionally brought up in American news. I find it rather convenient though that after creating a huge uproar by proposing the Brexit vote, and having that vote be successful he then decides to up and resign.

I, too am very disappointed in his resigning. He started this; he gambled and lost, and should see it through (and as much as I don't like him, I'd rather have someone who wanted to stay in the EU at the head of negotiations, rather than any of the pro-Brexit MPs who might take his place).

However, this thing is par for the course in British politics. A major failure of a party leader in some endeavour or other almost always leads to their resignation. A general election usually means all change for the unsuccessful leaders of the major parties. There was a change in the leader of the SNP after Scotland failed to vote for independence in 2014. In part, it's expected, but also it'd be very difficult to get anything done with the inevitable constant jeering and snide put-downs from both their own party and the opposition (because UK politics is full of sneery schoolchildren who'll use any petty excuse to tear someone down).

I'm in an area which voted more to remain, so it's been really solemn today. There are already talks of a referendum. I say to hell with it. Let NI and Scotland secede. I don't even want to talk about how the NHS is getting treated. It's a fucking catastrophe. If the Brits were less civilized, I'd have expected chaos and riots on the streets.

For some reason, the first thing I pictured today was MP Cox and her attacker when I heard about the result. D: That side of the argument won today. That side, man. D: I thought hey at least her death could tarnish the leave campaign and there it is, days after her death, UK voted out. All a slap to the face. Idk how that family is coping. :l

And I would have voted had they not barred me from doing so and thus excluded the immigrants to the UK, because of course, we would vote in. :"D Also, yay for voting in. At least blood is not metaphorically on your hands. xD

Also, even if Scotland does a referendum, it's not going to happen immediately. My heart goes out to the people who voted to stay with the UK during their referendum for the sole reason of staying in the EU and for stability.

Wait sorry, so you're saying he proposed then idea and then peaced out and left everyone else to pick up his shitty mess once it passed?

Gosh I wish we could also vote... I would also vote to get out of the EU....

lives in germany

As I understand it, he proposed the idea during his campaign rounds running for prime minister. He had said that he would bring up a Brexit vote while he was Prime Minister in his running speeches but, he hadn't really counted on people actually taking it seriously and voting to exit the EU or he assumed that even if it was a close vote, most would choose to remain in the EU. He did it as a way to mollify his party since there had been an increasing amount of anti-EU sentiment in his own party( He's Tory).

He was banking on the populace wanting to STAY IN THE EU, not exit it. He had actually made a couple speeches last year and the last couple months where he had encouraged people to say no on Brexit and vote to stay in the EU.

So, it was a mistake of his own making and his resignation is pretty much him realizing the mistake he made and leaving someone else to take over and fix his mess.

True. Even if Northern Ireland and Scotland does choose to secede from the UK and stay in the EU as separate countries it'll take at least a couple months before the necessary protocols are in place to bring it up for votes.

It'll also take a couple months before David Cameron officially exits. He's stated that he'll resign as PM by October so whether or not he triggers Article 50 or not while he's in office or leaves it up to someone else to trigger; I doubt anyone knows. I'm guessing he's going to leave all the messy stuff, negotiations with the EU and all that up to his successor though.