David Cameron, British PM
Boris Johnson, Former Mayor, London
British PM David Cameron to quit premiership as UK votes against remaining in the EU
Former London Mayor Boris Johnson tipped to be UK???s new Prime Minister
By Siva Sivapragasam
The majority of people in UK voted at a referendum for the country to leave the European Union forcing British Prime Minister David Cameron to step down as Prime Minister. London???s former Mayor Boris Johnson is tipped to be UK???s next Prime Minister.
The vote to leave the Union was carried through with 52% voting to leave and 48% percent opting to stay within the European Union at the referendum popularly termed as the ???Brexit Vote???. The referendum turnout was 71.8%, with more than 30 million people voting. It was the highest turnout in a UK-wide vote since the 1992 general election.
England voted strongly to leave the Union by 53.4% to 46.6%, as did Wales, getting 52.5% of the vote and Remain in the Union getting 47.5%.Scotland and Northern Ireland both backed staying in the EU.
The European Union – often known as the EU – is an economic and political partnership involving 28 European countries. It began after World War Two to foster economic co-operation, with the idea that countries which trade together are more likely to avoid going to war with each other.
It has since grown to become a “single market” allowing goods and people to move around, basically as if the member states were one country.
It has its own currency, the euro, which is used by 19 of the member countries, its own parliament and it now sets rules in a wide range of areas – including on the environment, transport, consumer rights and even things such as mobile phone charges.
Those campaigning for Britain to stay in the EU said it gets a big boost from membership – it makes selling things to other EU countries easier and, they argued, the flow of immigrants, most of whom are young and keen to work, fuels economic growth and helps pay for public services.
Big business – with a few exceptions – tended to be in favour of Britain staying in the EU because it makes it easier for them to move money, people and products around the world. They also said Britain’s status in the world would be damaged by leaving and that we are more secure as part of the 28 nation club, rather than going it alone.
European leaders including French President Hollande, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and European Union President expressed their dismay over Britain quitting the Union.
US president Barack Obama also wanted Britain to remain in the EU, as did other EU nations such as France and Germany. However, U.S. Republican party Presidential nominee Donald Trump praised the British people for ???taking their country back???. The ant-immigration campaign was a common factor for both Donald Trump and those campaigning for Britain???s exit from the European Union.
