Standort: fm4.ORF.at / Meldung: "Leave campaign starts taking back its promises "

24. 6. 2016 - 08:02

Leave campaign starts taking back its promises

Responses and reactions to the UK's decision to leave the EU, as it happend.

Brexit-Votum

Die Briten stimmen für den Austritt aus der EU.

08:00: It's official. The UK has voted to leave the EU.

After a tense night of counting, in which Remain took an early lead, as results from around the country were announced, Leave surged ahead to take and insurmountable lead at 7 o'clock this morning.

Leading Leave campaigner Nigel Farage made an emotional victory speech, in which he described the result as

"A victory for real people, a victory for ordinary people, a victory for decent people."

Just what that implies for the slightly less than half the country who voted Remain is laughable.

Meanwhile, the markets are worried. As the Leave vote overtook Remain, the markets began to wobble, and the pound fell to its lowest rate since 1985.

08:30: The front pages of today's UK papers are dramatic.

The populist press is making the most of it.
The Mirror is flying the flag:

while The Sun is living up to its reputation for punning headlines:

And The Economist is apparently rather less jubilant:

Though it should be noted, this is an old photo doing the rounds again. However, I think the sentiment applies among the large parts of the business and financial sector today.

The FM4 Redaktion is filling up as people arrive at work. The Irish are having a loud and lively debate about what all this will mean for Ireland and Northern Ireland. Good question. More on this later.

In today's programme, Chris Cummins will be reporting live from London, and political analyst Melanie Sully will be giving her expertise on the issues live in the studio.

08.56: Reactions start in earnest

The possibilities of a domino effect will certainly be making the other EU member states nervous today, and how Brussels handles the Brexit will be a crucial element.

The President of the EU Council, Donald Tusk, has responded to the result by saying that all laws and regulations will stay in place until the details of the Brexit are agreed. He is clearly trying to to keep the tone calm, but he nevertheless referred to the "27 states".

10:09: Cameron to stand down

British Prime Minister, David Cameron, who fronted the Remain campaign has announced he will stand down, saying "fresh leadership" is needed. This raises the question of his successor. The obvious candidate is Boris Johnson, who has been eyeing the top job for some time. This would take Britain even further to the right into the realms of what most people would consider the "far right".

The subject of his resignation and likely successors will be dealt with in detail in today's Reality Check, which has just finished a marathon meeting to work out which angles of this historic story to follow.

Boris

AFP PHOTO / ADRIAN DENNIS

Boris Johnson has not yet made a statement, but he's widely expected to run for the leadership of the Conservative Party.

10:30: EU leaders want quick Brexit

Leaders of the remaining 27 countries will want the whole Brexit issue resolved quickly, presumable fearing the domino effect that has been widely predicted. BuzzFeed has an excellent summary.

Russian state television is describing the result as "Britain voting for Independence", and Geert Wilders has tweeted his congratulations to Nigel Farage, while calling for a similar referendum in The Netherlands.

The pound is still dropping sharply and the Bank of England is standing by to intervene to support the currency if it thinks it necessary.

The Washington Post has outlined five main areas of concern for the markets and this analysis of the
EU reactions.

10:40: The Donald weighs in

Currently in Scotland at his golf resort at Turnberry, Donald Trump has tweeted his reaction.

I suppose that was to be expected, and can be considered more Trumpeting.

The Brexit will certainly give energy and momentum to far-right and Euro-sceptic politicians across Europe.

11:24: Scotland to vote again

Former leader of the Scottish National Party Alex Salmond, says there will be a second vote on Scottish independence, and the vote must be held before the UK actually leaves. Current leader, Nicola Sturgeon, has tweeted that she will make a statement shortly. 62% of Scottish voters backed Remain.

11:50: From Russia with Love

Donald Trump is happy, and so is the Kremlin, it appears. BBC Moscow correspondent, Steve Rosenberg, tweeted the response of the mayor of Moscow

Vladimir Putin is expected to make a statement later today, but I think we can assume he's not disappointed.

Marine Le Pen is happy, too.

Le Pen

screenshot

Looking forward to hearing analysis on Reality Check.

12:16 The first signs of the fudge

Boris Johnson is making his statement, and appears to be back-tracking. He says there is no reason to invoke Article 50 (the mechanism for leaving the EU), and says Britain will continue to be a great European power. Does this hark back to his earlier claim that the referendum would be a means of bargaining further with Brussels. He also says "We cannot turn out backs on Europe". So in just what sense is he anticipating the UK should Leave? This is getting bizarre! I imagine it is the start of the huge political fudge that will enable the referendum to be described with all the "independence day" rhetoric, but nothing will actually change.

12:30 Sturgeon pledges or give effect to Scottish vote

Head of the SNP, Nicola Sturgeon, says in a televised statement that she will take "all possible steps to give effect to how Scotland voted." As Scotland voted strongly to Remain, it seems a second independence referendum is likely to be called.

12:40 Brits waited until Thursday night to research what Brexit means

Not sure whether to laugh or cry at this one. It seems Brits waited until the polls were closing to actually research what would happen if they leave the EU. I mean, they have gone through months of campaigning, then wait until it's too late to find out what they are really voting for?

13:10 More fraying around the edges

It's common in politics to make pledges in the manifesto and promises on the campaign trail that somehow disappear once the election is won.

One key claim of the Leave campaign was that exiting the EU would free up 350 million pounds a week, which could be spent on the NHS. Now, no one who's been around the block a few times is really going to believe that would happen, but usually politicians quietly slide such promises under the carpet, but Nigel Farage is already saying this pledge was a mistake.

Whatever next?

14:00 Where did it all go wrong?

When the referendum was called, it looked pretty certain that Remain would win. But somehow that was eroded and a deep and wide trench of Euro-scepticism opened which drew in people from all areas of the political compass.

However, maybe the mind-set for a Brexit had been in the pipeline ever since the UK joined the EU. Economist Vicky Pryce explains why we really shouldn't be surprised at the result.

Brexit: Greek born British economist Vicky Price

But there it is, and that's how it went. As people on the streets start to get over the shock. In Brussels, it's more of a major earthquake than a shock. Germany, France and the UK were the powerhouses of the EU - so that will have to change. Treaties will have to be re-written to remove the UK and incorporate any necessary alterations. That will open the door for the remaining 27 to start squabbling about what exactly these treaties should say, and if you remember how long all that took the first time round, I can't imagine anyone is much looking forward to that. Jack Parrock has been walking the corridors of EU power.

Dieses Element ist nicht mehr verfügbar

14.20 If you can't stand the heat...

There's a British saying "If you can't stand the heat, get out of the kitchen" - and that seems to be what people are considering, now the effects of the result are starting to be felt.

Hashtags #WhatHaveWeDone and #ashamedtobebritish are trending.

14.50 Market reactions

The NYSE will open shortly, and if the market reactions so far are anything to go by, it will probably get worse for the UK before it gets better. CNN has rounded up the key points for the financial markets.

15.05 All the EU's fault?

Attac is blaming the result of the UK referendum on the EU elites, and are calling on the EU to reform and become more relevant for its citizens.

Brexit: Die EU Eliten sind verantwortlich

15:30 Hunters turning hunted

In a curious turnaround from the last few days, when everyone in the European Union was desperate for the UK to vote Remain, now it seems they can't wait to get rid of Britain.

On the other hand, the Leave campaign seem to be stepping on the brakes as hard as they can. Mr Johnson in his own words:

Here is the actual interview in which Nigel Farage said the promise about 350 million pounds for the National Health Service was a "mistake".

What was that he said at the end? "Maybe re-engaging with the Commonwealth"? How about reinstating the British Empire? This article in the New Statesman clarifies that Commonwealth countries are interested in Britain precisely because it is IN the EU, and offers access to the European markets.

16:45 Just to cap it all...

It's been a long and dramatic day, and we're winding down in the Reality Check team. I leave you with some Trump reaction as reported in the Washington Post.

If that doesn't make your hair curl, nothing will!