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EU referendum: Pro-Brexit MEP admits free movement of labour may not end – live EU referendum: Pro-Brexit MEP admits free movement of labour may not end – live
(35 minutes later)
10.34am BST
10:34
Homebuyers spooked by the UK’s decision to leave the EU are pulling out of deals or attempting to renegotiate prices, according to property professionals, as the housing market suffers Brexit vote aftershocks.
One property developer in central London, which had offered a “Brexit clause” allowing nervous buyers to pull out of deals in the event of a leave vote said it was allowing buyers to withdraw and keep their deposits.
David Humbles, managing director of the luxury Two Fifty One development, said:
We can confirm that a few purchasers have decided not to proceed given the uncertainty of the market.
However, the majority are continuing with their purchase and the marketing strategy to offer the pledge at the launch was a worthwhile exercise.
We have a story on it developments here
10.31am BST
10:31
Hopefully, those European diplomats taking part in today’s crucial talks about the future of the EU and Britain’s relationship with hit are operating with out a hangover. We missed this tweet last night from the German Foreign Office
We are off now to an Irish pub to get decently drunk. And from tomorrow on we will again work for a better #Europe! Promised! #EURef 🇪🇺
10.25am BST
10:25
Ben Quinn
Leading leave campaigners are coming under fire after appearing to row back on key pledges made during the EU referendum campaign, less than 24 hours after the UK voted for Brexit.
The latest focus is on immigration after the Tory MEP Daniel Hannan told the BBC: “Frankly, if people watching think that they have voted and there is now going to be zero immigration from the EU, they are going to be disappointed.”
Here’s some reaction to that:
Daniel Hannan has the most bare faced cheek I've seen in a politician: he knew before Thursday how his imigration promise was being heard
With Nigel Farage dismissing Leave's NHS pledge and Dan Hannan saying immigration won't fall, Britain realises it's voted for bendy bananas.
With hours of the result on Friday morning, the Ukip leader, Nigel Farage, had distanced himself from the claim that £350m of EU contributions could instead be spent on the NHS.
On another front, Liam Fox has cast doubt on the necessity of triggering the article 50 clause of the Lisbon treaty that sets out the legal process for a country’s EU withdrawal.
“A lot of things were said in advance of this referendum that we might want to think about again and that [invoking article 50] is one of them,” said the Conservative MP.
10.08am BST
10:08
Aides close to Jeremy Corbyn deny that he is on the verge of resigning in a speech which the Labour Party leader is due to give in just under an hour.
But not everyone is convinced. Isabel Hardman of the Spectator says in a blog that rumours have been sweeping the party overnight that Corbyn will use the event to step down and hand over the reins to John McDonnell, “who has been on manoeuvres for months.”
She adds:
There must be recognition in the Corbyn team that the situation is pretty precarious.
The lengthy Shadow Cabinet meeting yesterday wasn’t as furious as some other parts of the parliamentary Labour party might have hoped, but some members are discussing resigning en masse to trigger a change at the top of the party.
‘The trouble is, we’re all a bit worried that just one of us will go, look over our shoulder and then see that no-one is charging with us,’ says one Shadow Secretary of State.
George Eaton of the New Statesman tweets:
Labour MPs tell me of rumours that Corbyn will announce that he's standing down in speech. But ally says "utter bollocks".
The pressure continues on the Labour leader however. Ann Coffey, a Labour MP who is backing a no confidence motion in him, told the BBC a little earlier:
The result of the referendum was a disastrous result for us and the leadership must bear a share of the responsibility for that.
It was a lacklustre campaign, it didn’t contain a strong enough message and the leader himself appeared half-hearted about it.
Updated
at 10.17am BST
9.48am BST9.48am BST
09:4809:48
Don’t adjust your screen now. Here’s Ian Paisley Junior, son of the founder of the Democratic Unionist Party, advising his constituents and others to take up the opportunity of securing an Irish passport.Don’t adjust your screen now. Here’s Ian Paisley Junior, son of the founder of the Democratic Unionist Party, advising his constituents and others to take up the opportunity of securing an Irish passport.
My advice is if you are entitled to second passport then take one. I sign off lots of applications for constituents https://t.co/oWoiVIFF8AMy advice is if you are entitled to second passport then take one. I sign off lots of applications for constituents https://t.co/oWoiVIFF8A
Under the terms of the 1998 Belfast Agreement – sometimes known as the Good Friday Agreement – anyone born in Northern Ireland has the right to be citizens of both the United Kingdom and Ireland.Under the terms of the 1998 Belfast Agreement – sometimes known as the Good Friday Agreement – anyone born in Northern Ireland has the right to be citizens of both the United Kingdom and Ireland.
In the wake of the Brexit vote, which was supported by a minority of Northern Ireland voters, there have been reports of a small surge in the number of people there applying for Irish passports, including in areas with a high number of unionist voters.In the wake of the Brexit vote, which was supported by a minority of Northern Ireland voters, there have been reports of a small surge in the number of people there applying for Irish passports, including in areas with a high number of unionist voters.
What would Ian Paisley senior, who died in September 2014, make of the post referendum landscape?What would Ian Paisley senior, who died in September 2014, make of the post referendum landscape?
You can read more here about the uncertainty in Northern Ireland following the result:You can read more here about the uncertainty in Northern Ireland following the result:
Related: Northern Ireland secretary rejects Sinn Féin call for border pollRelated: Northern Ireland secretary rejects Sinn Féin call for border poll
UpdatedUpdated
at 9.52am BSTat 9.52am BST
9.39am BST9.39am BST
09:3909:39
EU diplomat meets for emergency talks over Brexit
Diplomats from the European Union’s six founding member states are meeting for emergency talks in Berlin as Europe’s governments and institutions scrambled to respond to Britain’s momentous decision to leave the bloc.Diplomats from the European Union’s six founding member states are meeting for emergency talks in Berlin as Europe’s governments and institutions scrambled to respond to Britain’s momentous decision to leave the bloc.
The foreign ministers of France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Italy and Luxembourg were convened by their German counterpart Frank-Walter Steinmeier, who warned it was vital that the bloc see the shock Brexit vote, by 52%-48%, as a wakeup call.The foreign ministers of France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Italy and Luxembourg were convened by their German counterpart Frank-Walter Steinmeier, who warned it was vital that the bloc see the shock Brexit vote, by 52%-48%, as a wakeup call.
EU politicians must listen “to the expectations of the European governments, but also to the expectations of the people”, Steinmeier said, but cautioned against rash decisions.EU politicians must listen “to the expectations of the European governments, but also to the expectations of the people”, Steinmeier said, but cautioned against rash decisions.
“It’s totally clear that in times like these one should neither be hysterical, nor fall into paralysis,” he said as the talks began.“It’s totally clear that in times like these one should neither be hysterical, nor fall into paralysis,” he said as the talks began.
Read on here:Read on here:
Related: EU meets for emergency talks over BrexitRelated: EU meets for emergency talks over Brexit
Updated
at 10.10am BST
9.29am BST9.29am BST
09:2909:29
The vote to leave the European Union has “destroyed” five years of work by the coalition government, according to the wife of former deputy prime minister and Liberal Democrat leader, Nick Clegg.The vote to leave the European Union has “destroyed” five years of work by the coalition government, according to the wife of former deputy prime minister and Liberal Democrat leader, Nick Clegg.
Miriam Gonzalez Durante said she was frustrated by the referendum result, which she believes will have far-reaching consequences for the economy and legal system.Miriam Gonzalez Durante said she was frustrated by the referendum result, which she believes will have far-reaching consequences for the economy and legal system.
Gonzalez Durantez, a partner at the law firm Dechert, told the BBC:Gonzalez Durantez, a partner at the law firm Dechert, told the BBC:
It’s a decision that has made me deeply sad really, I feel deeply sad that this country is no more part of the European Union family. Very worried, worried about the economic consequences of it that we have already started to see.It’s a decision that has made me deeply sad really, I feel deeply sad that this country is no more part of the European Union family. Very worried, worried about the economic consequences of it that we have already started to see.
Worried about the enormous legal instability and uncertainty that it creates towards the future and at a personal level also quite a lot of frustration to see that all the work that had gone into the country for the last five years and the personal effort, and political cost also, has gone overnight - in almost 12 months all destroyed.Worried about the enormous legal instability and uncertainty that it creates towards the future and at a personal level also quite a lot of frustration to see that all the work that had gone into the country for the last five years and the personal effort, and political cost also, has gone overnight - in almost 12 months all destroyed.
And above everything else very worried about the fact that this looks now like a country with very deep divisions with communities that do not seem to be able right now to dream of a common future so I think that for me is one of the first priorities.”And above everything else very worried about the fact that this looks now like a country with very deep divisions with communities that do not seem to be able right now to dream of a common future so I think that for me is one of the first priorities.”
Gonzalez Durantez was a staunch remain supporter alongside her husband, who resigned as leader of the Liberal Democrats after the party was soundly beaten at the general election last year.Gonzalez Durantez was a staunch remain supporter alongside her husband, who resigned as leader of the Liberal Democrats after the party was soundly beaten at the general election last year.
9.19am BST9.19am BST
09:1909:19
City of London may lose 'passport' - ECB council memberCity of London may lose 'passport' - ECB council member
The City of London is at risk of losing its prized “EU passport”, according to a European Central Bank Governing Council member, who added that Brexit talks must be carried out quickly to limit uncertainties.The City of London is at risk of losing its prized “EU passport”, according to a European Central Bank Governing Council member, who added that Brexit talks must be carried out quickly to limit uncertainties.
The City of London will not be able to keep that passport if Britain leaves the EU’s single market of trade in goods and services, Francois Villeroy de Galhau told France Inter radio.The City of London will not be able to keep that passport if Britain leaves the EU’s single market of trade in goods and services, Francois Villeroy de Galhau told France Inter radio.
“There is a precedent, it is the Norwegian model of European Economic Area, that would allow Britain to keep access to the single market but by committing to implement all EU rules,” he said.“There is a precedent, it is the Norwegian model of European Economic Area, that would allow Britain to keep access to the single market but by committing to implement all EU rules,” he said.
“It would be a bit paradoxical to leave the EU and apply all EU rules but that is one solution if Britain wants to keep access to the single market.”“It would be a bit paradoxical to leave the EU and apply all EU rules but that is one solution if Britain wants to keep access to the single market.”
The passport system has helped give access to the EU’s vast market to non-EU banks working from the City of London. The UK accounts for more than 2m of the EU’s 11m financial services jobs, according to lobby group TheCityUK.The passport system has helped give access to the EU’s vast market to non-EU banks working from the City of London. The UK accounts for more than 2m of the EU’s 11m financial services jobs, according to lobby group TheCityUK.
The financial sector is a significant part of Britain’s economy and big contributor to tax receipts. Financial services account for about 12% of GDP - more than manufacturing.The financial sector is a significant part of Britain’s economy and big contributor to tax receipts. Financial services account for about 12% of GDP - more than manufacturing.
But there are fears big investment banks that have made London their European base could now re-locate to cities such as Dublin and Frankfurt.But there are fears big investment banks that have made London their European base could now re-locate to cities such as Dublin and Frankfurt.
UpdatedUpdated
at 9.54am BSTat 9.54am BST
9.10am BST9.10am BST
09:1009:10
Claire PhippsClaire Phipps
I’m handing over the live blog to my colleague Ben Quinn now. Stick with us: it’s a busy Saturday.I’m handing over the live blog to my colleague Ben Quinn now. Stick with us: it’s a busy Saturday.
Thanks for reading and for all your comments so far.Thanks for reading and for all your comments so far.
UpdatedUpdated
at 9.21am BSTat 9.21am BST
9.06am BST9.06am BST
09:0609:06
The petition calling on parliament to trigger a second referendum – arguing that the rules should be changed to require 60% of the vote for victory – has now topped 800,000 signatures.The petition calling on parliament to trigger a second referendum – arguing that the rules should be changed to require 60% of the vote for victory – has now topped 800,000 signatures.
The 100,000-signature mark ensured it would be considered for a debate in the Commons – although it’s not a foregone conclusion that it would be approved for debate, and is an even more remote prospect that it would win Commons support.The 100,000-signature mark ensured it would be considered for a debate in the Commons – although it’s not a foregone conclusion that it would be approved for debate, and is an even more remote prospect that it would win Commons support.
Not remotely coincidentally, the map of petition-signers shows a big concentration in London, where voters opted overwhelmingly to remain in the EU.Not remotely coincidentally, the map of petition-signers shows a big concentration in London, where voters opted overwhelmingly to remain in the EU.
Just out of interest, the gap between leave and remain in the referendum was 1,269,501 votes.Just out of interest, the gap between leave and remain in the referendum was 1,269,501 votes.
8.58am BST8.58am BST
08:5808:58
Further to that mini round-up of Labour MPs writing about the aftermath of Brexit, here’s a column in the Guardian from John Mann, who backed leave. He says the result is a wake-up call for his party:Further to that mini round-up of Labour MPs writing about the aftermath of Brexit, here’s a column in the Guardian from John Mann, who backed leave. He says the result is a wake-up call for his party:
The Labour party in Westminster struggled to reflect the language and aspirations of our traditional working-class communities. These Labour voters, aware of the long-term neglect of their voice and their aspirations, decided the result of the referendum.The Labour party in Westminster struggled to reflect the language and aspirations of our traditional working-class communities. These Labour voters, aware of the long-term neglect of their voice and their aspirations, decided the result of the referendum.
It should be no surprise to anyone that they chose to comfortably ignore the Labour call to vote remain.It should be no surprise to anyone that they chose to comfortably ignore the Labour call to vote remain.
The national campaign washed over their heads. Instead they discussed and decided their views in the workplace, in the community and at home. With an extraordinary consensus, working-class Britain voted to leave.The national campaign washed over their heads. Instead they discussed and decided their views in the workplace, in the community and at home. With an extraordinary consensus, working-class Britain voted to leave.
8.54am BST8.54am BST
08:5408:54
The hurriedly convened meeting in Berlin today brings together the foreign ministers from the European Union’s original six founding nations: Germany, France, the Netherlands, Italy, Belgium and Luxembourg.The hurriedly convened meeting in Berlin today brings together the foreign ministers from the European Union’s original six founding nations: Germany, France, the Netherlands, Italy, Belgium and Luxembourg.
The meeting was called by German foreign minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier, who said EU politicians needed to heed “the expectations of the European governments but also to the expectations of the people”.The meeting was called by German foreign minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier, who said EU politicians needed to heed “the expectations of the European governments but also to the expectations of the people”.
On the issue of whether the UK ought to be working its way out of the EU swiftly, Steinmeier said:On the issue of whether the UK ought to be working its way out of the EU swiftly, Steinmeier said:
It’s totally clear that in times like these one should neither be hysterical nor fall into paralysis.It’s totally clear that in times like these one should neither be hysterical nor fall into paralysis.
UpdatedUpdated
at 8.55am BSTat 8.55am BST
8.42am BST8.42am BST
08:4208:42
As the Tory party scrambles to get its potential new leaders in place – see the frontrunners here – Labour is also doing some soul-searching about the Brexit result.As the Tory party scrambles to get its potential new leaders in place – see the frontrunners here – Labour is also doing some soul-searching about the Brexit result.
Jeremy Corbyn will make a speech later today; we’ll cover it on the live blog.Jeremy Corbyn will make a speech later today; we’ll cover it on the live blog.
Yvette Cooper writes in the Mirror this morning that it’s time to “roll up our sleeves and pull our country together”:Yvette Cooper writes in the Mirror this morning that it’s time to “roll up our sleeves and pull our country together”:
Let’s be honest, Labour needs to get its act together too. We’ve always believed in international cooperation, but we didn’t convince people in our industrial towns or coalfield communities that there would be a better future staying in Europe, nor were Labour’s answers on immigration convincing. That’s why so many people voted out.Let’s be honest, Labour needs to get its act together too. We’ve always believed in international cooperation, but we didn’t convince people in our industrial towns or coalfield communities that there would be a better future staying in Europe, nor were Labour’s answers on immigration convincing. That’s why so many people voted out.
I’ve long called for sensible immigration reform. And that’s what we should be setting out in a calm and serious way. It’s not enough for Labour to be a party for the big cities – now, more than ever, the Labour leadership needs to speak for the whole country.I’ve long called for sensible immigration reform. And that’s what we should be setting out in a calm and serious way. It’s not enough for Labour to be a party for the big cities – now, more than ever, the Labour leadership needs to speak for the whole country.
Chuka Umunna writes in the i that Labour leadership – he doesn’t mention Corbyn by name, but come on: he means Corbyn – “was sadly lacking” during the referendum campaign:Chuka Umunna writes in the i that Labour leadership – he doesn’t mention Corbyn by name, but come on: he means Corbyn – “was sadly lacking” during the referendum campaign:
Our main striker often wasn’t on the pitch, and when he was, he failed to put the ball into the net.Our main striker often wasn’t on the pitch, and when he was, he failed to put the ball into the net.
And he says Labour has a responsibility to hold the Brexiters to the promises they made:And he says Labour has a responsibility to hold the Brexiters to the promises they made:
It will be the constitutional duty of the opposition to hold the new prime minister’s feet to the fire on all these commitments and hold them to account for their delivery. In truth, the manifesto of the winning candidate of the forthcoming Tory leadership contest has, in effect, already been written by the Vote Leave campaign. To some extent, it has been co-authored by Ukip, many of whose arguments Vote Leave ended up echoing.It will be the constitutional duty of the opposition to hold the new prime minister’s feet to the fire on all these commitments and hold them to account for their delivery. In truth, the manifesto of the winning candidate of the forthcoming Tory leadership contest has, in effect, already been written by the Vote Leave campaign. To some extent, it has been co-authored by Ukip, many of whose arguments Vote Leave ended up echoing.
UpdatedUpdated
at 8.55am BSTat 8.55am BST
8.28am BST
08:28
No change to Le Touquet accord, France says
Angelique Chrisafis
France’s deal with Britain that keeps border checks – and thousands of refugees and migrants – on the French side of the Channel will not change because of the Brexit vote, the French government has said.
Under a bilateral treaty signed in 2003 known as the Le Touquet accord, British officials can check passports in France and vice versa. This means the English border is effectively pushed back to France, and thousands of migrants and refugees trying to reach Britain remain stuck in a no-man’s land at makeshift camps in Calais and on France’s northern coast.
After the UK’s vote to leave the European Union, some French politicians on the right called for a renegotiation of the accord in order to push the border back to the English coast.
Natacha Bouchart, the right’s mayor of Calais, told French broadcaster BFM TV: “The British must take on the consequences of their choice.” She said France would be in “a strong position” after the Brexit vote to review the accord.
Xavier Bertrand, the right’s leader of the Hauts-de-France region, which includes Calais, tweeted: “The English wanted to take back their freedom, they must take back their border.”
But the French government dismissed any change to the border deal with Britain. Because the Le Touquet accord is between France and Britain directly and not linked to the European Union, there is no automatic need to renegotiate the deal.
“On the question of immigration, to be clear, British exit from the European Union will not lead to changes in terms of immigration treaties with United Kingdom … These are bilateral treaties,” said the government spokesman and agriculture minister Stephane Le Foll.
The French foreign minister Jean-Marc Ayrault dismissed outright any calls for renegotiation of the Le Touquet accord. “Would that also mean putting in place boats for people who otherwise risk drowning? I think we should be serious,” he said in a TV interview.
Ayrault said other bilateral immigration treaties would also remain in place. He said additional important agreements between France and Britain, such as the 2010 Lancaster House defence and security treaties, would also be maintained.
8.22am BST
08:22
Jeremy Corbyn has cancelled a planned appearance at the Glastonbury festival today and will make a speech in London instead.
Labour MP Frank Field this morning said his party leader should use the speech to announce his departure.
But Corbyn told Channel 4 News last night that he would not be resigning:
No, I’m carrying on.
I’m making the case for unity, I’m making the case of what Labour can offer to Britain, of decent housing for people, of good secure jobs for people, of trade with Europe and of course with other parts of the world. Because if we don’t get the trade issue right we’ve got a real problem in this country.
Labour MP Margaret Hodge yesterday submitted a no-confidence motion against Corbyn, asking for it to be discussed at the next meeting of the parliamentary Labour party on Monday, with a vote the following day.
8.10am BST
08:10
Free movement of Labour may not end - Brexit MEP
The appearance of pro-Brexit Tory MEP Daniel Hannan on BBC’s Newsnight on Friday night is causing some indignation.
After Nigel Farage’s admission on Friday morning that the official Leave campaign claim that it could spend money recouped from Europe on the NHS was “a mistake”, Hannan told the BBC that Brexit would not necessarily end free movement of Labour. Newsnight presenter Evan Davis was a bit taken aback, given the core immigration message of the leave campaign:
.@evanHD isn't happy with this potential change of tone on freedom of movement...#brexit #newsnight https://t.co/VKnfMz70ke
Hannan later professed surprise at the reaction but was greeted with similar scepticism by ITV News’ Europe editor, James Mates:
@DanHannanMEP I suspect they may be raging at you cos yr Leave campaign clearly said it did. Was there a false prospectus being offered?
Updated
at 9.30am BST
7.55am BST
07:55
Anti-Brexit protests
Hundreds of people took part in protests on Friday evening in Scotland – where 62% of voters wanted to remain in the EU – Press Association reports:
Demonstrators took to the streets of Edinburgh and Glasgow to show their support for migrants and protest against the “torrent of racism” they say was “unleashed” during the referendum campaign.
In Edinburgh, protesters gathered outside the Scottish parliament, where a number of speakers addressed the crowds. A similar demonstration took place in Glasgow’s George Square.
The demonstration – reportedly organised by National Campaign Against Fees and Cuts Scotland, Scotland Against Criminalising Communities and Scottish Labour Young Socialists – took place just hours after first minister Nicola Sturgeon said a second vote on Scottish independence is “highly likely”.
One protester, Tara Berserker, said she favoured a second referendum on independence:
I was for independence the first time around and quite a few of my friends voted against it because they were afraid Scotland would be kicked out of the EU. Now we’re not EU any more, so the only way is for Scotland to be independent.
A group of young people also demonstrated outside the gates of Downing Street on Friday, saying they felt they had been “robbed” of their futures.
Paddy Baker, 21, told Press Association:
This vote was too close to go through. Older people voted for this, but we are the ones who are going to feel the ramifications. I am going to feel the ramifications for the rest of my life.
It was a real shame that the 16 and 17-year-olds were not allowed to vote, as they were in the Scottish referendum.
7.46am BST
07:46
UK front pages
The Guardian
Tomorrow's Guardian pic.twitter.com/Si8XN43c1q
The Times
THE TIMES: Brexit earthquake #tomorrowspaperstoday #bbcpapers pic.twitter.com/fnO0JT9Zf7
The Telegraph
TELEGRAPH: Birth of a new Britain #tomorrowspaperstoday #bbcpapers pic.twitter.com/FHi5zgxEBX
The National
After the madness of the EU vote ...are we ready for indyref2. Hell, yes. Last front page of a tumultuous week pic.twitter.com/wfdbmu9hEn
The Express
DAILY EXPRESS: We're out of the EU #tomorrowspaperstoday #bbcpapers pic.twitter.com/uo1QEPtckm
The Daily Mirror
Tomorrow's front page: So what the hell happens now? #tomorrowspaperstoday #EURefResults https://t.co/YsDSms51bC pic.twitter.com/ecVZf1lM17
The Sun
SUN EXCLUSIVE: Why should I do the hard s**t? #tomorrowspaperstoday #bbcpapers pic.twitter.com/HW4vmOjGoU
The Daily Mail
DAILY MAIL HISTORIC EDITION: Take a bow, Britain! #tomorrowspaperstoday #bbcpapers pic.twitter.com/VpurBk5KXo
The Scottish Daily Mail
SCOTTISH DAILY MAIL: Disunited Kingdom #tomorrowspaperstoday #bbcpapers pic.twitter.com/ZVm2nyxdyh
7.41am BST
07:41
World front pages
The New Yorker
(With its own independence day publication date…)
An early look at next week's cover, “Silly Walk Off a Cliff,” by Barry Blitt: https://t.co/brZjcbpbbZ pic.twitter.com/LJ1kZjABpg
Libération
A la une de @libe ce week-end : «Good luck»https://t.co/BPDFO3GN03 pic.twitter.com/fDEMEFfPZK
Der Spiegel
Im neuen #SPIEGEL: Welche Folgen hat der #Brexit für Europa? Download hier https://t.co/IHtP9VNc7O, morgen am Kiosk. pic.twitter.com/mJ0bNtQNGp
Bild
BILD: OUTsch! #tomorrowspaperstoday #bbcpapers pic.twitter.com/BSGNu8LakF
The International New York Times
INT NEW YORK TIMES: Britain stuns world with EU exit vote #tomorrowspaperstoday #bbcpapers pic.twitter.com/SkrI5jRmfL
The Australian
8pages of #Brexit coverage, analysis; ALP groundswell not enough to win #ausvotes all in bumper weekend @australian pic.twitter.com/EKoUH9OrAy
7.39am BST
07:39
Philip Oltermann
“OUTsch” read the front-page headline on Germany’s mass-market tabloid Bild:
We had hope until the end. All in vain. Brexit is coming. In Britain Germany is losing one of its most important partners in the EU. Europe, already shaken by one crises after another, now has a new catastrophe. The continent is looking ahead to months, maybe years of uncertainty.
On a more cheerful note, the tabloid also ran a satirical “Brefugees welcome” campaign, inviting British emigres to Germany:
Brit happens? Luckily there is German welcoming culture. You can be sure of one thing: if you are leaving your island because of Brexit, your adorably eccentric nature will guarantee you a welcoming home in Germany.
7.28am BST
07:28
Frank Field says Corbyn should resign
Labour MP Frank Field has been on the Today programme. He is a leave campaigner and wants to talk about what the Brexit result means. But he also thinks his party leader, Jeremy Corbyn, should step down.
He says Corbyn has some good messages but he
packages this with serious claptrap.
The Trident policy is an example, Field says. He goes on:
He clearly isn’t the right person to actually lead the party into the next election. Nobody thinks he will actually win.
Field says he would “very much like him” to announce his resignation in a speech the Labour leader is making today.
Pressed on who should take over, should Corbyn be ousted, Field says:
I actually can’t give you the answer to that.
Our activist base was changed … [they] are very clearly in favour of someone like Jeremy.
We don’t want the same old claptrap from the Blairites either.
He says Labour needs “someone the public think of as an alternative prime minister”.
7.14am BST
07:14
What is article 50?
This might be a helpful thing to know over the coming hours/days/weeks/months/years. (Please not years.)
Article 50 is the clause in the Lisbon Treaty that sets out the legal process for any country notifying the European Union that it intends to withdraw.
Once notification is given, negotiations must be concluded within two years. Any extension to that timetable would require the agreement of all EU members.
David Cameron, announcing that he will resign by October, has said he will not trigger article 50 but will leave it in the hands of his successor.
Once the button is pushed, the two-year countdown starts. During this time, the UK remains a member of the EU.
When the two years are up, if agreements are not concluded – and if the rest of the EU doesn’t grant an extension – Britain must revert to world trade organisation terms. Which means tariffs will be imposed.
Boris Johnson and Michael Gove, the leaders of the leavers, agree that there is no need to press go on article 50 right away. Jeremy Corbyn yesterday said it ought to happen right away.
But the presidents of the European council and commission, Donald Tusk and Jean-Claude Juncker, said the EU would expect Britain to act “as soon as possible, however painful the process may be”.
6.41am BST
06:41
Morning briefing
Claire Phipps
Hello and welcome to the morning after the day before.
After a seismic Friday – and with the dust far from settling – we’ll be liveblogging our way through the weekend to capture all the developments, the fallouts and the what-happens-next questions.
Do come and chat in the comments below or find me on Twitter @Claire_Phipps.
The big picture
Or rather, the big question: what happens next? For a thorough overview of the next steps, and who decides what, this walkthrough by the Guardian’s diplomatic editor Patrick Wintour is a must-read.
And immediately? European Union leaders are saying Britain should get a move on; Brexiteers Boris Johnson and Michael Gove are saying there’s really no rush; and David Cameron has said he won’t trigger article 50 of the Lisbon treaty (which starts that two-year clock ticking) but will leave that to his successor. Whoever that might be.
The vote to leave the EU sent the pound to its lowest level since 1985 on Friday and at one point wiped £120bn off the value of Britain’s leading shares. Credit ratings agency Standard and Poor’s warned that Britain’s AAA credit rating was at risk, and Moody’s cut its outlook on the UK’s long-term debt from stable to negative. Estimates on Friday night said Brexit had wiped out over $2tn of value on markets worldwide.
The president of the European parliament, Martin Schulz, said the announcement by Cameron that the big red button on article 50 would not be pushed until a new prime minister was in place “must not be the last word”:
A whole continent is taken hostage because of an internal fight in the Tory party. I doubt it is only in the hands of the government of the United Kingdom. We have to take note of this unilateral declaration that they want to wait until October, but that must not be the last word.
The president of the European commission, Jean-Claude Juncker, agreed:
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.
Today, foreign ministers from France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Italy and Luxembourg will meet in Berlin at the invitation of their German counterpart Frank-Walter Steinmeier, to take part in an emergency chinwag. And Matteo Renzi, the Italian prime minister who wrote passionately in the Guardian for Britain to stay in the EU, flies to Paris today to discuss the fallout with French president François Hollande.
The diplomatic flurry comes ahead of Monday’s meeting in Berlin between German chancellor Angela Merkel, Hollande and Renzi, along with European council president, Donald Tusk. The 28 EU commissioners – including the UK commissioner, Jonathan Hill – are expected to meet in Brussels on Monday.
Tuesday brings David Cameron – now Britain’s outgoing prime minister – to Brussels for a two-day summit with EU leaders. Which won’t be too awkward, I’m sure.
The Scottish cabinet also holds an emergency gathering this morning in Edinburgh, after first minister Nicola Sturgeon said she would “explore all options” following the result in Scotland, where every authority voted to remain in the EU.
Sturgeon said on Friday that a second independence referendum was now “highly likely” and this morning’s meeting – expect a statement later – might be the first step towards that, despite opposition from some including Scottish Tory leader Ruth Davidson, who said it was “not in the best interests of Scotland”.
Hundreds of people protested in Edinburgh and Glasgow on Friday evening, as Scotland looked to be (like the rest of the UK) on the brink of leaving the EU, despite voting (unlike most of the rest of the UK) in favour of staying by 62% to 38%.
You should also know:
Poll position
If you don’t know the result by now, well, you’re still very welcome here. But we’ll move on. A petition to parliament to trigger a second referendum – arguing that the rules should be changed to require 60% of the vote for victory – has busted through 500,000 signatures. That means it will now be considered for a debate in the Commons. But I’m going to go out on a limb here and say we won’t be having another EU referendum any time soon.
A separate Change.org petition to mayor Sadiq Khan to declare independence for London – which voted resoundingly to stay in the EU – has passed 100,000 signatures. And there’s even a hashtag, #londependence, so you should definitely take it seriously.
Diary
Read these: on Brexit
This is dipping barely a tip of a toenail into the pool of stories out there today, but here’s a selection.
John Cassidy in the New Yorker examines why the remainers failed to carry off a win:
Looking ahead, the fate of the Remain campaign should serve as a reminder of the limits of negative campaigning – a reminder that Hillary Clinton would do well to take note of as she goes up against Donald Trump. In confronting populist demagoguery, it isn’t enough to attack its promulgators. To get people to turn out and vote in your favour, you also have to give them something positive to rally behind.
The Leave campaign, for all its lies and disinformation, provided just such a lure. It claimed that liberating Britain from the shackles of the EU would enable it to reclaim its former glory. The Remain side argued, in effect, that while the EU isn’t great, Britain would be even worse off without it. That turned out to be a losing story.
Janice Turner in the Times writes about the voters who wanted out – and says more people should have been doing so before today:
Free movement suits big business, which benefits from cheap, limitless labour; it suits a young, educated cosmopolitan workforce; it suits our now-stymied children who long to study abroad; it suits me. But try selling it in poor provincial towns to people who may not even have a passport; those who feel no benefits from this shiny fast-flowing global world; who are lectured by all parties about the GDP benefits of migration while their own wages are undercut.
That towns with the fewest migrants fear immigration most is always seen as a measure of working-class stupidity. But in a diverse city, migrants are just a few extra pixels in the frame; in a small town they are a distinct event, a challenge to a fragile identity. And identity – as we have seen – is not a phantasm but a banner that people are prepared to risk economic destruction to protect.
On which theme, do take a moment for John Harris’ excellent read: “If you’ve got money, you vote in … if you haven’t got money, you vote out.”
Spectator editor Fraser Nelson writes in the Wall Street Journal that Brexit is “a very British revolution”:
The Brexit battle lines ought to be familiar: they are similar to the socioeconomic battles being fought throughout so many Western democracies. It is the jet-set graduates versus the working class, the metropolitans versus the bumpkins—and, above all, the winners of globalisation against its losers. Politicians, ever obsessed about the future, can tend to regard those left unprotected in our increasingly interconnected age as artifacts of the past. In fact, the losers of globalisation are, by definition, as new as globalisation itself.
To see such worries as resurgent nationalism is to oversimplify. The nation-state is a social construct: Done properly, it is the glue that binds society together. In Europe, the losers of globalisation are seeking the protection of their nation-states, not a remote and unresponsive European superstate. They see the economy developing in ways that aren’t to their advantage and look to their governments to lend a helping hand – or at least attempt to control immigration. No EU country can honestly claim to control European immigration, and there is no prospect of this changing: These are the facts that led to Brexit.
Read these: on David Cameron
It’s a funny day when the resignation of a prime minister isn’t your first headline, but these are indeed funny days.
Jordan Weissmann in Slate says Cameron will go down as one of Britain’s worst prime ministers:
Theoretically, Britain does not have to go through with this idiocy. The referendum is not legally binding. David Cameron doesn’t have to push his country off a cliff, just because voters thought it might be fun. But he seems determined to do so anyway.
Whereas William Hague in the Telegraph says he’ll be remembered as one of the greats:
Resented by some for his success, as well as for his changes to his party and his ability to make his work seem effortless, he will now be extremely difficult to replace … The result is that the United Kingdom has lost a remarkable and successful prime minister. He is a sufficiently well balanced man that we do not need to worry for him. But we do need to worry about who can combine such qualities and command such success in an even tougher decade to come.
Away from the polarising assessments, this Guardian report shows how the prime minister’s night unfolded as victory seemed first attainable, and then impossible:
Cameron was intending to announce a ‘life chances’ strategy in the coming days in an attempt to cement a legacy as a moderniser, not as a leader known for dividing his party and the country over Europe …
Cameron, who had grabbed a couple of hours of sleep by breakfast time, is understood to have taken the bad news for remain in a pragmatic way. He was ready for the prospect of resigning and one source said he did not speak to Gove or to Johnson before taking the decision to step down.
Baffling claim of the day
Courtesy of Ken Livingstone – once again unable to resist an intervention – who gifted us this terribly unsettling image of the campaign:
It was like the whole of the media was obsessed by this sort of struggle between Cameron and Johnson as they gnawed away at each other’s testicles.
The day in a tweet
Look what's number three right now... pic.twitter.com/anddyG2KnM
If today were a film ...
It would be The Hangover.
And another thing
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