24 June 2016 - UK votes for Brexit, David Cameron resigns
Jennifer Rankinin and Philip Oltermann (The Guardian, 24/06/2016)
The UK’s unprecedented decision to quit the European Union plunged the 28-state bloc into the deepest crisis in its history, a seismic detonation that could yet topple the entire project.
Results showing that Britons had voted to reject 43 years of EU membership raised immediate questions of whether other member states might follow suit – and whether the political alliance known for 70 years simply as “the west” could remain intact.
Germany’s foreign minister, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, was one of the first to react, calling the result “truly sobering”. “It looks like a sad day for Europe and the United Kingdom.”
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Consequences
Liam Young (The Independent, 24/06/2016)
Above all, they have voted for a change of Prime Minister. David Cameron's position is now untenable. After risking his reputation for a Remain vote, Cameron will now go down in history as the Prime Minister who accidentally brought us out of Europe and began the slow process of breaking up the United Kingdom. But the sniping began long before this result.
Tory infighting throughout the campaign would obviously culminate in anger, one way or the other and Cameron will feel the brunt of that. Having handed victory to Boris Johnson's Leave campaign, voters have legitimised his claim to leadership. It will only be a matter of time before the former London Mayor picks up the keys to 10 Downing Street.
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Reactions
(BBC News, 24/06/2016)
Donald Tusk, President of the European Council
"This is not a moment for hysterical reactions. Today on behalf of the 27 leaders I can say that we are determined to keep our unity as 27.
"Until the UK formally leaves the EU, EU law will continue to apply to and within the UK, and by this I mean rights, as well as obligations.
"All the procedures for the withdrawal of the UK from the EU are set out in the treaties. In order to discuss the details, I have offered an informal meeting of the 27 in the margins of the European council next week. I have also proposed we start a wider reflection of the future of our union.
"The past years have been the most difficult ones in the history of our union, but my father used to tell me: what doesn't kill you makes you stronger."
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US Presidential race
(The Economist, 24/06/2016)
SO THE gambler finally lost. David Cameron has usually been lucky, winning office in 2010 at the head of a coalition and then outright in 2015. He also kept the United Kingdom together in the Scottish independence referendum in 2014. But the prime minister’s gamble of promising a referendum on Britain’s European Union membership has failed. As the counting of votes cast on June 23rd neared completion in the small hours of the following day, it seemed that almost 52% of the electorate had voted for Leave against 48% for Remain. The turnout was 72%, six points higher than the level in the May 2015 general election.
The response to the victory for Brexit was immediate. Nigel Farage, leader of the UK Independence Party (pictured), said June 23rd marked independence day for Britain. The pound slumped to its lowest level against the dollar since 1985 (see chart). Europe’s stockmarkets were poised to open lower as investors marked down the prospects for the British and global economies. Most economists agree with the Treasury that the British economy is now likely to fall into recession. George Osborne, the chancellor, had warned of an emergency budget, but that is unlikely.
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David Cameron's speech
(Time, 24/06/2016)
British Prime Minister David Cameron was due to speak outside 10 Downing Street on Friday morning, hours after voters rejected his Remain campaign and elected to leave the European Union.
He was expected to address the state of the markets, which have been highly volatile since the Leave vote began looking like a possibility. The London Stock Exchange is due to open at 8am. The Bank of England said it would take “all necessary steps” to guarantee economic stability in the wake of the vote.
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David Cameron resigns
Jane Onyanga-Omara and Kim Hjelmgaard (USA Today, 24/06/2016)
British Prime Minister David Cameron announced he will stand down after the United Kingdom voted to leave the European Union, a decision that sent global markets into a tailspin Friday.
The margin of victory was 52% to 48%.
“We should aim to have a new prime minister in place by the start of the Conservative Party conference in October,” Cameron said in a speech to the nation Friday. He said he informed Queen Elizabeth II of his decision.
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24 June 2016 - UK votes for Brexit, David Cameron resigns, La Clé des Langues [en ligne], Lyon, ENS de LYON/DGESCO (ISSN 2107-7029), juin 2016. Consulté le 23/11/2024. URL: https://cle.ens-lyon.fr/anglais/key-story/archives-revue-de-presse-2016/24-june-2016-uk-votes-for-brexit-david-cameron-resigns