Eu referendum

Friday

Melanie McDonagh

This EU anarchy is more interesting than the alternative

Don’t know about you, but the healing process is proving difficult from my point of view in dealing with my friends and family. My daughter, who is 9, broke down and cried over breakfast when she heard the result. Which is nothing to what her class will do: to a child, they’re solidly pro-Remain, and I know who’s spreading the message too – one of the little girls’ fathers is a journalist who worked himself up into a state of incoherence at the very thought of Brexit… he’s probably lying down in a darkened room right now. A colleague of mine whom I’d always thought of as rather a good

Boris Johnson

Boris Johnson’s victory speech: ‘we can find our voice in the world again’

I want to begin this morning by paying tribute to David Cameron who has spoken earlier from Downing Street. I know I speak for Michael in saying how sad I am that he has decided to step down but obviously I respect that decision. I have known David Cameron for a very long time and I believe he has been one of the most extraordinary politicians of our age. A brave and principled man who has given superb leadership of party and his country for many years. Reforming our public services, delivering one nation Conservative government, making this country the most dynamic economy in Europe and with his own brand

Tom Goodenough Tom Goodenough

David Cameron’s resignation speech in full

David Cameron has announced his decision to step down as Prime Minister following the vote to leave the European Union. Here’s what he said on the steps of No.10 Downing Street this morning: The country has just taken part in a giant democratic exercise – perhaps the biggest in our history. Over 33 million people – from England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and Gibraltar – have all had their say. We should be proud of the fact that in these islands we trust the people with these big decisions. We not only have a parliamentary democracy, but on questions about the arrangements for how we are governed, there are times

James Forsyth James Forsyth

David Cameron resigns, but not immediately

In an emotional but dignified statement, David Cameron has announced his resignation as Prime Minister. However, he will not resign immediately. Instead, he will stay to, in his phrase, ‘steady the ship’. But he wants a new Prime Minister in place by the Tory party conference this autumn.  Sensibly, Cameron said that he himself would not trigger Article 50, the two year process for leaving the EU. He said that it should be up to the new Prime Minister to make that decision. Cameron will, one suspects, go down in history for this referendum. But it should be remembered that there is more to his premiership than that. He was

Isabel Hardman Isabel Hardman

Leaked: Labour’s script responding to its terrible referendum result

As Katy reported earlier, Labour has prepared a script that attempts to exonerate Jeremy Corbyn for the party’s terrible night in its heartlands in this referendum. I have now been leaked that script, which MPs are expected to use from 6am, and it makes rather entertaining reading. The best line is the following: ‘Jeremy Corbyn has showed that he is far closer to the centre of gravity of the British public than other politicians. He is now the only politician who can unite a divided country, as he can speak to both sides.’ It also says that ‘Jeremy is uniquely placed as a critical remainer. He understands why people voted

Brendan O’Neill Brendan O’Neill

This is democracy in all its beauty and glory

Consider the magnitude of what has just happened. Against the warnings of experts, the pleas of the vast majority of MPs, the wishes of almost every capitalist, and overtures from Brussels, a majority of British people have said No to the EU. They’ve done the thing almost everyone with power and influence said they shouldn’t: taken a leap into the dark; chased after the devil they don’t know in preference for the one they do; taken a big, exciting risk with the very nature of their nation. They have — let’s just say it — rebelled, and rebelled against virtually every wing of the establishment. You don’t even have to

The Spectator

Britain votes for Brexit

The final results are in: Britain has voted to leave the European Union. Scroll down for our full coverage from throughout the night. And join us on our daytime live blog  where the Prime Minister has announced his decision to step down. Results: Leave 52%, Remain 48% with 382/382. Turnout 72.2% Remain: 16,141,241;  Leave: 17,410,742 Britain has voted to leave the European Union. The pound has plunged heavily, as the markets react to Brexit. Wales has voted Leave, with 18 of its 22 authorities having declared. Scotland has voted Remain by a margin of 62 per cent to 38 per cent, with all 32 council areas voting to stay in the EU. Turnout in the referendum

Thursday

Toby Young

A new home for Old Labour

On the eve of last year’s general election result, many pundits predicted the demise of Britain’s two-party system. The likeliest outcome was another hung parliament in which one of the smaller parties — the Lib Dems or the SNP — held the balance of power. These same pundits pointed to the steady decline in membership of the two main parties, as well as the success of insurgent parties in the European and regional elections, as evidence of this sea change. In the event, the pundits were ridiculed for getting it wrong. Yet is it possible they were just a year too early? The surprise Brexit win in yesterday’s EU referendum looks like it

The Spectator

Can you forgive him? | 23 June 2016

David Cameron bet everything on winning this European Union referendum. He lost. His resignation was inevitable, but the timing was not. Indeed, scores of pro-Brexit Tory MPs had signed a letter asking him to stay as Prime Minister – or, at the very least, not walk out of No.10 on the morning after the vote. Yes, he would not be the best person to lead Brexit talks – but these talks could be several months, perhaps years away. So there was no reason to rush for the exit and plenty reason not to do so. Brexit vote was always going to create uncertainty in the financial markets. Adding political uncertainty, in the form of a Prime Ministerial resignation,

Charles Moore Charles Moore

In praise of referendums – this one in particular

Commentators have complained about this referendum — its ‘lies’, bad manners, bitterness. Without exactly disagreeing, I would nevertheless argue that it has performed at least one of the roles intended, which is to encourage people to consider the issue. If you are actively engaged in political debate, as candidate, activist, journalist etc, you believe (often erroneously) that you have thought through the big questions. If you are an unpolitical voter, you often haven’t. This is particularly true of the European question because, for 40 years, enormous efforts have been made by all the political parties to discourage you. David Cameron only finally conceded to us the right to have our

Ed West Ed West

A bitter culture war has begun in Britain

I wrote a while back that the UK referendum wouldn’t be at all bitter or divisive, and I think it’s fair to say I was utterly, utterly wrong. I just hope whoever wins shows a spirit of magnanimity and conciliation, and tries to steer the country to the most moderate course available. Perhaps it was obvious that this debate would turn into a sort of British culture war, one that divided the country heavily over the issue of globalisation. As James Bartholomew points out in this week’s issue of The Spectator, the referendum has exposed a huge rift between the metropolitan elite and the rest. Although there is a very

Freddy Gray Freddy Gray

Ten handy phrases for bluffing your way through referendum night

Alright folks, this is the big one. It’s EU Referendum Night, and bluffers everywhere have been training hard. We’ve all been talking utter rot about Europe for months now. To distinguish yourself tonight, you need to bring your A-game, especially since there will be nothing much to say until at least 2 am. Here are ten starter phrases that should help you through any Brexit-related discussion. But I’m sure you can all think of many more. Just remember that nobody really knows what they are banging on about — least of all our politicians — so be imaginative, be bold, and blag for Britain (or Europe, depending on which way the

Steerpike Steerpike

Andrew Cooper bizarrely sets bar for Cameron: win referendum by 10 points

In last year’s general election, Andrew Cooper was left red-faced after his firm Populus’s final ‘prediction‘ of a 0.5 per cent chance of David Cameron winning a Tory majority turned out to be somewhat, em, pessimistic. Since then, Lord Cooper of 0.5 per cent has been on a PR offensive in an attempt to rebrand himself as the next Lynton Crosby — helped by his pal and former flatmate Lord Fink. So, with another election result looming, one could be forgiven for thinking Cooper may wish to be a bit more circumspect this time. It seems not. Today Populus has sent round its final poll for the EU referendum, showing that Remain should win by an astonishing ten points.  

Brendan O’Neill Brendan O’Neill

The EU may well survive today’s vote — but the left won’t

If you’ve heard a whirring noise in the background of today’s momentous vote, don’t worry: it’s just Tony Benn turning in his grave. Benn was one of Britain’s keenest, and most articulate critics of the European Union. He and other Labour grandees, along with top trade unionists, raged against the EU for being aloof and arrogant and for usurping parliament. Summoning up his Chartist soul, his love of the Levellers, his belief that radical Britons didn’t fight and die over centuries for the sovereignty of parliament just to see it overturned by some well-fed suits in Brussels, he would slam the EU for having not a ‘shred of accountability’ and

Fraser Nelson Fraser Nelson

Bookmakers odds: chance of Brexit plunges to all-time low of 15 per cent

As Britain goes to the polls to vote on the EU Referendum, the odds on Brexit are plummeting – to a new low of 17 per cent at the time of writing. The Spectator’s zoomable live odds chart, below, shows the speed of the decline. At 9am this morning it was 23pc, at 10.45am it was 19pc and by 11.30am it was 17pc. An hour later, 15pc. The chart should appear below – but while our site is especially busy it may take a few moments to load: This chimes with the opinion of everyone I’ve spoken to, in both Leave and Remain camps: there’s a chance of Brexit, but not

Douglas Murray Douglas Murray

A Remain vote won’t reform the EU – but a Leave vote might

So the great day is here. Those of us who wish to vote ‘Leave’ will be heading to the polls in the hope that this is the eve of our nation’s independence. Those voting ‘Remain’ will obviously be heading to the polls hoping that the current status quo in Europe will continue. Throughout the campaign I have been repeatedly struck by how many undecided (as well as Remain voters) have told me that the EU is anything ranging from a ‘disaster zone’ to ‘a body badly in need of reform’. I would like to make a point to these people. As I pointed out in Foreign Affairs yesterday, if you

James Bartholomew

Britain’s great divide

In Notting Hill Gate, in west London, the division was obvious. On the east side of the street was a row of privately owned Victorian terraced houses painted in pastel colours like different flavoured ice creams. These houses, worth £4 million to £6 million each, were dotted with Remain posters. On the west side was a sad-looking inter-war council block, Nottingwood House, which had dirty bricks and outside staircases and corridors. No posters there. But that is where my fellow campaigners and I headed — down to the basement entrances with their heavy steel gates. We looked up the names on the canvassing sheets and rang the bell of one flat after

John Osullivan

A sadder, wiser referendum

In June 1975, I was given the heavy responsibility of writing the Telegraph’s ‘light’ op-ed on the conduct of the first Euro-referendum campaign, which duly appeared on the day of the vote. My theme was that it had been the nicest possible stitch-up. ‘From the establishment and the respectable anti-establishment, from the Economist and the New Statesman, from the Lord Feather [of the TUC] and Mr Campbell Adamson [of the CBI], from Mr Wilson and Mr Heath, from the Royal Commission Volunteers to “Actors and Actresses for Europe”, the same advice, the same dire predictions of life outside the Market…’ It rings loud bells today. ‘Mr Barrie Heath told the

Wednesday

The Spectator

Letters | 22 June 2016

European identity Sir: Alexander Chancellor (Long life, 18 June) echoes the widely accepted view of the European Union as a ‘bulwark against the nationalism that is rising again’. The European project was, of course, conceived as a means of averting the catastrophes that nationalism wreaked upon Europe during the 20th century. However, in practice the EU has stoked nationalism within its constituent member states. As a top-down, elite-driven process, EU integration has crucially failed to mobilise the masses in favour of a common European identity that transcends national allegiances. Combine this with a simultaneous erosion of state sovereignty and the EU’s democratic deficit, and it is not difficult to understand why