The United Kingdom has voted to leave the European Union what is being seen as a political earthquake. Just 52 per cent Britons expressed their desire to exit the EU a referendum on Thursday. Currency markets were immediately affected as the British pound fell to its lowest level the dollar since 1985. Britain's decision to leave has caused political upheaval. Scotland and Northern Ireland voted to stay the EU and so politicians both countries are now contemplating breaking the UK. Right-wing politicians in Europe congratulated the UK leaving. One said: "It is Great Britain's independence day. The people were asked, and they decided. The European Union a political union has failed."
The magnitude the result was summed by Rob Ford, professor politics at Manchester University, who said: "This is the biggest shock European politics since the fall the Berlin Wall." The vote has already prompted Britain's leader David Cameron to resign. He led the campaign to stay part the EU and will step in October. He said the country needed "fresh leadership". Less certain is the plight the 3.3 million non-British EU citizens living in Britain, and the 1.3 million Britons living in other EU countries. Others may follow the UK's lead exiting the EU. Representatives Holland's Dutch Freedom Party and France's National Front Party said: "Now it is our turn."
