The reactions to the EU referendum result

Today we woke up to a strange new world. The United Kingdom has voted in favour of leaving the EU, with 52 per cent of the vote to exit. Many of us have watched in horror as, despite hopeful pollsters, the Leave campaign edged ahead. We gasped as the pound fell to its worst in the last three decades; as an emotional David Cameron made his resignation speech and Farage casually dropped the bombshell that no, despite the Leave campaigns promises, the £350m we give to the EU each week won’t go to the NHS.

Many are angered that an older generation have swung the vote in favour of brexit. Information from WSJ notes that the biggest margin of Leave voters was among those 65 and older at 60 per cent. In contrast, the age bracket most in favour of Remain was 18-24 year-olds: essentially, those who will bear the brunt of the changes in years to come as we exit the EU. Turnout was poor in areas of London that were expected to bring in the pro-EU numbers, blamed on the poor weather. A petition to bring about a second referendum because of the lower turnout rate has already reached over 90,000 signatures, needing 100,000 to see it debated in parliament.

As Dazed editor Thomas Gorton noted this morning in the resulting aftermath: “A positive is that this has politicised people, and we must maintain that enthusiasm for new ideas, for change”. People across social platforms, the creative industries, the political arena-heads speak across the chaotic din to reason with what will happen next.

The fear that the racist undercurrent of the Leave campaign – spearheaded by a man who proudly stood in front of material that resembled Nazi propaganda – will only become more bold and widespread ripples across social media. Others ponder the position of Scotland, where every constituency voted largely in favour of staying. During the Scottish independence referendum, their EU membership was threatened. Now, they’re dragged against their will towards the lurch. First Minister Nicola Sturgeon called for another indy ref today, which many have voiced their support for since.

Others laid scorn on David Cameron, as he announced his resignation, officially scheduled for October. The Prime Minister leaves behind a hardy legacy: debt has doubled, tuition fees have tripled, the dilapidating bedroom tax, generation forever-rent-a-box, and now the brexit.

The Remain side found its unlikely champion in Lindsay Lohan, who live-tweeted early results and the case for the pound and worker’s rights. Others pointed to opportunities for young people to work across Europe that have been put into a perilous state.

Below are some initial reactions to today’s results across the board of concern.