England has absolutely shocked the world with a historic vote that has them leaving the European Union – no country has ever left the EU since it began.
The U.K. is poised to leave the European Union after a historic referendum, official results showed Friday, setting the stage for an unprecedented and messy untangling with far-reaching implications.
Electoral officials said early Friday that the “Leave” campaign had racked up 17.4 million votes — compared to 16.1 million backing the status quo. That gave “Leave” 51.9 percent of the ballots against 48.1 percent for “Remain.”
The vote for an exit — or “Brexit” — sent shockwaves through global markets. The pound plunged to $1.35, its lowest level since 1985.
The EU now finds itself in uncharted waters: No nation state has ever left the bloc. It also serves as an indictment of Britain’s government and a barometer of domestic fears about immigration and the economy.
Critics of the EU noted that it began as a compact for free trade agreements, but quickly became a despotic unelected governmental body that took more and more of the sovereignty away from its member states.
In the wake of the monumental decision, right-wing groups are demanding referendum votes in other countries as well, making the future of the European Union very shaky!!!
After losing the vote to stay in the European Union, Prime Minister David Cameron decided to step down. Amazingly, earlier in the evening, his competitor Nigel Farage said he expected to lose the vote:
