The Leave campaign's victory in the EU Referendum is expected to have wide-ranging implications for the UK.

Prime Minister David Cameron has already said he will stand down as Conservative Party leader and a new PM will be in place by the party's conference in October.

The pound has dropped - twice as badly as during the 2008 crash - the prospect has already been raised of a new Scottish independence vote and the Irish government is expected to make a statement later today.

Carlisle MP John Stevenson , who describes himself as a "reluctant Remainer", said the result was a "huge and momentous decision" by the British people.

Speaking before Mr Cameron's announcement, he said the Prime Minister should not stand down.

The Carlisle MP said: "There shouldn't be any knee jerk reactions.

"We need stability to prepare for future negotiations and changes and the best person to do that would be David Cameron. I think he has already indicated that at some point he will step down. I think the Labour Party has its own issues."

Speaking on local radio after Mr Cameron's speech, the Carlisle MP said he viewed his decision with a degree of disappointment.

"He did a job leading the coalition and won a General Election in 2015 with a clear platform to go forward.

"One of those was an EU referendum and people made that decision and he respects that.

"He is a man of integrity. I will be disappointed to see him go.

"We're losing a very very talented international politician and statesman. He's done a very good job for our country. A colleague of mine said it is only when he goes will we recognise how good he was."

On the referendum result, he said: "I went to bed about 3-ish and my gut then was that we were going to be out.

"It is a huge and momentous decision by the people of the United Kingdom and it will determine our foreign policy for the foreseeable future.

"The British people have spoken and we absolutely have to respect that and act in the best interest of the UK.

"I was a reluctant Remainer. The EU was in need of reform, this is the opportunity now to reshape Britain's relationship with Europe and for Europe to reappraise what it is all about. There's an opportunity for Europe to reform and build new relationships with the UK and we ourselves are now on a different journey.

"Honestly, I'm surprised at the decision, I thought the British people would vote Remain. I think immigration was the big, big issue that concerned people. I think it is the responsibility of the politicians and of the Government to act in the people's best interests."

He said the result showed that Labour has a leader who is "out of step with his MPs" and a party which "is out of step with its voters".

Despite the Leave result, Mr Stevenson said he was "delighted" at the success of democracy, indicated by the high turnout and interest the historic referendum sparked.

"The turnout shows the British people were engaged and wanted to make their voices heard. That is terrific for democracy and we must not underestimate how successful, vibrant and robust a democracy we live in and that has to be celebrated."

He added: "Our bosses, the British people, have spoken and we must do as they ask."


Stewart Young Mr Stevenson expects that he and fellow MPs will return to Parliament on Monday and predicts the Prime Minister will make a statement in the House of Commons.

Cumbria County Council leader Stewart Young had said, in an early morning tweet, that Mr Cameron's position was "now clearly untenable" and added: "My guess is a General Election in October and a further Scottish referendum in 2017."

He said later: "They will have to have an emergency Budget and Brexit people have said they will not support it. It will involve tax increases and further cuts.

"We've seen the pound drop through the night and we're likely to lose our AAA rating which will make it more expensive for the government to borrow money.

"There'll be a hole in the finances they have to fill.

"I think there will be a General Election, when it will be who knows, but I don't know how they can hold on.

"Scotland, they'll have another referendum and Sinn Fein is also calling for one.

"The London effect made the total look close but in areas away from London it was a different story."

Mr Young warned that Britain will now have to renegotiate trade deals with around 150 different countries.

"We'll now find we're charged tariffs because we don't have deals.

"For businesses like Pirelli in Carlisle it's worrying. These international businesses, they want to sell in Europe, they don't want to make them in a country that does not have access to European markets.

"The Sunderland result was startling. Nissan had sent a letter to its workforce [to stay] and they overwhelmingly voted against."

Mr Young also said he was "not in favour of referendums".

"To try and reduce what is a complex issue to one question and two options, it just doesn't make sense to me.

"I think people have been confused on both sides. People are also at the end of their tether in their work circumstances, with wage levels and cost of living.

"People are fed up and this was an opportunity to kick out at something and unfortunately it was our membership of the EU.

"It sounds cliched, it is unchartered territory. People are hurting and have been given an opportunity to do something that makes a difference. A lot of people do feel powerless and this is what they do."

Mr Young feels an emergency budget will lead to further cuts in local government and public services because they are "unprotected" government funds.

The authority Mr Young leads must already find a further £40-50 million of cuts over the next three years.

"If we have further cuts on top of that you have to ask what is going to be left," he said.

"The consequences will be horrendous for local government but that will be the least of people's worries.

"For instance, the problem with falling sterling and stock markets, it will affect pensions that are invested in them."

Liberal Democrats leader and South Lakeland MP Tim Farron said he was "angry and heartbroken" and accused Mr Cameron and Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn of taking the country "over the edge".


Tim Farron "This self-inflicted wound will be Cameron's legacy," he said.

"This is his failing. And when the call went out to Jeremy Corbyn, he refused to answer. Their self-interested political manoeuvring has taken our country to the brink and we are toppling over the edge.

"The Prime Minister must now act quickly to steady the economy, reassure the markets, and immediately set a new course.

"If he cannot do this immediately, there is no possible way he can remain in office."

He said Britain was clearly "a deeply divided country.

"Nigel Farage's vision for Britain has won this vote, but it is not a vision I share.

"Young people voted to remain by a considerable margin, but were outvoted. They were voting for their future, yet it has been taken from them.

"Even though the result was close, there is no doubt that the majority of British people want us to leave. Our fight for an open, optimistic, hopeful, diverse and tolerant Britain is needed now more than ever.

"Together we can still make the case for Britain's future with Europe, as millions of people voted for it. Together we cannot afford to let that vision die."

Copeland MP Jamie Reed , who on the eve of the poll had urged his constituents to vote Remain, has tweeted: "Cumbria voted out in a big way - as expected - and in all likelihood voted to move our EU border from Calais to Carlisle in the future."


Paul NuttallPaul Nuttall , Ukip deputy leader and North West MEP, said: "This is a momentous day which will go down in the annals of history. It is the day we got our country back and put the Great back in to Britain.

"We now have the chance to take control of our own destiny and borders and we can be good neighbours with the European Union rather than tenants.

"I always believed that we could do well vote to leave but the margin has been tremendous and in the north west it was almost two to one to quit the EU - a fantastic result.

"The result of this referendum will shape the direction our country will take in the first half of this century. We will be outward looking rather than inwards and we will be a global player signing our own trade deals with emerging economies."

Ukip member John Denholm , of Currock, Carlisle, campaigned for Vote Leave.

He said: "It's absolutely magnificent. I went to bed we were about a million in front but there were still some [results] to come.

"It looked like a Leave result but anything could still happen. I think Mr Cameron has to go and his position is untenable, as is Mr Osborne's - they got caught out.


John Denholm "The Remain campaign thought it would only take one vote. It is quite obvious that they never expected it to be that narrow."

He added: "They think they had by far a good majority and they were supremely confident. I think Cameron and Osborne have been so negative and it has really upset the people and they have turned around and said 'stuff you' we can do it.

"It is the British people saying what we think. For once, in a long, long time, the ordinary British people have said to the establishment we don't trust you any more and this is what we want. I think it is marvelous."

He added: "Mr Cameron did pledge a referendum but I don't think he ever meant it. I think he's had his comeuppance."


John Woodcock Barrow's Labour MP John Woodcock , a Remain campaigner, said although he disagreed with the outcome, the result shows that "people in our communities not happy... We need to listen to them".

Mr Woodcock also made reference to his ongoing dissatisfaction with his party's leadership.

He tweeted: "Listening to people saying Labour voters decided to opt for Leave as message to Tory Govt. If that's our conclusion then Labour is toast."

More follows...