Culture

David Cameron Resigns Over #Brexit As UK Citizens Google “What Is The EU?”

The #Brexit fallout is only just beginning.

by Tom Clift  25 June 2016

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So yeah. That just happened.

Despite polls suggesting that voters in the UK would opt not to drive their nation off of a proverbial cliff, constituents in Wales and rural England appear to have seized control of the wheel at the last minute, delivering a narrow 52 to 48 per cent win to the pro-Brexit campaign.

One of the most infuriating stories to emerge in the wake of the referendum comes courtesy of Google, who have revealed that in the hours since the UK collectively cast their ballots, searches for the phrase “What happens if we leave the EU” spiked by 250 per cent. Just to be clear, this is after the polls had already closed. With other popular search options including “are we European?” and “what is the EU?”, it would appear as though many voters may not have actually understood what it is they were voting for.

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The Fallout Begins

The long term political and economic effects of the UK’s divorce from the EU remain unclear at this stage, although the pound dropping to a three decade low probably isn’t a great sign. The global stock-market lost a casual $2.7 trillion overnight, while at home the markets were shaken so badly that the Commonwealth Bank temporarily suspended foreign exchange transactions – only to backpedal when they were inundated with complaints from customers they had stranded overseas without cash. Scotland and Northern Ireland, both of which voted to remain, have also flagged the possibility of breaking from the United Kingdom altogether.

But while the UK – and the world – is faced with no shortage of uncertainty, one thing that is absolutely clear is Prime Minister David Cameron stuffed up in a major way. Cameron committed to the Brexit vote during last year’s general election, a political gamble that obviously hasn’t paid off. After campaigning strongly and unsuccessfully for the Remain camp, Cameron fronted the media in the wake of the referendum and announced his resignation. The smart money is on former London Lord Mayor and Brexit poster boy Boris Johnson to replace him.

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The World Reacts

Prominent figures both inside and outside of the UK took to the web to express their glee and/or despair at the result, depending on their political persuasions. UK Opposition Leader Jeremy Corbyn, who like Cameron campaigned hard for Remain and is also facing calls to resign, offered a conciliatory message.

Suspected lizard person and leader of the ultra-conservative UK Independence Party Nigel Farage was a lot more upbeat, and immediately began a push to have June 23 declared a national holiday.

Incidentally, we’re not sure if Farage has seen the new Independence Day movie, but it actually does contain a sequence set in London that, in the wake of the referendum result, feels just a tiny bit prophetic.

Not good.

Across the Atlantic, US President Barack Obama attempted to quell fears about the economy and stated that the “special relationship with Britain will endure”. The sentiment was echoed by presidential hopeful Hillary Clinton.

Donald Trump, meanwhile, was in Scotland for the opening of one of his hotels (because of course he was), and made his feelings on the decision crystal clear.

Here at home, the leaders of both major parties seized on the result. For Malcolm Turnbull, it was a sign that Australia was in need of “a stable majority Coalition government with a strong economic plan that sets Australia up for a prosperous future”. Bill Shorten, on the other hand, declared that “share markets go up and down all the time, that’s not an argument to not change a government”.

Oh, and Cory Bernardi was over the moon. A grim omen if ever there was one.

A number of prominent celebrities also weighed in, including J.K. Rowling, who was less than thrilled.

Hugh Laurie still seemed to be holding out some hope.

While Neil Gaiman said what most of us are thinking.

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Tom Clift is a freelance journalist from Melbourne. He is the co-founder of Movie Mezzanine, weekend editor at Concrete Playground, film critic for ABC Overnights and tweets sporadically at @tom_clift.