Britain’s referendum result has left the public and political leaders reeling as they, the rest of Europe and the world come to terms with a dramatic change. We chronicle the fallout in pictures and words
Friday 1 July 2016 17.09 BST
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Friday 24 June
Leave campaign wins EU referendum
The UK woke up to the surprise result of a leave campaign victory which became clear early on Friday morning, as predictions and polls were yet again proved wrong. Remain supporters were left shocked and distraught by the narrow win for leave, which won 52% of the vote, after polls in the final few days of campaigning had suggested a comfortable margin for their side.
"I do not think it would be right for me to try to be the captain that steers our country to its next destination."
David Cameron
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| By lunchtime the prime minister, David Cameron, had resigned. Photograph: Graeme Robertson for the Guardian |
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| Gove and Johnson pay tribute to Cameron and declare a sombre victory. |
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| Stock markets crash in London and around the world, while the pound dives in value. |
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| A couple protest on Downing Street following the Brexit vote, which saw young people vote overwhelmingly against the UK leaving the European Union. According to polling data from YouGov, 75% of 18-24-year-olds voted to remain. |
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| An Englishman 'apologises' outside the European parliament. Donald Tusk, the president of the European council insisted that the union would survive, adding: 'I always remember what my father used to tell me: what doesn't kill you makes your stronger.' |
Saturday 25 June
Shock of Brexit
Disbelief turned to anger as remain campaigners came out in protest in London and elsewhere. Nicola Sturgeon, Scotland's first minister, met with her cabinet and said that she would lobby EU member states directly for support in ensuring that Scotland could remain part of the bloc after it voted emphatically against a Brexit. Facing questions about his commitment to efforts to rally a remain vote during the campaign, the Labour party leader, Jeremy Corbyn, said that areas that voted most strongly to leave in the EU referendum were “communities that have effectively been abandoned” by economic change. Cameron avoided further public comment, attending an Armed Forces Day even in Cleethorpes.
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| Feeling the pressure: David Cameron at an Armed Forces Day national event in Cleethorpes. Photograph: Ian Forsyth/Getty Images |
Sunday 26 June
Labour party goes into meltdown
Jeremy Corbyn sacked the shadow foreign secretary, Hilary Benn, in the early hours of the morning amid the first stirrings of a challenge to his leadership. Members of the shadow cabinet began to resign, including the shadow minister for young people and voter registration, Gloria De Piero, announcing their departures at intervals throughout the day. Labour's deputy leader, Tom Watson, cut short his time at Glastonbury and said he was "deeply disappointed" at Benn's sacking. The shadow chancellor, John McDonnell, and other Corbyn allies rallied around the Labour leader.
Monday 27 June
Osborne reappears, Labour coup gathers pace
Absent from public view for three days, the chancellor made his first appearance since the result of the referendum vote. In an attempt to calm the markets, Osborne said that Britain was ready to confront whatever the future held. Tory divisions were also also apparent as potential challengers for Cameron's job jostled for position. Labour party bloodletting also continued. After a stormy meeting of Labour's parliamentary party, where he faced severe criticism of his leadership, Corbyn spoke to a hundreds-strong protest outside parliament.
Angela Eagle, the shadow business secretary, quits.
Corbyn defiant as he arrives for a rally.
The Momentum campaign group holds a Keep Corbyn demonstration
outside the Houses of Parliament. Photograph: Dominic Lipinski/PA
Tuesday 28 June
Drama moves to Brussels
Cameron, Sturgeon and the Ukip leader, Nigel Farage, appeared in Brussels ahead of a summit where the leaders of EU states were preparing to discuss the outcome of Britain's referendum. Farage goaded his opponents in the European parliament, telling them: "You're not laughing now," while Sturgeon began the process of attempting to gain support for Scotland to negotiate directly with the EU to remain. Cameron used his last EU summit to tell his fellow leaders that they would have to offer the UK more control over immigration.
Wednesday 29 June
Back in Westminster
Cameron and Corbyn faced off in the House of Commons at prime minister's questions. As Scots demonstrated in Edinburgh and other cities against Brexit, the Tory leadership battle gathered pace, with Stephen Crabb becoming the first of the contenders to announce his candidacy ahead of rivals who were expected to include the home secretary, Theresa May, and the former mayor of London, Boris Johnson.
Thursday 30 June
Tory shock
Theresa May announced her candidacy for the leadership, but the real drama of the day was a shock move by the justice secretary. Michael Gove, withdrew support for Boris Johnson at the 11th hour and announced his intention to run for the leadership himself. An unusually subdued Johnson dropped his bid for the leadership in a press conference, telling shocked supporters that he did not believe he could provide the leadership or unity needed.
Theresa May makes a speech to bid for the Conservative party leadership.
Photograph: Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images
" ... the punchline of this speech, is that I have concluded this person will not be me."
Boris Johnson
Friday 1 July
One week on
Launching his Tory leadership bid, Gove said he did “almost everything” he could to avoid running but was left with no choice after realising Johnson was not the right person for the job. The shadow chancellor, John McDonnell, meanwhile outlined an economic blueprint to prepare the UK for departure from the European Union, saying that the free movement of people to the UK would end with Brexit.
Demonstrators chant as they wave underwear and placards outside Boris Johnson's home.
Boris Johnson enters the London Underground after leaving his Islington home, heading for Devon.
Photography: Graeme Robertson, Peter Nicholls/Reuters, Dan Kitwood, Mary Turner, Christopher Furlong, Jack Taylor of Getty Images, Stefan Rousseau, John Thys, Justin Tallis of AFP, Thierry Roge/Belga/Zuma/Rex,
http://www.theguardian.com/politics/ng-interactive/2016/jul/01/brexit-and-beyond-seven-days-that-shook-uk-picture-essay-eu-referendum
