Updated
Updated · The Guardian · Jun 23
David Cameron Resigns After UK Votes 52% to 48% for Brexit
Updated
Updated · The Guardian · Jun 23

David Cameron Resigns After UK Votes 52% to 48% for Brexit

3 articles · Updated · The Guardian · Jun 23

Summary

  • David Cameron decided to quit within hours of the referendum result, concluding he could not credibly lead Britain after campaigning for the losing remain side.
  • 4 a.m. talks with aides hardened that view, and Cameron delivered an emotional resignation statement later on June 24 with wife Samantha beside him.
  • 52% of voters backed leaving the EU after a bitter campaign shaped by Conservative splits, Boris Johnson’s switch to leave, and fierce arguments over immigration and the economy.
  • Boris Johnson and Michael Gove appeared stunned by the outcome, while anger erupted outside Johnson’s London home as the scale of the political rupture became clear.
  • Cameron’s exit turned the referendum shock into an immediate leadership crisis, opening a struggle over who would steer Britain through its break with the EU.

Insights

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With public regret for Brexit at 60%, why is rejoining the EU still politically off the table in 2026?
A decade of economic pain later, has Brexit settled the UK's debate on national identity versus economic integration?