UPDATED: The Isle of Wight has voted to leave the European Union in the EU Referendum, with 49,173 Islanders voting to Leave against 30,207 to Remain – a Leave vote of 61.95%.
Turnout on the Island was slightly lower than expected at 72.3% with a total of 79,430 votes cast.
A total number of 50 ballot papers were rejected.
The local result was declared at just before 03:00.
UPDATE – The United Kingdom has voted to leave the EU. The Isle of Wight contributed towards the final Leave vote which came in at 51.9% or 17,410,742 votes.
As a result, David Cameron has resigned from his position as Prime Minster.
UPDATE @ 10:15 – Mike Cherry, National Chairman at the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB), has this morning said:
“The events of the last 24 hours have been momentous and the effects have already been seen on the markets. Clearly the EU Referendum debate has been contentious, but we now call on the Government and all parties to bring stability for the business community.
Article continues below this advertisement “FSB calls on the Government for clarity on what these decisions now mean for business, including how businesses will have access to the single market and the free movement of people and trade.
“Nearly a quarter of FSB members export, with the majority exporting to the single market. Access to the single market means access to 500 million potential consumers, more than 26 million businesses and is worth 11 trillion euros. We call on the Government for clarity on the impact to smaller firms who export wider afield through EU FTA agreements.
“These are crucial questions that need to be answered swiftly to ensure the UK’s 5.4 million small business confidence does not fall any further, which is already at the lowest levels since 2013.This includes clarity over the practical implications of this result on how smaller firms do business.
“FSB will continue to be a constructive partner in any upcoming negotiations, ensuring the voice of smaller firms is heard loud and clear.”
You can see the results in full and catch up on our live coverage at https://www.islandecho.co.uk/eu-referendum-2016.
