EU Referendum: Britain’s David Cameron Resigns As UK Voted For Brexit

MEP: British Prime Minister David Cameron has resigned after UK voted to leave the European Union

Speaking outside 10 Downing Street, he said he would attempt to “steady the ship” over the coming weeks and months but that “fresh leadership” was needed.

In the wake of Friday’s historic “Brexit” referendum in which Britain voted to leave the European Union, Cameron announced that he will step down later this year.

“The British people’s will must be respected after UK voters chose to leave the 28-nation European Union in a historic vote on Thursday” he said.

After saying that he had fought to remain within the E.U. with “head, heart and soul,” Cameron agreed that “the British people have made a very clear decision to take a different path, and as such I think the country requires fresh leadership to take it in this direction.”

A surprise victory for a Brexit in Swansea, which was expected to vote to Remain, did little to dampen concerns despite Scotland overwhelmingly backing staying in the Union.

The overall results were announced as some 51.90 percent equal to 17,410,742 million of British voters selected to leave the EU, while roughly 48.10 percent equal to 16,141,241 of people voted to stay in the union.

Cameron said he will continue as Prime Minister in the immediate future, but stated that the country should “aim to have a new Prime Minister in place by the Conservative Party conference” set to take place in October this year.

Meanwhile, former Finnish Prime Minister Alexander Stubb described the leave vote as a bad nightmare. He said the development could lead to crisis and chaos. Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has also expressed dismay at Britain’s decision to exit the EU, saying it comes as a “shock.”

Germany’s foreign minister Frank Walter Steinmeier described the referendum result as as “a sad day for Europe and Great Britain”.

However, Donald Trump, the US presidential hopeful, has arrived in the UK and said he is “very happy” about the Brexit vote.

He said: “I think it’s a great thing that happened, an amazing vote, very historic.

“We’re very happy.”

Asked why people voted for Brexit, he said: “People are angry. All over the world they’re angry. We’re doing very well in the United States and essentially the same thing has happened in the United States.

“They are angry over borders, they are angry over people coming into the country.”