The United Kingdom has voted to leave the European Union.
We've done it. When we leave the EU we will at last create the conditions to develop real democracy in our nation. It will be a long and arduous task, but it must be done. The people have shown our political class is out of touch, so we need to take power back.
The first step on the long journey to independence will now need to be taken by the government. Brexit is not an event, it is a process. It will take time and careful handling to chart our route to full independence in a phased manner.
Having spent so long talking this country down to scare people into voting to remain, David Cameron now needs to talk up what this country can achieve. He also needs to scrap his rejection of single market participation and recognise it is the safest and most suitable layby to park in as Britain redevelops its competence in self governance and autonomy on the global stage.
The civil service now has a huge responsibility to stop David Cameron triggering Article 50 until after discussions with individual EU member states. We need to find areas of agreement that will enable us to remain in the single market after we have left the union. That will mean no negative economic consequences for us or the EU, but give the UK the ability to control migration with the emergency brake as part of the EEA agreement.
If Cameron presses ahead with the Article 50 notification without a pause for discussions, it would be nothing but a needless act of political retribution on the electorate, a Prime Minister actively trying to damage the country he leads.
More later about what needs to happen next. For now, I just want to take some time to let this seismic moment, something I have tried to help bring about for years, sink in.
