Brexit Tories Pile Pressure On 'Dead Duck' PM

Conservative politicians are increasing the pressure on David Cameron to bring forward negotiations on the UK's departure from the EU and prevent months of uncertainty.

Bernard Jenkin, a Tory MP who was a prominent campaigner for Brexit, said the Prime Minister's plan for his successor to invoke Article 50 in the autumn was unrealistic.

He warned: "I think there is a problem just saying 'right, we're not going to do anything between now and October' to address the European Union relationship, because they don't want us hanging around and destabilising all their arrangements.

"They want certainty, and I think we should be able to do this more quickly."

Mr Jenkin's remarks came after senior EU officials warned the trading bloc would not be held "hostage" as the Tories conducted a leadership race, with Boris Johnson regarded the front runner.

Tory former defence secretary and Leave campaigner Dr Liam Fox has not ruled himself from standing in the upcoming contest and said he would be taking soundings.

Dr Fox, who stood against Cameron in the 2005 Conservative leadership election but failed to make it into the final round of voting, told Sky News tonight: "I am going to have a think about it over this weekend. I will talk to my colleagues, I will talk to my wife."

As the storm clouds gathered for Mr Cameron he fulfilled a commitment to visit Armed Forces Day in Cleethorpes, North East Lincolnshire, where he watched the main parade from the saluting platform.

The Prime Minister chatted to dignitaries on the platform and applauded at the section of the parade devoted to veterans in wheelchairs. As he got into his car to leave the town, he managed a brief wave to the crowds.

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The uncertainty caused by the decisive result for the Out campaign, which attracted 52% support from voters in Thursday's referendum, has already caused the credit rating agency Moody's to downgrade the UK's long-term issuer and debt ratings from stable to negative.

Support for Brexit was unequal across the UK, with the majority of voters in Scotland and Northern Ireland voting to remain in the EU.

The shock victory for the Out campaign prompted the Scottish Cabinet to convene in Edinburgh today, where they discussed the Holyrood administration's next steps.

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has already warned that a second vote on Scottish independence is now "highly likely" - and described the prospect of the country being taken out of the EU as "democratically unacceptable".

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Protesters gathered outside the Scottish Parliament in Edinburgh to decry the "torrent of racism" unleashed by the lengthy and bitter EU referendum campaign.

Organisers for the rally said migrants from the trading bloc should be defended, and added: "Unabashed, unchecked racist and xenophobic hyperbole has dominated the entire campaign, with migration being defined as a 'problem' or 'crisis', with bigotry being stoked up against migrants, and with EU citizens here being systematically denied a voice."

A petition on the UK Parliament website is calling for a second EU referendum as no campaign attracted more than 60% of the vote, and turnout was less than 75%.

More than a million people have already signed, which means it will now automatically be considered by a committee for debate by MPs.

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Another campaign has also begun which calls for London Mayor Sadiq Khan to declare London independent from the UK, so the city can apply to join the EU.

Although potentially tongue in cheek, more than 100,000 people have already signed the petition in support of "Londependence" after most boroughs in the capital voted to remain in the EU.