Ok, we are out, what now?

It depends which websites you look at. The extreme right wing party in Denmark is the second largest party and won 21% of the vote in the last election. www.adjacentgovernment.co.uk/local-council-news/denmark-follow-uk-referendum/25816/

On the news tonight they were interviewing people from Hartlepool who said that they could not see how things could get worse so they were voting to leave to get rid of Cameron.

So our children and ghrandchildren's not very rosy future is decided by people who can't tell the difference between a general election and a referendum about membership of the EU.

It's beyond belief.

And I don't like the fact that by being inescapably English (I don't think my Jamaican Granny would qualify me for a Jamaican passport) I am associated with such total unthinking idiocy.

I have yet to find out how the EU impinged so badly on the personal lives of my contemporaries that they felt compelled to vote Leave.

I am devastated, as are many of my friends.

There was speculation that Angela Merkel was planning on stepping down before next year's elections, but that seems to have faded away. If she's not re-elected, I can see that being a real issue for the EU because she's been one of the pillars of the current EU model.

If we support democracy we have to accept that everyone, whether friend or foe, self-interested or altruistic, understanding the issue or not, even those with different views to me (!!) has a right to vote and we all have to live with the results.

Democracy isn't perfect, but it is better than all the alternatives.

OK! I support the idea that people should have a genuine right to vote and I support a list system or other form of PR, even if we have to put up with people we really can't stand. At least they have a platform. I'm not in favour of referendums, because I think they're a blunt instrument (yes/no) and there's no way of knowing if people really understand all the issues or if they're gullible or vulnerable people who have been manipulated. Once the decision is made, that's it. There is no leeway or flexibility. The conduct of the EU referendum has been a disgrace. If it's true that people have voted one for such silly reasons as people are now saying, I really despair.

One way or the other, the future of the UK will be profoundly affected by the outcome of this referendum. Future historians will know the date, but they will probably be tearing their hair out trying to understand what motivated people to vote as they did.

There's speculation every so often that Merkel will step down. There was serious doubt in 2011 and after she admitted so many immigrants. Somehow she manages to hold things together and 'Der Spiegel' reckons she's planning to stand again in 2017.

I think she'll stand again, especially as the president has said he will not be standing again (he's 79). She won't leave her party in a weakened position.

I support democracy but don't think referendums are a good idea, it is better left to the experts than people voting for all sorts of silly reasons. I despair when someone really thinks that we will go back to the old style light bulbs!!

I have been horrified at some of the reasons and reasoning for voting us out of the UK but, to be honest, I think our own politicians are to blame. For years they have blamed all the ills of this country on th EU and all the praise for the good they have taken for themselves.

I agree with wot Leticia says.

I am too upset about this decision at present to even think about how we can get out of this mess. Financial and Political.

I woke up this morning hoping yesterday was just a nightmare but was appalled all over again to find that our country had been so incredibly stupid and plunged us into such an all round disastrous situation.

Reading this, I see the words, 'devastated' and 'upset' and I think what on earth is wrong with some people. We just have to move forward and get on with it. Our politicians know their stuff no matter what party they represent. Life goes on, we still have to pay bills and live as normally so let the politicians get on with it. No one knows what will happen in the future, no one ever did. I must agree that ordinary people don't know enough and can be manipulated, referendums are bad in that respect. I did not know enough.
Let the young people run the country in their own way, they will forge their own futures and nothing we can do or say will alter that. What will be will be.

All Ive ever heard from locals is that they want to vote 'out' to stop immigrants from taking over, nothing else, no reasoned argument just immigration which has been played up to by the 'out' brigade, we have all been manipulated.

'Politicians know their stuff!!?' ethel your faith is touching but sadly misplaced.

"Our politicians know their stuff"????
I guess that's what Germans thought in 1933 when Hitler was elected.

I agree that the reasons for voting out have been varied. I have heard no logical arguments for leaving. People who have not informed themselves of the issues have been manipulated by rabble-rousers. Boris Johnson has shown himself to be very clever in persuading turkeys to vote for Christmas. My son told me that a colleague thought he was voting for immigrants to leave the UK!!
Suggestions as how to go from here. Until Parliament implements article 50 we can remain in the EU. I suggest asking MPs to ignore the result. It was very close and many decisions were based on lies. It was not pointed out that the economy would be so bad that the £350 million a week would have vanished even before paying for a new hospital a week. The NHS may not survive in its present form. Net immigration may go down but that will be because of a mass exodus from this country by those with the opportunity. The main reason to ignore the result is that if we invoke it there will be revolution. The young will rise up. Why should all their futures be shattered by the this misguided referendum? Will there be much trouble from the Leave camp? Only from the few rabble-rousers.

Revolution is part of life, part of history. I guess I'm a 'head in the sand' type of person as Im just not worried. We elect our politicians and Im happy to let them do their job. I don't understand much more so good luck to them. I shall watch tv with interest in the future. We might all be surprised, the uk managed in the past without being in the EU so why not again in the modern world.

I too hoped I would wake up and find yesterday was just a bad dream Jane. I have watched people being interviewed and giving the reason for voting to leave because they had had enough of Caneron or to 'get our country back' or take 'control'. Someone this morning said she wants our farmers to be able to grow our food again!! Getting back to a little and poor but independednt Britain.
The ignorance of people in the UK is sad but look what they have done - it even affected the markets in Australia - on the first day. This result has had world wide consequences straight away. Many people will just see their hopes and dreams dashed and not be able to just get on with it.
The referendum was unnecessary and by the looks of it ruined the Britain so many wanted to get control of.

The campaign politicians are responsible for the way they represented their cases, far too much talk of immigration and not enough logical thinking of how the re structure of our economy would be feasible. Immigration was never the real issue but the public seemed to latch onto this. It remains to be seen how exactly the people in power will actually sort this all out whilst keeping their promises to the people.

I only know 4 couples that voted leave. Three of the are blatant racists and made no bones about that being their reason for wanting out. I'm sure that racism was a large enough influence to swing the vote to leave. If my assumption is correct (am I believe it is ) that means the result was influenced by an illegal opinion.

The politicians did not do their job – i.e. represent the electorate that put them in power in the first place. MPs are supposed to represent their constituents; this ill-thought out referendum passed the buck. The in/out of the EU was a massively complex question that few of us could fully understand or had time to investigate and truly understand: that's the sort of thing that are MPs are supposed to be doing.

A massively expensive, badly planned referendum about the EU was put in place as a political carrot to ensure re-election for the present Government. It backfired. It is going to cause vast upheavals in the UK and there will be many "ordinary" people, whichever way they voted, who feel let down and whose hopes will have been dashed.

I can't believe how angry I still feel! I thought this morning that I would now accept the situation but it hasn't happened. So many lies and half-truths were told to get people to vote for such a huge change for our country. I've read the comments that basically say 'get over it' but how? I have signed the petition which is rapidly heading towards 1 million signatures of people who clearly feel as angry as I do, and I have a feeling this is going to erupt onto the streets. What have we done?

I share your concern GandTea, but I flinch at your concept of "an illegal opinion". Let's keep the thought police out of it!

Looking at the result in more general terms, it seems that the UK Independence Party has achieved its objective at the likely cost of destroying the UK. Nice one, Nigel.

Please watch this report about just how important our membership of the EU was and the rationale behind it. I find it very informative and moving, but then I like Rachel.

If you don't have patience for the whole thing watch how the world reacted and how much it cost the US alone yesterday.

www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show

With talk of London declaring independence today, Scotland wanting another referendum and Ireland talking about going it alone I hope Brexit leaders have the good grace to be shocked at what they've started when they woke this morning.

@Badenkate

There were demonstrations in London and Edinburgh yesterday about the racist rhetoric of the campaign.

It's not illegal to be racist, unless discrimination or incitement laws are broken.