Britain has voted to leave the European Union.

The sun has risen today in a very different country to the place I went to sleep last night. I am a British person who has lived all her life in the country of her birth. Amongst myself, my friends, my relatives and everyone else I know there is a feeling of deep shock and worry. Yesterday in the U.K. A referendum was held and the country voted on whether to stay in or go out of the European Union. We voted out.

The lead up to the EU Referendum has been fraught with slanging matches. Both sides of the campaign (Brexit vs Remain) have resorted to name calling and misinformation, leaving the general public in confusion. Both the prime minister and the leader of the opposition were in favour of Remain. The politicians campaigning to exit are headed by Nigel Farage (the leader of the U.K. Independence Party) known for being eccentric and strongly anti-immigration . The campaign descended into a mess and it was too close to call. In the end the winning side only had a 1.9% majority 

The statistics showed where the division in opinion lay. There is a stark difference of opinion dividing the young and the old- 72% of 18-24 year olds voted to remain. The majority of those who voted to leave were older and less likely to have a graduate education. The older generation voted for a future that their children don't want and voted against!

It has been the general opinion that to stay in the EU would be best for the British economically. Being in the European Union offers British people the opportunity to travel freely and live and work wherever we want in Europe. The EU offers grants to small businesses. We rely on European immigrants for our workforce. The pound will most likely drop in value if we're out, and it already has. Our economy will be less stable and predictable.

So why did we vote to leave something that seems so positive. The general consensus has been that those who voted out are against European immigration, the possible influx of People from poorer European countries, Turkish immigrants and Syrian refugees. Then there's the issue of sovereignty- right now we are being ruled by a European government that we didn't vote for, Brexit voters want to keep Britain British. Leaving the EU means we're free to strike up trade deals with the rest of the world, The World is a bigger place than when we first joined the the Union, and the EU itself has become a less prosperous place. We'll have more freedom to trade once we're free of it. It could mean prosperity for Britain in the long run, but it's a huge risk.

In the wake of the outcome our Prime Minister has stood down, it is too soon to say what will happen next, who will take charge, no one knows. We have 2 years to leave the Union, but right now the future of our country has been thrown into chaos. All we can do is hope that things will come good in the end, somehow