Northern voters back Leave as they defy Labour’s elite and give two fingers to Brussels
A series of shock votes to take the UK Out across Labour’s traditional heartlands in the early hours of this morning stunned experts
ANGRY voters in the North revolted in huge numbers against the Westminster elite to back Leave in the EU Referendum.
A series of shock votes to take the UK Out across Labour’s traditional heartlands in the early hours of this morning stunned experts.
A series of North East constituencies in particular left their Labour MPs reeling, having defied their pleas to back Remain.
In the first surprise result at 1am, Sunderland voted Out by a huge margin of 61 per cent to 39 per cent. Experts said the city was only expected to marginally favour Leave.
Brexit clocked up another huge win in the region, taking South Tyneside by a decisive 62 per cent to 38 per cent.
Stockton-on-Tees backed Leave by 62 per cent versus 38 per cent.
And in Hartlepool, the Out vote was even stronger, 70 per cent to 30 per cent.
Middlesbrough also voted heavily to leave the EU by 40,177 to 21,181.
The Out campaign also pulled off a surprise upset by pushing Remain very close in Newcastle.
The In campaign only won it by 50.7 per cent versus 49.3 per cent, having been expected to have a big majority there.
David Cameron’s former teacher and the constitutional expert Vernon Bogdanor branded the early results “a real kick to the British establishment”.
The Oxford University professor explained: “All three party leaders have favoured a Remain vote, business has on the whole favoured a Remain vote, financial leaders have backed a Remain vote — the people have not taken their advice, so it appears.”
One of only a handful of Labour MPs to back an Out vote, Bassetlaw MP John Mann, said his party’s kicking has been on the cards for months. Mr Mann said: “The polling showed Labour voters going Leave in huge numbers across the northern heartlands.”
Indications last night also suggested that Wales may also defy the predictions and end up backing Leave.
Emotional Labour MPs began to vent their fury for the electoral disaster at disastrous former leader Ed Miliband.
Shadow Cabinet minister Chris Bryant said he “might go and punch” the ex-Opposition leader because he is “a tosspot”.
By 2am, the pro-EU campaign were left relying on London’s millions of votes to save their hopes, as the capital was expected to be heavily pro-Remain. Nervous Labour Shadow Business Secretary Chuka Umunna told the BBC that the result was “on a knife-edge”.