Brexit: Portsmouth result and reaction

City Council leader Donna Jones said Portsmouth had '˜roared like a lion' in the Brexit vote

A total of 58 per cent of city residents who took part in the EU referendum (57,336) voted to leave the union compared to 42 per cent backing to remain (41,384). The turnout was 70.3 per cent.

Cllr Jones had led a brash campaign and was among the first city council leaders to openly call on residents to vote to leave the EU.

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Speaking of today’s result, she said: ‘I have never been more proud of the city of Portsmouth as I am today.

‘Portsmouth roared like a lion on June 23 in one of the most historic votes the city has ever seen.

‘Portsmouth is a very important city to the United Kingdom, being the home of the Royal Navy.

‘We have sent a strong, loud and clear message not only to Westminster but to Brussels – we don’t want to be in Europe.’

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Portsmouth South MP Flick Drummond has backed the Remain campaign and said she was disheartened about the results in the city.

‘I am obviously disappointed but this is what democracy is all about and people have spoken,’ said Mrs Drummond.

Although the national result has not been revealed, Mrs Drummond highlighted that the surge of Brexit voters had already caused a drop in the value of the pound.

‘The pound has plummeted, yes, and this is very much expected,’ she said.

‘From an economic point of view it’s a big shock as it shows there’s uncertainty and a lack of stability and markets don’t like this.’