Britain: The EU Referendum - Cameron's ruling Conservatives- Navbharat Times Photodhamal

1/27

Cameron's ruling Conservatives in particular have risked being torn apart by a slow by steady rise in euroscepticism ever since differences over Europe triggered the ousting of former Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher in 1990.World leaders including Obama, Chinese President Xi Jinping, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, NATO and Commonwealth governments had all urged a "Remain" vote, saying Britain would be stronger and more influential in the EU than outside.

In This Pic : Britain: The EU Referendum

Pic Courtesy : Getty Images

2/27

Yet the four-month campaign has been among the divisive ever waged in Britain, with accusations of lying and scare-mongering on both sides and rows on immigration which critics said at times unleashed overt racism. It also revealed deeper splits in British society, with the pro-Brexit side drawing support from millions of voters who felt left behind by globalization and believed they saw no benefits from Britain's ethnic diversity and free-market economy.

In This Pic : Britain: The EU Referendum

Pic Courtesy : Getty Images

3/27

The murder last week of lawmaker Jo Cox, a former aid worker and ardent Remain campaigner, by a man shouting "Britain first" shocked the country and gave the pro-EU camp a temporary boost. But in the end, concerns over uncontrolled immigration, loss of sovereignty, remote rule from Brussels and a protest vote from working class northern voters appear to have trumped almost unanimous warnings of the economic perils of going it alone.

In This Pic : Britain: The EU Referendum

Pic Courtesy : Getty Images

4/27

"People are concerned about how they have been treated with austerity and how their wages have been frozen for about seven years," said John McDonnell, finance spokesman for the opposition Labour Party, which had favoured a Remain vote. "A lots of people's grievances have come out and we have got to start listening to them."

In This Pic : Britain: The EU Referendum

Pic Courtesy : Getty Images

5/27

Surveys on public attitudes across the EU have for years shown growing disenchantment with European integration, a project that began in the 1950s as a common market for steel and coal but which over the years offered members the chance to join up to a single currency and do away with old national borders.

In This Pic : Britain: The EU Referendum

Pic Courtesy : Getty Images