Today is a day to be magnanimous and not gratuitously rude to those who have genuine concerns and voted for Remain. I think we all acknowledge we face a period of uncertainty and difficulty.
However, what we have seen is a peaceful political revolution through the ballot box. Many people felt they hadn’t been listened to on issues such as immigration and sovereignty. Now their voices are being heard loudly and clearly.
I am very pleased with the results in Wales. Obviously, it would have been the icing on the cake if Monmouthshire had backed Leave but I can also point out that the local authority boundaries differ from the parliamentary boundaries. The Monmouth constituency includes parts of Torfaen (Croesyceiliog, Llanyravon, Llanfrechfa and Ponthir) which of course voted heavily in favour of Brexit.
In the weeks leading up to the referendum, I was contacted by people who were born in other countries and live in Britain. They were worried that Brexit would be bad news for them and I am even more saddened that they thought Leave campaigners had something against them personally. Please be assured this is absolutely not the case. You are as welcome today as you were yesterday. Brexit is not about racism or xenophobia. It is about opening up Britain to the whole world for trade and friendship.
I acknowledge David Cameron’s decision to resign. He has been a fine leader of the Conservative Party for the last 11 years and I had grown to like and respect him. I think he felt that he had boxed himself into a corner on the referendum and had no alternative but to step down as Prime Minister. We now need a leader who can unite the party, reassure the public and take us forward to an exciting new future.