the british people have voted to leave
the european union
and their will must be respected
i want to thank everyone who took part
in the campaign on my side of the
argument
including all those who put put aside
party differences
to speak in what they believed was the
national interest
and let me congratulate all those who
took part in the leave campaign
for the spirited and passionate case
that they made
the will of the british people is an
instruction that must be delivered
it was not a decision that was taken
lightly
not least because so many things were
said by so many different organizations
about the significance of this decision
so there can be no doubt about the
result
across the world people have been
watching the choice that britain has
made
i would reassure those markets and
investors
that britain's economy is fundamentally
strong
and i would also reassure brits living
in european countries
and european citizens living here that
there will be no
immediate changes in your circumstances
there will be no initial change in the
way our people can travel
in the way our goods can move or the way
our services can be sold
we must now prepare for a negotiation
with the european union
this will need to involve the full
engagement of the scottish
welsh and northern ireland governments
to ensure that the interests of
all parts of our united kingdom are
protected
and advanced but above all this will
require
strong determined and committed
leadership
i'm very proud and very honored to have
been prime minister of this country
for six years i believe we've made great
steps
with more people in work than ever
before in our history
with reforms to welfare and education
increasing
people's life chances building a bigger
and stronger society
keeping our promises to the poorest
people in the world
and enabling those who love each other
to get married whatever their sexuality
but above all restoring britain's
economic strength
and i'm grateful to everyone who's
helped to make that happen
i've also always believed that we have
to confront big decisions
not duck them that is why we delivered
the first coalition government in
seventy years
to bring our economy back from the brink
it's why we delivered
a fair legal and decisive referendum
in scotland and it's why i made the
pledge to renegotiate britain's position
in the european union
and to hold a referendum on our
membership and have carried those things
out
i fought this campaign in the only way i
know how
which is to say directly and
passionately
what i think and feel head heart and
soul
i held nothing back i was absolutely
clear about
my belief that britain is stronger safer
and better off
inside the european union and i made
clear the referendum was about
this and this alone not the future of
any single politician
including myself but the british people
have made a very clear decision
to take a different path and as such
i think the country requires fresh
leadership to take it
in this direction i will do everything i
can as prime minister
to steady the ship over the coming weeks
and months
but i do not think it would be right for
me to try to be the captain
that steers our country to its next
destination
this is not a decision i've taken
lightly but i do believe
it's in the national interest to have a
period of stability
and then the new leadership required
there is no need for a precise timetable
today
but in my view we should aim to have a
new prime minister in place
by the start of the conservative party
conference in october
delivering stability will be important
and i will continue
in post as prime minister with my
cabinet for the next three months
the cabinet will meet on monday the
governor of the bank of england is
making a statement about the steps
that the bank and the treasury are
taking to reassure financial markets
we will also continue taking forward the
important legislation
that we set before parliament in the
queen's speech
and i've spoken to her majesty the queen
this morning to advise her of the steps
that i'm taking a negotiation with the
european union
will need to begin under a new prime
minister
and i think it's right that this new
prime minister takes the decision
about when to trigger article 50 and
start the
formal and legal process of leaving the
eu
i will attend the european council next
week to explain the decision the british
people have taken
and my own decision the british people
have made a choice
that not only needs to be respected but
those on the losing side of the argument
myself included should help to make it
work
britain is a special country we have so
many great advantages
a parliamentary democracy where we
resolve great issues about our future
through peaceful debate a great trading
nation with our science and arts
our engineering and our creativity
respected the world over and while we
are not perfect i do believe we can be a
model
of a multi-racial multi-faith democracy
where people can come and make a
contribution
and rise to the very highest that their
talent allows
although leaving europe was not the path
i recommended
i am the first to praise our incredible
strengths
i've said before that britain can
survive outside the european union
and indeed that we could find a way
now the decision has been made to leave
we need to find
the best way and i will do everything i
can to help
i love this country and i feel honored
to have served it and i will do
everything i can in future
to help this great country succeed
thank you very much