‘No changes in the short term’ – watch Boris Johnson’s victory speech

Britain’s Prime Minister David Cameron announced Friday that he will quit as Prime Minister follow.

Johnson paid tribute to the Conservative leader as the “one of the most extraordinary politicians of our age”, while trying to reassure Remain backers, particularly young voters, that the United Kingdom would be more prosperous outside the 28-nation bloc.

“We can not turn our backs on Europe, we are part of Europe, our children and our grandchildren will continue to have a wonderful future as Europeans, travelling to the continent, understanding the languages and the cultures that make up our common European civilisation”, Johnson said. We are part of Europe.

“I would reassure those markets and investors that Britain’s economy is fundamentally strong and I would also reassure Britons living in European countries and European citizens living here there will be no immediate changes in your circumstances”.

As he spoke, the pound plummeted to its lowest level since 1985.

He also accused the Conservative MP of telling lies and scaring people, and brandished a “Vote Leave” leaflet which had warned that “majority-Muslim” Turkey could join the European Union.

“They have chose to take back control”.

Johnson earned a reputation as a colorful and sometimes controversial figure during his time as London’s mayor.

The pound collapsed to a 30-year-low after several TV news stations called Leave as the victor in the early hours Friday morning in London.

In his victory speech, Johnson was gracious to his old school friend who had become a fierce political rival.

Mr Johnson, who campaigned against Prime Minister David Cameron, paid tribute to his Tory party leader.

He saluted Cameron’s “bravery” in calling for Thursday’s referendum even though the prime minister campaigned for the country to remain in the 28-member bloc. The American-born politician attended elite schools (he was with Cameron in Eton and Oxford) and worked as a journalist before entering Parliament.

Johnson, the idiosyncratic Oxford-educated former journalist, was born in NY to English parents.

Mr Johnson criticised the European troops’ failure to stop the massacres during the Balkans wars which left 140,000 people dead and many more displaced. Johnson is one of the country’s best known politicians, known across the country simply as “Boris”. He can trace his cosmopolitan family history to Turkey, Switzerland and Russian Federation and he has Muslim, Jewish and Christian ancestors.

Let me be blunt though, most of this is just a slanging match with conjecture being thrown back and forth, and with no side giving any factual arguments to back their claims. 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.