Britain&#39;s opposition Labour leader said on Sunday he would not resign despite more than a third of his senior team withdrawing their support for him, plunging the party into crisis in the wake of Britain&#39;s vote to leave the European Union (EU).&nbsp; 
 
Jeremy Corbyn, elected last year with the overwhelming support from grassroots Labour members, has faced criticism from some Labour lawmakers that he had not done enough to convince millions of voters in the party&#39;s heartlands to back remaining in the EU. 
 
&quot;I regret there have been resignations today from my shadow cabinet. But I am not going to betray the trust of those who voted for me, or the millions of supporters across the country who need Labour to represent them,&quot; Corbyn said in a statement. 
 
&quot;Those who want to change Labour&#39;s leadership will have to stand in a democratic election, in which I will be a candidate.&quot; 
 
After a stinging election defeat for Labour last year, Corbyn won the leadership thanks to grassroots support but he has struggled to win the backing of Labour lawmakers, many of whom find themselves far closer to the centre ground than him. 
 
 
Cameron&#39;s resignation piles pressure on Labour party 
Britain is not due to hold a parliamentary election until 2020, but after Prime Minister David Cameron&#39;s announcement that he would resign after losing the referendum, many expect that one could now be called earlier by his successor &ndash; putting pressure on Labour to present itself as a credible alternative. 
 
&quot;I urge you, because you are a decent man, to do the decent thing and take the only action that can avert potential disaster by stepping aside,&quot; senior lawmaker Chris Bryant said in a letter to Corbyn, which he posted on Twitter. 
 
&quot;If you do so I believe future generations will praise your selflessness. If you refuse to step aside, I fear you will go down in history as the man who broke the Labour Party,&rdquo; the post on the microblogging said.&nbsp; 
 
Bryant, who said he was stepping down from his role in charge of Labour&#39;s parliamentary business, further underlined Corbyn&#39;s &quot;ambivalent attitude&quot; to the EU campaign had betrayed the Labour party and wider movement. 
 
Since the referendum, two Labour lawmakers have submitted a motion of no-confidence in Corbyn, calling for his leadership to be debated at a meeting of the party&#39;s lawmakers on Monday, followed by a secret ballot. 
 
Early on Sunday the Labour leader sacked his foreign policy chief Hilary Benn, after Benn said he had lost confidence in the ability of Corbyn, who is on the party&#39;s far left, to lead Labour. 
 
Over the course of the day, 11 others &ndash; Bryant, Gloria de Piero, Heidi Alexander, Lucy Powell, Ian Murray, Kerry McCarthy, Vernon Coaker, Charles Falconer, Lilian Greenwood, Karl Turner and Seema Malhotra &nbsp;- said they were stepping down from Corbyn&#39;s top team of 30 lawmakers, known as the &quot;shadow cabinet&quot;. 
 
Malhotra, a member of Corbyn&#39;s finance policy team who had introduced him at a speech on Saturday, said Labour needed to strengthen its influence at a time of such political and economic upheaval. 
 
&quot;We need to recognise that we do not currently look like a government in waiting,&quot; she said in a letter to Corbyn, which she also published on Twitter. 
 
Several of the others also said in statements that they doubted Corbyn&#39;s ability to lead the party to victory in the next election. 
 
(Reuters)&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

Stand in an election -- 'In which I will be a candidate' -- if you want to change Labour's leadership, says Britain's Opposition leader

Britain's opposition Labour leader said on Sunday he would not resign despite more than a third of his senior team withdrawing their support for him, plunging the party into crisis in the wake of Britain's vote to leave the European Union (EU). Jeremy Corbyn, elected last year with the overwhelming support from grassroots Labour members, has faced criticism from some Labour lawmakers that he had not done enough to convince millions of voters in the party's heartlands to back remaining in the EU. "I regret there have been resignations today from my shadow cabinet. But I am not going to betray the trust of those who voted for me, or the millions of supporters across the country who need Labour to represent them," Corbyn said in a statement. "Those who want to change Labour's leadership will have to stand in a democratic election, in which I will be a candidate." After a stinging election defeat for Labour last year, Corbyn won the leadership thanks to grassroots support but he has struggled to win the backing of Labour lawmakers, many of whom find themselves far closer to the centre ground than him. Cameron's resignation piles pressure on Labour party Britain is not due to hold a parliamentary election until 2020, but after Prime Minister David Cameron's announcement that he would resign after losing the referendum, many expect that one could now be called earlier by his successor – putting pressure on Labour to present itself as a credible alternative. "I urge you, because you are a decent man, to do the decent thing and take the only action that can avert potential disaster by stepping aside," senior lawmaker Chris Bryant said in a letter to Corbyn, which he posted on Twitter. "If you do so I believe future generations will praise your selflessness. If you refuse to step aside, I fear you will go down in history as the man who broke the Labour Party,” the post on the microblogging said. Bryant, who said he was stepping down from his role in charge of Labour's parliamentary business, further underlined Corbyn's "ambivalent attitude" to the EU campaign had betrayed the Labour party and wider movement. Since the referendum, two Labour lawmakers have submitted a motion of no-confidence in Corbyn, calling for his leadership to be debated at a meeting of the party's lawmakers on Monday, followed by a secret ballot. Early on Sunday the Labour leader sacked his foreign policy chief Hilary Benn, after Benn said he had lost confidence in the ability of Corbyn, who is on the party's far left, to lead Labour. Over the course of the day, 11 others – Bryant, Gloria de Piero, Heidi Alexander, Lucy Powell, Ian Murray, Kerry McCarthy, Vernon Coaker, Charles Falconer, Lilian Greenwood, Karl Turner and Seema Malhotra - said they were stepping down from Corbyn's top team of 30 lawmakers, known as the "shadow cabinet". Malhotra, a member of Corbyn's finance policy team who had introduced him at a speech on Saturday, said Labour needed to strengthen its influence at a time of such political and economic upheaval. "We need to recognise that we do not currently look like a government in waiting," she said in a letter to Corbyn, which she also published on Twitter. Several of the others also said in statements that they doubted Corbyn's ability to lead the party to victory in the next election. (Reuters)

A third of his senior team withdraws support but Corbyn says he will not step down

British Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn is failing and should resign, Hilary Benn, said today. 
 
&quot;He&#39;s a good and decent man but he is not a leader,&quot; Benn told BBC television hour after he was dismissed as foreign policy chief by &nbsp;Jeremy Corbyn. &nbsp; 
 
The Observer newspaper revealed in their report that Benn was preparing to lead a coup against the party leader. 
 
A spokesman for Benn declined to comment, the newspaper added. 
 
The sacking and the subsequent resignation of two other members of Corbyn&#39;s cabinet has plunged the party into open conflict after Britain voted to leave the European Union. 
 
&quot;It is increasingly widely felt that the leadership that we currently have is not working and in those circumstances we would not be doing our job if we didn&#39;t say that openly and honestly, and that is what I&#39;ve done,&quot; Benn said, adding that he would not stand to lead the party himself. 
 
Benn&#39;s dismissal was followed by the resignation of Labour&#39;s shadow health minister, Heidi Alexander, and youth policy lead Gloria De Piero. 
 
&quot;It is understood that Benn had called fellow MPs over the weekend to suggest that he would ask Corbyn to stand down if there was significant support for a move against him,&quot; the newspaper said. &quot;He had also asked shadow cabinet colleagues to join him in resigning if Corbyn ignored that request.&quot; 
 
Corbyn informed Benn that he was sacking him because he had lost the Labour leader&rsquo;s trust, the newspaper quoted a Corbyn spokesman as saying. 
 
(Reuters)

The Observer newspaper reported Benn had been preparing to lead a coup against party leader Jeremy Corbyn

British Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn is failing and should resign, Hilary Benn, said today. "He's a good and decent man but he is not a leader," Benn told BBC television hour after he was dismissed as foreign policy chief by Jeremy Corbyn. The Observer newspaper revealed in their report that Benn was preparing to lead a coup against the party leader. A spokesman for Benn declined to comment, the newspaper added. The sacking and the subsequent resignation of two other members of Corbyn's cabinet has plunged the party into open conflict after Britain voted to leave the European Union. "It is increasingly widely felt that the leadership that we currently have is not working and in those circumstances we would not be doing our job if we didn't say that openly and honestly, and that is what I've done," Benn said, adding that he would not stand to lead the party himself. Benn's dismissal was followed by the resignation of Labour's shadow health minister, Heidi Alexander, and youth policy lead Gloria De Piero. "It is understood that Benn had called fellow MPs over the weekend to suggest that he would ask Corbyn to stand down if there was significant support for a move against him," the newspaper said. "He had also asked shadow cabinet colleagues to join him in resigning if Corbyn ignored that request." Corbyn informed Benn that he was sacking him because he had lost the Labour leader’s trust, the newspaper quoted a Corbyn spokesman as saying. (Reuters)

Labour boss Corbyn 'not a leader', should step down: Sacked shadow foreign secretary Benn

Heidi Alexander, who resigned as health policy chief for Britain&#39;s opposition Labour Party today, said she expected several of her colleagues in party leader Jeremy Corbyn&#39;s top team to do the same. 
 
The party is in open conflict following Britain`s vote to leave the European Union on Thursday. Labour&#39;s widely respected foreign policy chief Hilary Benn was sacked earlier after saying he had lost confidence in Corbyn. 
 
&quot;I think that there are a fair number,&quot; Alexander told ITV television in response to a question about how many of her colleagues she expected to resign. 
 
&quot;I know from the conversations that I&#39;ve had with colleagues that this is a very difficult time for all of us. It&#39;s not a decision that we want to take but some of the time you do have to take tough decisions in politics and so I know a lot of my colleagues will be asking themselves similar questions to the one I&#39;ve asked myself this morning.&quot; 
 
(Reuters)

Labour's widely respected foreign policy chief Hilary Benn was sacked earlier after saying he had lost confidence in party leader Corbyn

Heidi Alexander, who resigned as health policy chief for Britain's opposition Labour Party today, said she expected several of her colleagues in party leader Jeremy Corbyn's top team to do the same. The party is in open conflict following Britain`s vote to leave the European Union on Thursday. Labour's widely respected foreign policy chief Hilary Benn was sacked earlier after saying he had lost confidence in Corbyn. "I think that there are a fair number," Alexander told ITV television in response to a question about how many of her colleagues she expected to resign. "I know from the conversations that I've had with colleagues that this is a very difficult time for all of us. It's not a decision that we want to take but some of the time you do have to take tough decisions in politics and so I know a lot of my colleagues will be asking themselves similar questions to the one I've asked myself this morning." (Reuters)

'Fair number' of UK Labour policy chiefs to resign: Heidi Alexander

Britain&#39;s opposition Labour party plunged into turmoil today and the prospect of Scottish independence drew closer, ahead of a showdown with EU leaders over the country&#39;s seismic vote to leave the bloc. 
 
Two days after Prime Minister David Cameron resigned over his failure to keep Britain in the European Union, Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn faced a revolt by his lawmakers who called for him, too, to quit. 
 
US secretary of state John Kerry will also fly first to Brussels and then on to London on Monday, amid dismay in Washington over Britain&#39;s decision. 
 
European leaders have called for a swift divorce amid fears of a domino-effect of exit votes in eurosceptic member states that could imperil the integrity of the 28-country alliance. 
 
Britain&#39;s political world is in disarray, while two new polls today showed a surge in support for independence in Scotland, where voters defied the national mood and chose to stay in the EU. 
 
European leaders meet on Monday to discuss the result, which wiped $2.1 trillion from global equity markets Friday amid fears of a new threat to the global economy. 
 
German Chancellor Angela Merkel will host French President Francois Hollande, Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi and EU President Donald Tusk for talks in Berlin. 
 
Cameron is then due to attend a summit of EU leaders on Tuesday to explain Britain&#39;s decision. 
 
Britons cast aside warnings of isolation and economic disaster to vote 52 percent to 48 percent in favour of quitting the EU in Thursday&#39;s referendum. 
 
The historic vote, fought on the battlefronts of the economy and immigration, exposed deep divisions in the country that politicians are scrambling to respond to. 
 
Cameron has said he will stay on until a successor is found from within his governing Conservative party, which could take until October, at which point the new prime minister will launch the EU exit negotiations. 
 
But EU foreign ministers on Saturday urged Britain not to delay, with France&#39;s Jean-Marc Ayrault directly calling on Cameron to go quickly. 
 
&quot;A new prime minister must be designated, that will take a few days but there is a certain urgency,&quot; he told AFP. 
 
German Chancellor Angela Merkel said Britain&#39;s exit talks should not &quot;drag on forever&quot; but said that until they were completed, Britain would remain a fully-fledged EU member. 
 
&quot;There is no reason to be nasty in the negotiations. We have to follow the rules of the game,&quot; she said. 
 
Labour revolt 
 
Likely candidates to succeed Cameron, including Brexit campaigner and former London mayor Boris Johnson, began sounding out support over the weekend. 
 
The referendum decision has also lit a fuse under disgruntled members of the Labour party, many of whom have been unhappy with Corbyn&#39;s leadership since he took office last September. 
 
Support for leaving the European Union was strong across northern England, the Midlands and Wales, including many areas that traditional vote Labour. 
 
The party leadership had campaigned to stay in the EU, but critics accuse Corbyn of failing to reach out to working-class voters drawn in by the &quot;Leave&quot; camp&#39;s anti-establishment rhetoric. 
 
After a symbolic vote of no confidence on Friday against Corbyn, he sacked foreign affairs spokesman Hilary Benn late Saturday for challenging his leadership. 
 
Hours later, health spokeswoman Heidi Alexander quit, and media reports suggested several other colleagues were poised to join her.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;I do not believe you have the capacity to shape the answers our country is demanding,&quot; Alexander wrote in her resignation letter. 
 
But allies of the veteran socialist said he had no plans to step down. &quot;He&#39;s not going anywhere,&quot; finance spokesman John McDonnell told BBC television. 
 
The motion of no confidence is expected to be discussed at a meeting of the parliamentary Labour party on Monday. 
 
Any challenger would need the support of 20 percent of the party&#39;s 229 MPs and it would then be put to party members. 
 
Boost for Scottish independence&nbsp; 
 
As Westminster politicians bickered, Scotland appeared to be moving closer towards independence, just two years after they voted by 55 per cent to stay in the UK. 
 
&quot;The UK that Scotland voted to stay in in 2014 does not exist any more,&quot; First Minister and Scottish National Party leader Nicola Sturgeon told BBC television Sunday. 
 
Scots had defied the national trend and voted to remain in the European Union, and the prospect of being taken out against their will has boosted the nationalist cause. 
 
Two polls today support for independence at 59 percent and 52 percent respectively. 
 
Sturgeon has said a second independence referendum was now &quot;highly likely&quot;, and a meeting of her cabinet on Saturday agreed to start drawing up the necessary legislation. 
 
&quot;This is not going to be a re-run of the 2014 referendum. The context and the circumstances have changed dramatically,&quot; she told the BBC. 
 
Across Britain, more than three million Britons signed up to a rapidly-growing petition on an official government website pleading for a new vote. 
 
The number of signatories far surpassed the 100,000 required for a proposal to be discussed in the House of Commons. A committee will consider the motion on Tuesday.&nbsp; 
 
(AFP)

Scots defied the national mood and voted to stay on in EU. The 'leave' sentiment was strong in northern England, Midlands and Wales

Britain's opposition Labour party plunged into turmoil today and the prospect of Scottish independence drew closer, ahead of a showdown with EU leaders over the country's seismic vote to leave the bloc. Two days after Prime Minister David Cameron resigned over his failure to keep Britain in the European Union, Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn faced a revolt by his lawmakers who called for him, too, to quit. US secretary of state John Kerry will also fly first to Brussels and then on to London on Monday, amid dismay in Washington over Britain's decision. European leaders have called for a swift divorce amid fears of a domino-effect of exit votes in eurosceptic member states that could imperil the integrity of the 28-country alliance. Britain's political world is in disarray, while two new polls today showed a surge in support for independence in Scotland, where voters defied the national mood and chose to stay in the EU. European leaders meet on Monday to discuss the result, which wiped $2.1 trillion from global equity markets Friday amid fears of a new threat to the global economy. German Chancellor Angela Merkel will host French President Francois Hollande, Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi and EU President Donald Tusk for talks in Berlin. Cameron is then due to attend a summit of EU leaders on Tuesday to explain Britain's decision. Britons cast aside warnings of isolation and economic disaster to vote 52 percent to 48 percent in favour of quitting the EU in Thursday's referendum. The historic vote, fought on the battlefronts of the economy and immigration, exposed deep divisions in the country that politicians are scrambling to respond to. Cameron has said he will stay on until a successor is found from within his governing Conservative party, which could take until October, at which point the new prime minister will launch the EU exit negotiations. But EU foreign ministers on Saturday urged Britain not to delay, with France's Jean-Marc Ayrault directly calling on Cameron to go quickly. "A new prime minister must be designated, that will take a few days but there is a certain urgency," he told AFP. German Chancellor Angela Merkel said Britain's exit talks should not "drag on forever" but said that until they were completed, Britain would remain a fully-fledged EU member. "There is no reason to be nasty in the negotiations. We have to follow the rules of the game," she said. Labour revolt Likely candidates to succeed Cameron, including Brexit campaigner and former London mayor Boris Johnson, began sounding out support over the weekend. The referendum decision has also lit a fuse under disgruntled members of the Labour party, many of whom have been unhappy with Corbyn's leadership since he took office last September. Support for leaving the European Union was strong across northern England, the Midlands and Wales, including many areas that traditional vote Labour. The party leadership had campaigned to stay in the EU, but critics accuse Corbyn of failing to reach out to working-class voters drawn in by the "Leave" camp's anti-establishment rhetoric. After a symbolic vote of no confidence on Friday against Corbyn, he sacked foreign affairs spokesman Hilary Benn late Saturday for challenging his leadership. Hours later, health spokeswoman Heidi Alexander quit, and media reports suggested several other colleagues were poised to join her. "I do not believe you have the capacity to shape the answers our country is demanding," Alexander wrote in her resignation letter. But allies of the veteran socialist said he had no plans to step down. "He's not going anywhere," finance spokesman John McDonnell told BBC television. The motion of no confidence is expected to be discussed at a meeting of the parliamentary Labour party on Monday. Any challenger would need the support of 20 percent of the party's 229 MPs and it would then be put to party members. Boost for Scottish independence As Westminster politicians bickered, Scotland appeared to be moving closer towards independence, just two years after they voted by 55 per cent to stay in the UK. "The UK that Scotland voted to stay in in 2014 does not exist any more," First Minister and Scottish National Party leader Nicola Sturgeon told BBC television Sunday. Scots had defied the national trend and voted to remain in the European Union, and the prospect of being taken out against their will has boosted the nationalist cause. Two polls today support for independence at 59 percent and 52 percent respectively. Sturgeon has said a second independence referendum was now "highly likely", and a meeting of her cabinet on Saturday agreed to start drawing up the necessary legislation. "This is not going to be a re-run of the 2014 referendum. The context and the circumstances have changed dramatically," she told the BBC. Across Britain, more than three million Britons signed up to a rapidly-growing petition on an official government website pleading for a new vote. The number of signatories far surpassed the 100,000 required for a proposal to be discussed in the House of Commons. A committee will consider the motion on Tuesday. (AFP)

UK's split with EU boosts Scottish nationalists

Seven members of Britain&#39;s opposition Labour Party said on Sunday they had withdrawn support for the leadership of Jeremy Corbyn, plunging the party into crisis in the wake of Britain&#39;s vote to leave the European Union. 
 
Corbyn sacked Hilary Benn as Labour&#39;s foreign policy chief today after he said he had lost confidence in the leadership. Gloria de Piero, Heidi Alexander, Lucy Powell and Ian Murray all announced they were withdrawing support and stepping down from Corbyn&#39;s &#39;shadow cabinet&#39;. 
 
Sky News television reported that Lilian Greenwood and Kerry Mccarthy had also resigned. 
 
Several said in statements that they doubted Corbyn&#39;s ability to lead the party to victory in the country&#39;s next parliamentary election. 
 
A vote must take place within months after Conservative Prime Minister David Cameron announced on Friday he would step down by October after Britain voted to leave the European Union. 
 
(Reuters)

Gloria de Piero, Heidi Alexander, Lucy Powell and Ian Murray announced they were withdrawing support and resigning from shadow cabinet

Seven members of Britain's opposition Labour Party said on Sunday they had withdrawn support for the leadership of Jeremy Corbyn, plunging the party into crisis in the wake of Britain's vote to leave the European Union. Corbyn sacked Hilary Benn as Labour's foreign policy chief today after he said he had lost confidence in the leadership. Gloria de Piero, Heidi Alexander, Lucy Powell and Ian Murray all announced they were withdrawing support and stepping down from Corbyn's 'shadow cabinet'. Sky News television reported that Lilian Greenwood and Kerry Mccarthy had also resigned. Several said in statements that they doubted Corbyn's ability to lead the party to victory in the country's next parliamentary election. A vote must take place within months after Conservative Prime Minister David Cameron announced on Friday he would step down by October after Britain voted to leave the European Union. (Reuters)

Seven of Labour withdraw support from Corbyn

Turmoil unleashed by Britain&#39;s vote to leave the EU engulfed the opposition Labour Party, while policymakers as far away as China, Japan and South Korea fretted today over the threat to global financial stability, hours before markets reopen. 
 
In the oldest parliamentary democracy, three million Britons have signed a petition calling for a re-run of Thursday&#39;s referendum that split the nation, and one opinion poll showed a strong majority of Scots now want to break with the United Kingdom rather than with the European Union. 
 
Labour&#39;s left-wing leader Jeremy Corbyn sacked his foreign policy chief as the party plunged into open conflict. 
 
His health chief responded by resigning, calling for a new leader and reflecting accusations among pro-EU lawmakers that Corbyn&#39;s failure to win over traditional Labour voters had played a major role in the referendum result. 
 
Sacked foreign affairs spokesman Hilary Benn also called for Corbyn, who was elected last year largely by Left-wing party members and supporters, to go. &quot;He is a good and decent man but he is not a leader,&quot; Benn told BBC television. 
 
The 52-48 per cent referendum vote marked the biggest blow since World War II to the European project of forging greater unity across the continent. 
 
Sterling fell as much as 10 per cent against the Dollar on Friday to levels last seen in 1985, while world stocks saw more than $2 trillion wiped off their value. The weekend gave some respite from the turmoil, but with markets opening shortly in Asia, anxiety is growing. 
 
Prime Minister David Cameron resigned on Friday after Britons ignored his passionate appeals to stay in the EU, but left formally notifying Brussels of Britain&#39;s exit to his successor, who is unlikely to be in office for about three months. That signals a long period of limbo. 
 
Chinese Finance Minister Lou Jiwei said the vote &quot;will cast a shadow over the global economy&quot;. 
 
&quot;It&#39;s difficult to predict now,&quot; he said at the first annual meeting of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank in Beijing. &quot;The knee-jerk reaction from the market is probably a bit excessive and needs to calm down and take an objective view.&quot; 
 
Japan likewise fretted over the effect on the global currency market and contemplated official action. &quot;Speculative, violent moves have extremely negative effects,&quot; said Tomomi Inada, policy chief of the ruling LDP party. &quot;If necessary, the government should not hesitate to respond, including currency intervention,&quot; Nikkei daily quoted him as saying. 
 
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has tried to engineer a weaker Yen to encourage exports to help revive the Japanese economy. But after initial success, investors have sought safety in the Yen this year due to stock market turmoil and now the Brexit vote, pushing the currency back up. 
 
No respite 
 
South Korea&#39;s finance minister also said he feared international markets will remain volatile throughout negotiations on the British exit. 
 
The United States, which during campaigning made clear it wanted Britain to stay in the EU, also showed signs of unease. 
 
Secretary of state John Kerry will meet EU foreign policy chief Frederica Mogherini in Brussels and British Foreign Minister Philip Hammond in London on Monday. 
 
The visit is largely meant to offer symbolic reassurance at a critical juncture for Europe, but a senior US official said Kerry would also stress the importance of other members not following Britain&#39;s lead and further weakening the EU. 
 
Despite the international expressions of concern, respite from the uncertainty is unlikely for months, at the very least. 
 
Cameron has offered to stay on as a caretaker, but he has refused to invoke Article 50 of the EU&#39;s Lisbon Treaty, which allows for two years of exit negotiations. Instead he left that job to his successor, who is due to be elected by his Conservative Party sometime before its annual conference in October. 
 
Only after the new leader has invoked can work on thrashing out Britain&#39;s new relationship with the bloc begin. The man widely tipped as the next prime minister is former London mayor Boris Johnson, the most prominent member of the campaign to leave the EU. 
 
No lying down 
 
Signs are growing that not all the 16 million Britons who voted to stay in the EU are willing to take the result lying down. Many flocked to back an online petition demanding a second vote, with signatures exceeding three million today morning, more than double the figure the previous afternoon. 
 
The petition, posted on Parliament&#39;s website before the referendum, said there should be another vote if the outcome was close on a turnout of less than 75 per cent - three points above Thursday&#39;s figure. 
 
It will have to be considered for debate by lawmakers, but has no legal force and its backers compare with the 17.4 million who voted &quot;leave&quot;. 
 
The referendum has also re-energised support for Scotland, which voted overwhelmingly to remain in the EU, to break away from the United Kingdom instead. 
 
An opinion poll in The Sunday Post said 59 per cent of respondents backed independence, rocketing from 45 per cent of votes cast in a referendum in 2014. 
 
Scottish first minister Nicola Sturgeon has said a fresh independence referendum is possible 
 
&quot;My challenge now as first minister is to work out how I best protect Scotland&#39;s interests, how I try to prevent us being taken out of the EU against our will with all of the deeply damaging and painful consequences that that will entail,&quot; she told the BBC&#39;s Andrew Marr show.&nbsp; 
 
(Reuters)

The 52-48% referendum vote marked the biggest blow since World War II to the European project forging unity across the continent

Turmoil unleashed by Britain's vote to leave the EU engulfed the opposition Labour Party, while policymakers as far away as China, Japan and South Korea fretted today over the threat to global financial stability, hours before markets reopen. In the oldest parliamentary democracy, three million Britons have signed a petition calling for a re-run of Thursday's referendum that split the nation, and one opinion poll showed a strong majority of Scots now want to break with the United Kingdom rather than with the European Union. Labour's left-wing leader Jeremy Corbyn sacked his foreign policy chief as the party plunged into open conflict. His health chief responded by resigning, calling for a new leader and reflecting accusations among pro-EU lawmakers that Corbyn's failure to win over traditional Labour voters had played a major role in the referendum result. Sacked foreign affairs spokesman Hilary Benn also called for Corbyn, who was elected last year largely by Left-wing party members and supporters, to go. "He is a good and decent man but he is not a leader," Benn told BBC television. The 52-48 per cent referendum vote marked the biggest blow since World War II to the European project of forging greater unity across the continent. Sterling fell as much as 10 per cent against the Dollar on Friday to levels last seen in 1985, while world stocks saw more than $2 trillion wiped off their value. The weekend gave some respite from the turmoil, but with markets opening shortly in Asia, anxiety is growing. Prime Minister David Cameron resigned on Friday after Britons ignored his passionate appeals to stay in the EU, but left formally notifying Brussels of Britain's exit to his successor, who is unlikely to be in office for about three months. That signals a long period of limbo. Chinese Finance Minister Lou Jiwei said the vote "will cast a shadow over the global economy". "It's difficult to predict now," he said at the first annual meeting of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank in Beijing. "The knee-jerk reaction from the market is probably a bit excessive and needs to calm down and take an objective view." Japan likewise fretted over the effect on the global currency market and contemplated official action. "Speculative, violent moves have extremely negative effects," said Tomomi Inada, policy chief of the ruling LDP party. "If necessary, the government should not hesitate to respond, including currency intervention," Nikkei daily quoted him as saying. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has tried to engineer a weaker Yen to encourage exports to help revive the Japanese economy. But after initial success, investors have sought safety in the Yen this year due to stock market turmoil and now the Brexit vote, pushing the currency back up. No respite South Korea's finance minister also said he feared international markets will remain volatile throughout negotiations on the British exit. The United States, which during campaigning made clear it wanted Britain to stay in the EU, also showed signs of unease. Secretary of state John Kerry will meet EU foreign policy chief Frederica Mogherini in Brussels and British Foreign Minister Philip Hammond in London on Monday. The visit is largely meant to offer symbolic reassurance at a critical juncture for Europe, but a senior US official said Kerry would also stress the importance of other members not following Britain's lead and further weakening the EU. Despite the international expressions of concern, respite from the uncertainty is unlikely for months, at the very least. Cameron has offered to stay on as a caretaker, but he has refused to invoke Article 50 of the EU's Lisbon Treaty, which allows for two years of exit negotiations. Instead he left that job to his successor, who is due to be elected by his Conservative Party sometime before its annual conference in October. Only after the new leader has invoked can work on thrashing out Britain's new relationship with the bloc begin. The man widely tipped as the next prime minister is former London mayor Boris Johnson, the most prominent member of the campaign to leave the EU. No lying down Signs are growing that not all the 16 million Britons who voted to stay in the EU are willing to take the result lying down. Many flocked to back an online petition demanding a second vote, with signatures exceeding three million today morning, more than double the figure the previous afternoon. The petition, posted on Parliament's website before the referendum, said there should be another vote if the outcome was close on a turnout of less than 75 per cent - three points above Thursday's figure. It will have to be considered for debate by lawmakers, but has no legal force and its backers compare with the 17.4 million who voted "leave". The referendum has also re-energised support for Scotland, which voted overwhelmingly to remain in the EU, to break away from the United Kingdom instead. An opinion poll in The Sunday Post said 59 per cent of respondents backed independence, rocketing from 45 per cent of votes cast in a referendum in 2014. Scottish first minister Nicola Sturgeon has said a fresh independence referendum is possible "My challenge now as first minister is to work out how I best protect Scotland's interests, how I try to prevent us being taken out of the EU against our will with all of the deeply damaging and painful consequences that that will entail," she told the BBC's Andrew Marr show. (Reuters)

British EU exit turmoil alarms Asia, rocks Labour opposition

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