After a closely fought referendum campaign, Britain went to the polls yesterday and voted to leave the European Union.

Rushanara Ali MP said:

“I want to thank all those who worked tirelessly on our campaign to remain in the EU. I know the result will be deeply disappointing to all those who share my belief that the UK would be better off, safer and stronger within the EU.  Here in Tower Hamlets, nearly 70 percent of the electorate voted to remain and across London some 60 percent of voters chose to remain in the EU. 

The debates leading up to the referendum have been passionate but also exposed deep divisions in our county by region, class, age and race. We must all work hard to repair those divisions and help unite the many different communities in our country, and especially those who will feel particularly anxious about their future. The Government must focus on doing all that's needed to protect our economy, people's livelihoods and our public services in the face of great uncertainty and anxiety."