Britain is to leave the European Union after a nearly half a century plunging the country into unchartered political and economic territory and almost certainly spelling the end of David Cameron’s premiership.

The UK has voted to leave the EU by 52% to 48%. Leave won the majority of votes in England and Wales, while every council in Scotland saw remain majorities. The outcome is also likely to spark a second independence referendum in Scotland that, unlike England and Wales, voted to remain in the EU.

The referendum exposed starkly that UK is a divided nation. The results show the gulf between between a liberal metropolitan class and working class people worried about immigration; between those doing well from globalisation and those “left behind” and not seeing the benefits in jobs or wages; between Scotland and England; between London and the rest of England; between young and older voters and between the well and less well educated. And, of course, a nation split down the middle on the issue of EU membership.

The result will now trigger a formal process of British withdrawal from the European Union.