EU REF: Fylde Leave campaigner '˜It's a smashing win and a great day for the UK'

David Haythornthwaite, chairman of AFC Fylde, said: “I went to sleep and it was quite close but then when I woke up at 4.15am and saw the picture emerging and it ultimately shows what people want. That’s the great thing about democracy.

“If you look at the results for Lancashire and the North West it is clear immigration was the number one issue. And if you take away the results for Scotland and London which were always going to vote Remain, then the result is nearer 60/40 in favour of Leave.

“It’s a smashing win and it’s a great day for the UK.”

Asked about the impact on the British pound which fell to its lowest level since 1985 on the back of the result, he said: “There was always going to be that kind of fall happen and I am confident it will stabilise. If we get back the control of our borders and our sovereignty, the fall of the pound for a certain amount of time is a price worth paying.”

He added he would be installing signs at AFC Fylde’s new Mill Farm stadium to thank people for voting Leave.

Fylde MP and Remain supporter Mark Menzies said he hopes jobs will not be lost on the UK’s historic decision to abandon the EU.

Mr Menzies, who said he expected the result in Fylde to be a greater victory for Leave than the 57 per cent/43 per cent margin, said: “I put politics to one side on this issue – it’s about what is right for my constituency.

“We’ve been fighting hard for companies like BAE that had previously said staying in the EU was important for its business and therefore thousands of workers. I just hope in the event of a Brexit jobs are not lost on the back of this.”

He praised Prime Minister David Cameron and said he does not deserve to lose his position as a result of the Leave outcome.

He said: “The Prime Minister has delivered on his promise to give the people of Britain a referendum on being in the EU, fulfilling what he said in our manifesto. Prime Ministers in the past have suggested they would do this, he actually has. He should be given nothing but credit for that. He felt very clearly that British people should have their say on this.

“It is not fair that people should now be calling for his head.”

And he warned against showboating from those who will now need to negotiate Britian’s separation terms from the EU.

He said: “It’s time to calm and cool heads. It is not time for one side over the other being triumphant, there are many important things now to discuss in the days and weeks ahead. This is about people’s homes, people’s jobs and people’s livelihoods.”

Mr Haythornthwaite echoed Mark Menzies’ call for David Cameron to remain as Prime Minister.

He said: “David Cameron did the decent thing by giving us a referendum, which turned out to be very fair. He has argued for staying in the EU and it is his right to continue, he should not resign. I would certainly rather have him negotiating for us than Jeremy Corbyn.”

FYLDE

IN - 19,889 (43%)

OUT - 26,317 (57%)

21 spoiled papers

Turn-out: 75.57 per cent