Samantha Cameron’s sister Emily Sheffield: Can I join the Labour party? One reaction to the EU referendum results is particularly close to home for David Cameron. Emily Sheffield, Samantha Cameron’s sister and […]

One reaction to the EU referendum results is particularly close to home for David Cameron.

Emily Sheffield, Samantha Cameron’s sister and Deputy Editor of British Vogue, has registered her dismay at the result, making her new party loyalties clear and suggesting her Tory affiliation may have been personal, rather than political.

How quickly can I join the Labour party? I want to have a say so the right wing Tories are held at bay. I only voted Tory for David The i politics newsletter cut through the noise Email address is invalid Email address is invalid Thank you for subscribing! Sorry, there was a problem with your subscription. — Emily Sheffield (@emilysheffield) June 24, 2016

Labour loyalties

Before that I voted Labour twice. The far right is not my home #notinmyname — Emily Sheffield (@emilysheffield) June 24, 2016

Since the referendum result, Ms Sheffield’s posts have been ardently against Brexit. She has called for a second referendum, retweeted reports of racist attacks coinciding with the result, and called attention to the disparities in the vote between age groups.

She’s also questioned the truth and practicality of key parts of the Leave agenda.

Before that I voted Labour twice. The far right is not my home #notinmyname — Emily Sheffield (@emilysheffield) June 24, 2016

Meanwhile…

Ms Sheffield’s tweets came during one of the most dramatic weekends in British politics for decades.

Events have been moving at a furious pace since Friday morning, and the full ramifications of the historic result for the people of the UK remain to be seen. We are, however, beginning to see the first indications of the consequences for the UK’s main political parties.

Conservatives

With David Cameron having resigned, the early stages of the battle to replace him have begun.

Leave campaign figurehead Boris Johnson wrote a column for the Daily Telegraph that felt very like his opening salvo, seeking to reassure disappointed Remain voters and offer some shape for his vision for a post-Brexit Britain.

British people will still be able to go and work in the EU; to live; to travel; to study; to buy homes and to settle down. As the German equivalent of the CBI – the BDI – has very sensibly reminded us, there will continue to be free trade, and access to the single market. Britain is and always will be a great European power, offering top-table opinions and giving leadership on everything from foreign policy to defence to counter-terrorism and intelligence-sharing – all the things we need to do together to make our world safer. Boris Johnson

On Monday, George Osborne ended his media silence by making an early-morning statement designed to reassure the City after the near-panic on the markets on Friday. He spoke of close collaboration with various international financial institutions, and stressed the existence of contingency plans should the situation worsen. As of lunchtime, the pound hit a 31-year low against the dollar.

Labour

Turmoil as well for the Labour party, with Jeremy Corbyn facing a carefully stage-managed procession of resignations from his team. So far, more than a third of the shadow cabinet have quit, and Corbyn has apparently been informed by deputy leader Tom Watson that he has lost authority in the Parliamentary Labour Party, and former shadow Cabinet members Lisa Nandy and Owen Smith have called on him to resign.

A defiant Corbyn has instead named a new shadow cabinet and resisted calls for his departure. A meeting of the PLP tonight will debate a motion of no confidence in their leader tonight, with a secret ballot possible tomorrow.