David Cameron asked his aides 'why should I do the hard s***' as he prepared his resignation, it emerged today as a shocked Britain reflected on the shock Brexit vote.

The departing Prime Minister reportedly told members of his inner circle that he would rather hand over control sooner than spend time negotiating Britain's tricky exit from the EU.

As he got ready to resign early yesterday morning, Mr Cameron then thanked his aides, many of whom have been by his side throughout his 11 years as Conservative leader and six at No 10.

In his resignation speech, Mr Cameron then said it would not be right for him to be the 'captain of the ship' as the negotiations were carried out.

Mr Cameron was said to be reflecting on the results at Chequers, his official country residence, today as the Tory party shifted its attention to finding his successor.

The news came today as senior Tories scrambled to prevent Boris Johnson seizing the opportunity of Brexit to claim the Tory crown and enter No 10.

Home Secretary Theresa May is seen as a heavy weight alternative to the ex-Mayor after keeping quiet for much of the campaign.

Exit: David Cameron announced his resignation on Friday morning but aides have revealed he decided on a swift departure after insisting he did not want to do the 'hard s***' only to quit anyway

Foreign ministers from the six founding members of the European community gathered in Berlin for an emergency summit on Brexit over breakfast this morning

The tensions at the heart of the Tory party were laid bare today as the country digested the shock news it had voted for Brexit.

A senior source told The Times there was a willingness among many on the Conservative benches to try and stop Mr Johnson becoming leader and Prime Minister.

They said: 'I would find it all but impossible to have him as my leader.'

In other developments today as the results of the referendum sunk in across Britain:

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn is due to make a speech on immigration later and moving on from the referendum - but he is being urged to quit over the Brexit result.

The Scottish Government cabinet assembled in Edinburgh this morning to reflect on the result. Deputy First Minister John Swinney said work was underway to protect the EU membership voted for by Scots.

Ex-Tory minister Alan Duncan today warned Boris Johnson he would not have a smooth ride to No 10 as Conservatives would not enjoy a 'permanent ride on the big dipper' under the former mayor

The six founding members of the European Union gathered in Berlin for emergency talks on how to respond to Brexit. The foreign ministers of France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Italy and Luxembourg were convened by their German counterpart Frank-Walter Steinmeier to discuss the 'wake up call' to the continent.

Remain campaign sources today blamed No 10 for holding back on attacking Boris Johnson during the campaign for fear of making it harder to unite the party in the referendum aftermath

Ukip's Suzanne Evans mocked Remain campaigners over a 'very British apocalypse' as the market reaction proved to be more muted than feared in the hours after Brexit.

Sources in the Remain campaign said fears over a Tory civil war had hampered the effort to keep Britain inside the European Union.

Downing Street was said to have been reluctant to launch a full-blooded attack on Mr Johnson as the battle over Brexit reached its culmination.

A campaign source told today's Guardian: 'We were hobbled in what we were allowed to do by No 10.

'They were sure they were going to win, and their chief interest was putting the Conservative party back together. There was a huge reluctance to attack Boris.

'A campaign that cannot personalise an attack is fighting with one hand behind its back.'

Pitch: Boris Johnson, pictured today leaving home, is the front runner to replace Mr Cameron but senior Tories are scrambling to find an alternative to the 'big dipper'

Mr Cameron's turmoil as the result was made clear today as aides revealed he refused to countenance beginning the Brexit process only to lose No 10 anyway.

'Why should I do all the hard s*** for someone else, just to hand it over to them on a plate?' he asked members of his inner circle, reported The Sun.

Britain's exit from the EU is expected to be difficult and Mr Cameron's successor will also face a challenge to hold the UK together, following warnings that a second Scottish independence vote is now 'very likely'.

Holding back tears during his speech on Friday, Mr Cameron said he would not depart immediately and would seek to 'steady the ship' and calm the financial markets over the coming 'weeks and months'.

'I held nothing back,' he said. 'I was absolutely clear about my belief that Britain is stronger, safer and better off inside the EU.

'And I made clear the referendum was about this and this alone – not the future of any single politician including myself.

Britain's exit from the EU is expected to be difficult and Mr Cameron's successor will also face a challenge to hold the UK together, following warnings that a second Scottish independence vote is now 'very likely'

In his resignation speech, Mr Cameron said it would not be right for him to be the 'captain of the ship' as the negotiations were carried out

'But the British people have made a very clear decision to take a different path and as such I think the country requires fresh leadership to take it in this direction.'

His resignation will be delayed for 100 days, taking him through until the start of the Conservative party conference in October.

Former London Mayor Mr Johnson has put himself into a good position to succeed Mr Cameron.

The Conservative Party 1922 committee will shortly officially begin the leadership contest, which will see Tory MPs whittle the contenders down to a short list of two.

Around 150,000 members will then be responsible for picking the winner - who will be automatically installed as Prime Minister.

Former Tory minister Alan Duncan today said many activists liked the 'excitement and notoriety' of the former London mayor who spearheaded the push to leave, but did not want a 'permanent ride on the big dipper'.

In comments to the BBC, he dismissed the prospects of George Osborne succeeding David Cameron in 10 Downing Street, conceding the Chancellor was 'much weakened' by his part in the referendum campaign.

Mr Johnson, who was booed and called a 't***' by protesters as he left his central London home on Friday morning, stopped short of confirming he would stand to succeed the PM – but made a pitch for people to help him forge a better future.

He made his speech just hours after his long-time rival tearfully declared he would stand aside.

Whoever does take over from Mr Cameron will face a challenging first few months in power, with SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon warning that a second ballot on Scottish independence was now 'highly likely'.

Despite massive support for Remain in Scotland and in most of the UK's major cities, including a 60 per cent vote in London, the Leave campaign managed to stack up 52 per cent of the vote on Thursday night.

Despite massive support for Remain in Scotland and in most of the UK's major cities, including a 60 per cent vote in London, the Leave campaign managed to stack up 52 per cent of the vote on Thursday night

Boris Johnson made a speech asking for support from Britain to help him forge a better future just hours after his long-time rival tearfully declared he would stand aside in the wake of the Brexit vote

As Mr Johnson thanked voters for trusting his plan to leave the EU, leaders stepped in to quell rising panic after the shock win.

The Bank of England governor Mark Carney attempted to reassure panicking markets after the Pound nose-dived on Thursday night to its lowest level against the US dollar for 31 years, and he FTSE slumped by 8 per cent. The index closed just 2.7 per cent down, as it recovered.

Meanwhile London Mayor Sadiq Khan released a statement saying he still believed London was better off within the EU, and sending support to the city's immigrants.

'I want to send a particular message to the almost one million Europeans living in London, who make a huge contribution to our city – working hard, paying taxes and contributing to our civic and cultural life. You are welcome here,' he said.

'We value the enormous contribution you make to our city and that will not change as a result of this referendum.'

Stock markets staged a dramatic fight-back, the pound rallied and a major bank denied reports it was planning to move 2,000 jobs abroad following the dramatic Brexit vote.

The about-turn in the markets was sparked by the Bank of England pledging to do whatever it takes to prevent a full-blown financial crisis.

In the hours after the Brexit vote, the pound plunged to a 31-year low, and the FTSE 100 index sank 550 points or 8.7 per cent in a matter of minutes yesterday morning.

But the stock market clawed back more than half its losses as the day wore on, before closing down 3.2 per cent or 199.41 points at 6138.69.

The blue-chip index of leading British companies finished the week 2 per cent higher than it started, despite warnings of catastrophe following Brexit.

Business groups, many of which had campaigned for a Remain vote, said the British economy was flexible enough to adapt to the Brexit vote and resilient enough to stave off economic shocks.

Fears over international isolationism were also short-lived as President Obama said the 'special relationship' between the US and Britain was still intact.

Donald Tusk, the President of the European Council, said negotiations with Britain would be conducted in an 'orderly way' to avoid 'prolonged uncertainty'.

European Council president Donald Tusk has insisted negotiations with Britain will be conducted in an 'orderly way' as the EU moved to respond to the vote

Claims by the mayor of Calais that the city's migrant camps would transfer to England were also dismissed by the French President Francois Hollande.

Fears of mass job losses were also quickly quashed after the American investment bank Morgan Stanley denied initial speculation that it was considering shifting 2,000 jobs to Dublin and Frankfurt.

A spokesman for the bank said there were no immediate plans to make changes and said it would wait until Britain had secured a new relationship with Europe before deciding on long-term restructuring.

'The UK's vote to leave the European Union is a very significant decision which will have a considerable impact, the extent of which will not be known for some time,' the spokesman said.

'There will be at least a period of two years before an actual exit takes place, so there will be time to implement any changes required to adjust our business to the new environment.

'Morgan Stanley will continue to monitor developments very closely and will adapt accordingly while prioritising the interests of our clients, our shareholders and our employees,' the spokesman added.

ANDREW PIERCE: Complacency and premature celebrations in the Number 10 bunker turned to panic - then tears

Holding hands as they walked to vote in London's Methodist Central Hall polling station, David Cameron and his wife Samantha surely never thought that their next joint public appearance would be 24 hours later as he announced that his family was to leave Downing Street.

Indeed, buoyed by opinion polls, favourable bookies' odds and the reassurances of sycophantic aides, Cameron spent the rest of Thursday in No 10, quietly confident of a victory for Remain. He had lunch in the prime ministerial flat and held meetings with his ministerial colleagues.

With the supreme arrogance of a man who's been described as an 'essay crisis' Prime Minister (because he does everything at the last minute and somehow manages to pull it off), it scarcely occurred to him that his premiership was unravelling.

Holding hands as they walked to vote in London's Methodist Central Hall polling station, David Cameron and his wife Samantha surely never thought that their next joint public appearance would be 24 hours later as he announced that his family was to leave Downing Street

What's more, reports throughout the day of a high voter turnout encouraged Cameron to believe that this signalled that younger, pro-Remain supporters were voting and thus they would come to his rescue against the usual hard core of older voters who were known to be more pro-Brexit.

At around 3pm, Cameron's team took a phone call which made them convinced that victory was in the bag.

Lord Cooper, a co-founder of the Populus polling company and the architect of the PM's policy on gay marriage, called to say he thought the margin of victory for Remain would be 60/40. A few hours later, Populus published its final poll of the campaign – giving Remain a commanding ten-point lead.

Not surprisingly, the findings triggered premature celebrations among the No 10 team. With presumptuous misplaced confidence, political adviser Laura Trott (one of the most senior women in Cameron's 'kitchen cabinet') briefed every special adviser working for pro-Remain Cabinet ministers that the Government was home and dry.

'The word swept through Downing Street like wildfire,' an MP told me. 'They were particularly ecstatic because they assumed that was the end of Boris Johnson and his leadership ambitions.

'Some of Cameron's team also bragged how the expected result showed that the influence of newspapers such as the Daily Mail was now in decline.' The fact that Cameron believed Lord Cooper's poll is a mystery. For Cooper has a terrible track record of predictions.

At the General Election, he had sneered at the tone of the Tory campaign, run by the Australian Lynton Crosby.

Cooper's own polling suggested that Cameron would not be re-elected to No 10. Of course, it turned out to be the best Tory result for more than 20 years.

How ironic, therefore, that it was word of a private poll by bankers Merrill Lynch (which predicted a Leave win by the slenderest margin of 0.5 per cent) that led to the first cracks of doubt. Spirits were lifted around 10.15pm when the hated Nigel Farage appeared to concede defeat.

Cameron, who habitually likes to go to bed by 10.30pm, after the 10pm news, and gets up at 5.45am to work on his red boxes, decided to stay up to watch some of the first results on TV.

It was when Newcastle voted by a slim majority to Remain that there was a dawning realisation in the Downing Street bunker that he might be in trouble.

Sombre: Remain supporters including Education Secretary Nicky Morgan, far right, watch the results at Royal Festival Hall

At 12.20am, it was the much more decisive trouncing of Remain in another Labour stronghold, Sunderland, that sent tremors through No 10.

In growing panic, Cameron spoke to George Osborne and his long-time crony (and tennis-playing chum from their Oxford University days) Lord Feldman.

For her part, Samantha Cameron veered between deep distress and bouts of ice cold fury. 'She felt terribly let down by friends who had convinced her this would not happen,' I'm told.

Michael Gove, whom the Camerons used to count as a close friend before he declared for Brexit, was the target of much of the anger.

Unlike Ed Miliband, at the last election Cameron had prepared a speech on polling day to deliver in case he lost. But he hadn't made any such contingency this time. Now, he realised there was no chance of getting any sleep.

As the scale of his humiliation became clear, Cameron decided to write a resignation speech. Helping him was Craig Oliver, his communications secretary, and Ed Llewellyn, his loyal fellow Old Etonian chief of staff.

Before walking out of the door to deliver the speech at just after 8am, an emotional Cameron spoke with his children and arranged for a phone call to be made to Buckingham Palace to inform the Queen that he, the 12th Prime Minister of her reign, was standing down.

A senior source said: 'It was remarkable. It started so positively on Thursday. But within 24 hours, some people in No 10 were crying.'

'A very British apocalypse – it was over by tea time!' Ukip brushes off tales of doom as the pound rallies and businesses vow to adapt

A leading Ukip figure brushed off fears of economic turmoil after the stock market staged a dramatic fight-back, the pound rallied and a major bank denied reports it was planning to move 2,000 jobs abroad following the dramatic Brexit vote.

Summing up yesterday's events, Suzanne Evans, a prominent Vote Leave campaigner and Ukip spokesperson, wrote on her Facebook: 'If this was the predicted apocalypse, well, it was a very British one. It was all over by teatime. Not a bad first day of freedom.'

Summing up yesterday's events, Suzanne Evans, a prominent Vote Leave campaigner and Ukip spokesperson, wrote: 'If this was the predicted apocalypse, well, it was a very British one. It was all over by teatime. Not a bad first day of freedom'

The about-turn in the markets was sparked by the Bank of England pledging to do whatever it takes to prevent a full-blown financial crisis.

In the hours after the Brexit vote, the pound plunged to a 31-year low, and the FTSE 100 index sank 550 points or 8.7 per cent in a matter of minutes yesterday morning.

But the stock market clawed back more than half its losses as the day wore on, before closing down 3.2 per cent or 199.41 points at 6138.69.