• 70 per cent of Richmond voters wanted to Remain
  • Richmond council leader, who voted for Brexit, said not much will change for residents, though homes could become more affordable
  • Leader of the opposition criticised Richmond Conservatives for being "out of step" with the borough, or for failing to add their weight to Remain campaign
  • Richmond leader Lord True "saddened" by David Cameron's resignation
  • Twickenham's Ukip man: "It's about who wears the trousers"

Though Britain voted yesterday evening to leave the European Union, Richmond’s voters demonstrated a desire to maintain the status quo.

75,396 Richmond residents voted to remain in the EU with just 33,410 voting to leave, compared with 51.9 per cent of the UK who wanted to withdraw.

There was a turn-out of 82.1 per cent in Richmond, compared with 72.2 per cent nationally.

Vince Cable: "The EU has no choice but to be tough on Britain now"

Leader of Richmond Council, Lord True, said he did not believe leaving the EU would have a significant impact on the borough.

The Conservative peer, who voted Leave, said: “Not much will change for us; our job goes on.

“Some of the prices of houses and other resources may fall. And would mean we don’t have to concrete over as much public space and some of the housing we will build will be available at more affordable prices to local people."

Richmond and Twickenham Times:

Richmond Council leader Lord True

Lord True added: “I think if you have any election or decision then those who are on the side which doesn’t win are going to be disappointed.

“The people of Richmond are open-minded and open-hearted people and I don’t think it will create any division in the borough at all.

“This is an open-minded country and will always be so.”

Leader of Richmond’s opposition, Gareth Roberts, said though it was heartening the borough’s residents voted for Remain’s “positive” campaign, today was a “black day” for the country.

Richmond and Twickenham Times:

Richmond Park MP Zac Goldsmith said he backed Brexit because he felt leaving the EU was where our future lies and the democratic arguments in favour of it were, he felt, uncontestable.

He said: "We are the fifth biggest economy in the world. Our Capital is a global one, with global reach.

"We dominate in financial services, tech, fin tech, media, culture and much more besides.

"We now have the freedom to build bridges with some of the fastest growing markets in the world like China, India and the US.

"I believe we have a bright and great future ahead of us and I will do everything I can to ensure our new status works for my constituents and for the wider environment.

Twickenham MP Tania Mathias, who voted to remain in the EU, said her main concern was protecting the interests of her constituents amid the uncertainty caused by leaving.

She said: “It is early days now, of course.

“I am conscious of the science and technology companies in the borough, but they are strong and our businesses are strong.

“I have to make it work for Twickenham.”

Richmond and Twickenham Times:

Tony Arbour: "A magnificent triumph for democracy"

Hampton Wick councillor and London Assembly member for south west London, Tony Arbour, described the result as a “magnificent triumph for democracy in an election when every vote counted.”

He said: “David Cameron delivered the promised referendum and in Richmond, as in the rest of the country, the people responded.

“I am proud to live in, and represent the borough which had the highest turn out‎ in the country."

Cllr Roberts criticised the councillors who voted to leave the EU, saying they were out of step with the public opinion of the borough, and Dr Mathias, who voted Remain but who he said was “nowhere to be seen” throughout the campaign.

Richmond and Twickenham Times:

Cllr Roberts campaigning for Remain with Cllr Ben Khosa

He said: “There's clearly an appetite locally for a positive, progressive style of politics in this borough and it's equally clear that the Tories aren't the ones to deliver it."

Lord True said he was very optimistic about the opportunities represented by a Brexit.

He said: “There is nothing to gain for people to have a trade war, nations want to sell their goods to us and also to buy ours.

“I think it is an opportunity for Britain to reach out to the wider world.

“What we will lose is the anti-democratic influence from the unelected bureaucrats and we won’t any more have to parlay and negotiate the laws we want to make with other countries.

“We will continue to work alongside these countries which are our allies and friends; that is what a mature country should do.”

He said Britain’s departure would be a catalyst for change within the EU.

Lord True said: “I think it has to change and I think when historians look at it people will see why that happened.

“It is because those countries did not give our Prime Minister more; they gave him a few crumbs.

“My own view is if the people who run the EU had been prepared to address the concerns people had across Europe then perhaps we wouldn’t have had the result that we did.

“They effectively treated his requests with contempt.”

Richmond and Twickenham Times:

David Cameron "should have been given a better deal"

It is understood the majority of people aged below 30 voted to remain in the EU, but Lord True said young people should not be disillusioned by the result.

He said: “Young people should not feel that the future is bleak.

“Some people feel it is the closing of the British mind; I don’t think that, I think it is the opening of Britain to the world and the moving away from an institution that as served its purpose.”

Lord True said he was saddened about David Cameron’s announcement he would be resigning as Prime Minister.

He said: “I am sorry he did that. I think he did put himself in a difficult position by putting himself in such an active role for the campaign.

“I know a few people in the Tory party who have wanted him to go but I think there will be a great feeling of gratitude to David Cameron for what he has done for the party and the country and I wish that he had decided to stay on.

“Above all he did keep a promise to give people a choice in the referendum.

“He should be respected very much for that.”

Ukip candidate in 2015’s general election, Barry Edwards, said the real winner following the Brexit vote was democracy itself.

He said: “This referendum was never about a divorce from European countries, it was about the unelected, unaccountable bureaucrats in Brussels, and about who wears the trousers.

“Obviously during the debate there has been a great deal of confusion between individual countries that make up Europe and the organisation of the EU which is not even a country but has been running the individual affairs of the countries.”

Richmond and Twickenham Times:

Ukip's Barry Edwards

Mr Edwards said the main problem in Britain was overpopulation and that London had got it wrong by voting remain.

He said: “Overpopulation is real, in some parts of Britain the impact is heavier.

“London has been remarkably resilient.

“We should not be asking why have they voted out we should be asking why have Richmond and London got it so wrong?”