UPDATE FRIDAY NOON: South Holland and Boston most Eurosceptic areas in UK

South Holland and Boston have emerged as the Eurosceptic capitals of the UK after more than 70 per cent of the public in both areas voted out of the EU.

After votes from all 382 polling areas in Great Britain, Northern Ireland and Gibraltar were counted, Boston emerged as the most strongly europhile area where 75.6 per cent voted to leave the EU.

South Holland was next on 73.6 per cent, with the East Midlands as a whole ending up the second-most hostile area to the UK’s continued membership of the EU behind the West Midlands.

A total of 58.5 per cent of East Midlanders, including South Holland and Boston voted Out, second only to the West Midlands were the Vote Leave figure was 59.3 per cent.

Coun Martin Hill, leader of Lincolnshire County Council and one of 33 signatories to a letter urging people in Lincolnshire to vote to leave the EU, said: “I’m not in the least surprised by the results and, in Lincolnshire, it was pretty clear by talking to eople that there was going to be a very strong (EU) Exit vote.

“What we didn’t know was how the cities and other areas of the country would turn out.

“We had a vote at the council and the way it broke down was that Conservative councillors voted that we should recommend to the public that they should vote out.”

FRIDAY 11AM: Brexit vote is a ‘gamble’, claims MP Warman

Voters in South Holland, South Kesteven and Boston who voted overwhelmingly on the UK leaving the EU have taken a “gamble”, according to a Lincolnshire MP.

Matt Warman, whose Boston and Skegness constituency includes Frampton, Kirton, Sutterton and Wigtoft, warned that the country has “a long road ahead of us” after UK voters decided on an exit from EU by almost 52 per cent to 48 per cent.

Mr Warman’s fears were in contrast to jubilant Vote Leave campaigners in South Holland, including members of South Holland and the Deepings UKIP who described the result as “a new dawn”.

UKIP Coun Paul Foyster, South Holland District Council member for Holbeach, said: “I’m lost for words as we won by about three to one in this district.

“I believe this was the third best result in England and the sun is shining on a new dawn.”

In contrast, Mr Warman said: “Britain has decided to gamble on Brexit, while I personally took the view that it wasn’t a risk I wanted to take.

“I very much respect the will of voters in our region and across the country, (but) we have a long road ahead of us.

“Changes won’t be seen overnight but I look forward to working with colleagues from Lincolnshire and within Government to make sure the inevitable uncertainty does not cause the predicted economic damage to people’s jobs and livelihoods.”