"Leaving the EU difficult watershed with many consequences, pro remain say

LONDON, June 27 (KUNA) -- A group of British and European politicians are "plotting" to block the UK's exit from the EU, according to a warning by commentators here Monday.
On a chaotic day in which the main opposition Labour Party went into "meltdown", a campaign was gaining momentum to force a second referendum on Britain's EU membership.
Former Labour prime minister, Tony Blair, the First minister in Scotland Nicola Sturgeon, some pro-Remain MPs and a senior German official said "a rethink" was needed now the consequences of quitting the EU were clear, reports said.
Nicola Sturgeon delivered the most explicit threat - saying members of the devolved Scottish parliament have to give their 'legislative consent' and she would advise them to veto it.
Tony Blair was among those who said a rethink was needed now the consequences of quitting the Brussels club were clear.
"The plotters hope a general election can be held later this year before the start of the formal process of quitting the Union", it was pointed out.
More than three million people signed a petition to hold a second referendum after the shock result of last Thursday's vote to leave the EU.
The House of Commons said that its investigation proved that 77,000 signatures were found to be fraudulent.
Some pro-Remain campaigners warned that if Britain left the EU, it would be 'a difficult watershed with many consequences'.
And opposition Labour MP David Lammy called on Parliament to 'stop this madness'.
However, Legal experts said the move is a delaying tactic as the British people have spoken and their will should not be reversed.
In the meantime, the former Conservative minister and a leading Brexiter Duncan Smith said the bid by the political elite to frustrate the will of the people was an 'anti-democratic joke'.
"In another development, the powerful Home secretary Theresa May has prepared to take on the former London Mayor Boris Johnson for the right to win the race to succeed David Cameron as prime minister within the next few months, reports said.
"For his part, Labour Leader Germy Corbyn, who sacked yesterday the shadow Foreign secretary Hilary Benn for "disloyalty", claimed he was going nowhere, despite failing to even secure the backing of his own deputy, Tom Watson.
"The BBC reported now that Watson told Corbyn he "has no authority" among Labour MPs and warned him he faces a leadership challenge.
Earlier Corbyn replaced 12 shadow ministers who resigned in protest at his lacklustre leadership with junior loyal MPS.
Meanwhile, the Chancellor, Finance secretary George Osborne broke his three-day silence, since the referendum result, by announcing in a statement today that he has taken a range of swift measures 'providing reassurance about financial and economic stability' of the UK.
"He assured voters that he was staying in his post to 'protect the national interest'.
"In a surprise move, talks have also begun for him to join a Boris Johnson leadership 'dream ticket' alongside the architect of the No vote Michael Gove; the justice secretary, according to The Times newspaper.
When David Cameron resigned as prime minister last Friday after the referendum result he announced that he would not immediately inform the European Council that Britain wishes to withdraw from the EU, in line with Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty.
Today the commentators said this is significant. Once a state activates Article 50, it has two years to negotiate its future relationship with the remaining 27 member states.
Cameron's successor, presumably Boris Johnson, will have to decide in October, when he is elected, whether or not to invoke Article 50.
Other EU members have urged the UK to begin the negotiations as soon as soon as possible, without delay.
Early in the campaign, Johnson suggested that Britain might yet be able to wring a better deal (e.g. further restrictions on freedom of movement) out of other EU states if the government already had a mandate to leave.
But most EU leaders have ruled out this option.
Later today, Cameron is due to address the House of Commons on the outcome of the referendum and the way forward.
In another development, reports today said a Polish community centre was daubed with racist graffiti and far-right demonstrators chanted abuse outside a mosque amid a surge in suspected hate crimes following the referendum vote to leave the European Union.
Two men were arrested in Birmingham, central England, after a protest outside a mosque last Saturday where police confiscated a banner with the slogan "refugees not welcome".
The Metropolitan police confirmed that they were investigating graffiti on the Polish cultural centre in Hammersmith, west London, as a suspected incident of racially motivated criminal damage.
Joanna Mludzinska, chairman of the centre, said its staff had been "very disturbed and upset" to find the offensive graffiti across the front of the building.
However, she added: "We have been very moved and extremely grateful to our local councillors, MPs and neighbours who have come in." Officers were also investigating reports from Upton Park, east London, where a witness said that he went to the aid of a Polish man and his father who were beaten up on Saturday night.
Baroness Warsi, the Conservative peer who stopped supporting Leave because of the anti-immigrant tone of the campaign, said that the atmosphere on the streets of Britain was not good. (end) he.tg