The small majority for "leave" in the June 23 referendum on membership in the European Union has caused a political meltdown in Britain and economic uncertainty. This has had repercussions in the EU and worldwide.

The problems have been exacerbated by the failure of the leaders of the "leave" campaign, who made promises to voters that they cannot fulfill, to offer viable alternative policies. It is now clear that they had not even thought out any realistically achievable objectives.

In Britain's parliamentary democracy, party leaders are no longer chosen by members of Parliament but by unelected party members outside Parliament. So when Prime Minister David Cameron decided that he had to resign as his campaign for "remain" had failed, the choice of his successor as leader of the Conservative Party and next prime minister fell to the limited number of paid-up members of the party.