Tonight we are leaving the European UnionFor many people this is an astonishing moment of hope, a moment they thought would never comeAnd there are many of course who feel a sense of anxiety and lossAnd then of course there is a third group – perhaps the biggest – who had started to worry that the whole political wrangle would never come to an endI understand all those feelings, and our job as the government – my job – is to bring this country together now and take us forwardAnd the most important thing to say tonight is that this is not an end but a beginningThis is the moment when the dawn breaks and the curtain goes up on a new act in our great national dramaAnd yes it is partly about using these new powers – this recaptured sovereignty – to deliver the changes people voted forWhether that is by controlling immigration or creating freeports or liberating our fishing industry or doing free trade dealsOr simply making our laws and rules for the benefit of the people of this countryAnd of course I think that is the right and healthy and democratic thing to doBecause for all its strengths and for all its admirable qualities, the EU has evolved over 50 years in a direction that no longer suits this countryAnd that is a judgment that you, the people, have now confirmed at the pollsNot once but twiceAnd yet this moment is far bigger than thatIt is not just about some legal extricationIt is potentially a moment of real national renewal and changeThis is the dawn of a new era in which we no longer accept that your life chances – your family’s life chances - should depend on which part of the country you grow up inThis is the moment when we really begin to unite and level upDefeating crime, transforming our NHS, and with better education, with superb technologyAnd with the biggest revival of our infrastructure since the VictoriansWe will spread hope and opportunity to every part of the UKAnd if we can get this right I believe that with every month that goes by we will grow in confidence not just at home but abroadAnd in our diplomacy, in our fight against climate change,In our campaigns for human rights or female education or free trade we will rediscover muscles that we have not used for decadesThe power of independent thought and actionNot because we want to detract from anything done by our EU friends – of course notWe want this to be the beginning of a new era of friendly cooperationBetween the EU and an energetic Britain.A Britain that is simultaneously a great European powerAnd truly global in our range and ambitionsAnd when I look at this country’s incredible assetsOur scientists, our engineers, our world-leading universities, our armed forcesWhen I look at the potential of this country waiting to be unleashedI know that we can turn this opportunity into a stunning successAnd whatever the bumps in the road aheadI know that we will succeedWe have obeyed the peopleWe have taken back the tools of self-governmentNow is the time to use those tools to unleash the full potential of this brilliant country and to make better the lives of everyone in every corner of our United Kingdom.Updates to this page