Shockwaves from Brexit vote felt by Great Britain natives living in Las Vegas

Shockwaves from the Brexit vote traveled across the globe Friday, shaking some Great Britain natives currently living in Las Vegas to their core.

“It was terrible,” Glasgow, Scotland native Susan Porter said. “It’s probably the worst move they’ve ever done.”

Though nearly 5,000 miles from the vote to leave the European Union, Porter, 44, was fixed to her television all night watching the votes roll in from her home country. An eight-year resident of Las Vegas who works at McMullan’s Irish Pub, Porter stayed up through the morning hours Friday, watching the news coverage and talking to her distraught family back in Scotland.

Porter’s family, like the majority of Scotland, was against leaving the union, she said.

“They are all very worried,” Porter said. “They just don’t know what’s going to happen. It’s just going to be a pain in the backside.”

Warwick Stone, the curator of rock ‘n’ roll memorabilia for the Hard Rock Hotel, has lived in the U.S. for 40 years, but still goes back to his native England to bid on items and visit family.

The Brexit decision sent the pound falling against the dollar. Stone said the pound is now worth $1.30, down from the $1.60 to $1.80 range he’s used to.

“I got a brief text from my sister in England this morning,” he said. “She said, ‘very cheap vacation!’”

Stone said Brexit amounted to a nationalist vote against immigration and said many may have voted without fully understanding the issue.

“I don’t think many of them had a clue what they were voting for,” Stone said. “I don’t think they knew anything about what it would cost them.”

Contact Colton Lochhead at clochhead@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-4638. Follow @ColtonLochhead on Twitter. Contact Matthew Crowley at mcrowley@reviewjournal.com. Follow @copyjockey on Twitter.