Political carnage as U.K. grapples with "Bre-grets"
LONDON -- Last week, the word was Brexit, but on Monday morning it seemed for many to be turning to "Bre-gret."
The reality of Britain being charged by its residents with extricating itself from the 28-nation European Union has sunk in.
The value of the British pound dropped again, despite reassurance from politicians and the man in charge of Britain's financial affairs.
Treasury chief George Osborne's job Monday morning was to be bland and reassuring; to urge his nation, and investors around the world, to keep calm and carry on.
"It will not be plain sailing in the days ahead but let me be clear, you should not underestimate our resolve," Osborne said. "We were prepared for the unexpected and we are equipped for whatever happens."
As CBS News correspondent Charlie D'Agata reports, a whole lot has already happened since the Brexit votes were announced on Friday morning. Financial markets hate instability.
David Cameron, the now-lame duck Prime Minister who fell on his sword in the immediate wake of the vote, still has to run this country in crisis until he leaves in October.
The bookies' favorite to take over from him and try to calm the storm clouds gathering over the government is Boris Johnson -- but he led the campaign to leave the EU.
Then there's the opposition leader, the Labour Party's Jeremy Corbyn, who's facing calls to step down after a dozen members of his cabinet resigned in nothing less than a coup.
And adding even more uncertainty are questions about when Brexit will even happen.
Scottish leader Nicola Sturgeon told the BBC that she and her fellow scots might look for ways to block the move with a parliamentary veto.
"As First Minister I'm going to do everything I possibly can to prevent Scotland being taken out of the European Union, because the consequences of allowing us to be so will be devastating," said Sturgeon.
There is, however, no clear legislative mechanism for her to make good on that promise, and in the end it's down to the British Prime Minister to file with EU leaders in Brussels under Article 50 in EU law, which begins the process of any nation removing itself from the union.
Cameron, who's said he'll leave the premiership by October, has suggested he may well leave the task to his successor.
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, meanwhile, has planned a short visit to London Monday afternoon on his way home from Rome. His diplomatic skills with be pushed to the limit helping to manage the fallout of the Brexit vote.
"We will continue, the United States, to have a very close and special relationship with Great Britain," Kerry said ahead of his visit. "We value that relationship. That does not change because of this vote."