Iceland delivers stunning rejection of the European Union in membership vote

Icelanders have delivered a stunning blow to EU ambitions, voting decisively against restarting negotiations to join the group.

Voters rejected the proposal 52.8 per cent to 47.2 per cent, with more than 82 per cent of eligible voters turning out for the referendum.

The result keeps Iceland firmly outside the EU for now, more than a decade after previous membership talks were abandoned.

Fishing interests led the resistance, fearing EU rules could weaken Iceland’s hard-won control over its waters.

The vote also unfolded amid Donald Trump’s repeated threats to take control of nearby Greenland.