This is so messed up.
This is the problem as I see it:
Boris is a Tory. Tories don't like poor people that much, especially poor people who claim loads of benefits, don't seem to make much effort to get a job and complain about elitists like them ruining their lives.
Look at the demographics of who voted Leave.
You're more likely to have voted Leave if you're a poor person claiming benefits and unemployed. And look at the stuff we're seeing on the forums - Leave supporters complaining about elitists like Boris. Basically, Boris is an elitist who won by winning over people he doesn't respect.
Now, what sort of person does Boris' party like? That's right, educated, hard-working families who get good jobs, toe the "everything is fine" line and generate lots of tax income.
And did more of these people vote Leave or Remain? More of them voted Remain.
Boris can't reject the result because he campaigned for Leave. But he can't accept the result in the spirit for which it was voted because he will alienate a key part of the electorate (those that voted Blair into government last time the Tories were kicked out) and break the "everything is fine" illusion. The only way this'll work at all is for the UK to enter the European Economic Area, because that way he can say to the Remainers that things haven't actually changed that much. He can also deliver on his out of EU promise.
Only there's one problem: Farage.
Truth is, whilst many Leave voters did not vote to get rid of immigrants, more than a few of them did. I'd wager more than the 4% needed to tip the balance of the vote. The Remain camp know this, are really, really upset and are blaming Boris. Leave aren't all (or even mostly) racists, but it's the racists who won it. So, Boris has been gently asking for a token gesture from the EU, such as a point's based immigration system, so he can get into the EEA but still say he's cut immigration. The EU are telling him to go fuck himself.
So, what can Boris do? He can't renege on the result, he can't go for full independence, and he can't enter the EEA without betraying those who voted against immigration. The only real way out would be for Boris to throw the Tory leadership campaign and makes it someone else's problem (if he loses, remember that you read it here first!).
As for the rest of us? Well, this process of Leaving could be very, very drawn out. We may not have triggered Article 50 by the next General Election. Not only has Boris (or whoever is PM when he ducks the job) got to get a consensus among a very diverse group of important people, from City CEOs to Nicola Sturgeon, but he's also got to get consensus from people who, in the majority, disagree with what he's doing. Even in the Tory Party itself the split was 185 Remain to 135 Leave.
Even if Article 50 is in progress (or even complete), the Lib Dems are now campaigning on a platform of "Stay in the EU" and I would not be surprised if the new version of the Labour party ends up doing the same. As long as the process draws on, the SNP will continue to push for a second referendum on independence, further destabilising the whole political system. Come the next General Election, the Tories may well find themselves at the pointy end of a pro-EU coalition with only a couple of dozen seats separating them from being kicked out of power, with UKIP eating up their votes from the hard right.
And guess which social demographics are most likely to vote in General Elections? Yep, those that also favour Remain. And of who's likely to vote UKIP? Disgruntled people living in poor areas who will not be happy if the economy slows and we've still not started getting rid of immigrants.