UKopinion polls give knife edge lead to Bremain at 51%
Brexit result remained too close to call with opinion polls showing a very tight race that could go either way
London, June 23: Millions of Britons today braved rains to cast their vote in the knife-edge referendum to decide whether the country will stay in or leave the 28-nation bloc, even as the latest survey gave the Remain camp its first solid lead in the bitterly-contested poll.
Brisk voting was reported and members of the public posted photographs of busy polling stations across the country.
Both sides of the campaign have appealed to a record number of registered voters — more than 46 million — including 1.2 million British Indians, for a big turnout as Prime Minister David Cameron made his final appeal to “get out there and vote Remain” and reject the “untruths” of the camp in favour of 'Brexit' or Britain's exit from the European Union (EU).
Based on average of last six polls, the UK daily Telegraph said the remain is leading with 51 per cent vote. The exit is trailing with 49 per cent vote.
A late boost for the Remain camp came from an Ipsos Mori poll, giving it a 52 per cent against 48 per cent for Brexit. The phone-based survey was done in the last few days before the referendum.
London, June 23: Millions of Britons began voting on Thursday in a bitterly-fought, knife-edge referendum that could tear up the island nation’s EU membership and spark the greatest emergency of the bloc’s 60-year history.
A record 46.5 million voters have registered to decide Britain’s future in the 28-nation European Union, which was born out of a determination to unite in lasting peace after the carnage of two world wars.
Across much of southeast England, many voters braved torrential rain to have their say in a battle fought on two main fronts: immigration and the economy.
Experts have predicted a high turnout.
The once-in-a-generation referendum asks: “Should the United Kingdom remain a mem- ber of the European Union or leave the European Union?”
In one of the last opinion polls before the vote, “Remain” took a lead with 48 per cent against “Leave” on 42 per cent. Two other polls published on the eve of the referendum had put the “Leave” camp ahead by one or two points, well within the margin of error.
Using the hashtag #ivoted, some people posted mobile phone images of their completed ballot papers on Twitter. Election authorities had asked voters to refrain from taking selfies.
“Our polling station had a queue of people waiting to get in at 7 am,” voter Nick Turner in northwestern Cumbria said on Twitter.
Under clear skies in Glasgow, Scotland, people were waiting to cast a ballot.