Post-Brexit turmoil after vote to leave the EU

26 June 2016

Scotland has been getting backing for its case of trying to be part of the EU on the continent. Gunther Krichbaum, a senior lawmaker and ally of German Chancellor Angela Merkel says an independent Scotland would be welcome to join the EU.

"The EU will still consist of 28 member states, as I expect a new independence referendum in Scotland, which will then be successful," he told the Welt am Sonntag newspaper, as cited by Reuters. "We should respond quickly to an application for admission from the EU-friendly country." 

The President of the Czech Republic Milos Zeman also said that Scotland would be able to join the EU if it breaks away from the UK following a referendum.

“From an economic and political point of view, the loss of the UK is a loss. I believe that Scotland will hold a referendum and join the EU,” he said. 

25 June 2016

Chief executive of the Leave campaign Matthew Elliott says they are in no rush to start negotiations to leave the EU. He believes it would be better to start informal talks regarding a full settlement, which would include all aspects of Britain’s relationship with the EU. 

"We don't think there is a need to swiftly invoke Article 50," he told Reuters. "Its best for the dust to settle over the summer and during that time for there to be informal negotiations with other states," he added.

The UK’s Financial Services Commissioner Jonathan Hill has resigned, leaving Britain without representation in the EU commission.

"I don't believe it is right that I should carry on as the British commissioner as though nothing had happened. I have therefore told (European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker) that I shall stand down,” Hill said.

Simultaneously, there should be “an orderly handover,” he said, and he will go on working with the European commission’s president to ensure the transition “happens in the weeks ahead.”

Slovakia’s far right People’s Party has launched a petition for a referendum on whether the country should remain in the EU. Under Slovak law, if the petition manages to get more than 350,000 signatures from the country of 5.4-million population, a legally-binding referendum will be held. 

"The Citizens of Great Britain have decided to refuse the diktat from Brussels. It is high time for Slovakia to leave the sinking European 'Titanic' as well," the party said on its website, as cited by Reuters. 

Scotland’s First Minister Nicola Sturgeon is to seek direct talks with the EU leadership and presumably with European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker, European Council President Donald Tusk and the president of the European Parliament Martin Schulz in the coming week, the BBC reports.

Francois Villeroy de Galhau, an ECB Governing Council member, has stated that talks on Britain leaving the European Union must be carried out quickly in order to curtail uncertainty amid concerns that London's financial center risked losing its "EU passport."

London-based banks rely on a so-called EU passport to freely operate across the bloc's capital market. Some banks have warned, however, that they would shift operations to the eurozone if Britain left the EU. Villeroy told France Inter radio that the City of London will be unable to keep that passport if Britain leaves the EU's single market of trade in goods and services, Reuters reported.

"There is a precedent, it is the Norwegian model of European Economic Area, that would allow Britain to keep access to the single market, but by committing to implement all EU rules," Villeroy said.

"It would be a bit paradoxical to leave the EU and apply all EU rules, but that is one solution if Britain wants to keep access to the single market," he added.

Ratings agency Moody’s says that the UK’s credit status is more risky after it voted to leave the EU. It believes that the country will face substantial challenges to negotiate a favorable exit from the bloc. 

The agency assigned a negative outlook to its ‘Aa1’ rating for the British government’s debt. 

“During the several years in which the UK will have to renegotiate its trade relations with the EU, Moody’s expects heightened uncertainty, diminished confidence and lower spending and investment to result in weaker growth,” the agency said.

The United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon says that the organization will continue to work with both the UK and the EU, both of whom he sees as critical partners, his spokesperson has said following a meeting with French President Francois Hollande.

"At the UN, we look forward to continuing our work with the United Kingdom and the European Union, both important partners," Ban's spokesman, Stephane Dujarric, said in a statement. "When we work together, we are stronger."

The Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon is holding a cabinet meeting to discuss the next steps that will be taken by the Scottish government, the BBC is reporting. The Scottish public overwhelmingly wanted to stay in the EU, with 62 percent in the remain camp. 

The German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier has called for the EU to keep a calm head following the UK’s Brexit vote, saying the block must “neither be hysterical nor fall into paralysis,” as founding members of the EU hold crisis talks in Berlin.

Steinmeir also added that it was imperative that the EU politicians start to listen not only "to the expectations of the European governments but also to the expectations of the people.''

Brexit results have had huge effect on the incomes of the world’s billionaires. The world’s 400 richest people lost $127.4 billion after Brexit vote shook global financing markets.  According to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, the billionaires lost 3.2 percent of their total net worth. For instance, Europe’s richest person Amancio Ortega lost more than everyone else  - $6 billion, while people like Bill Gates and Amazon mogul Jeff Bezos lost over $1 billion.

Many people who voted in favor of Brexit seem to have second thoughts and have taken to Twitter to voice their regrets. And, obviously, a new hashtag was born to signify the feelings.

The petition for second EU referendum has been signed by more than 525,000 Brits. Traffic to the site was so intense that it crashed temporarily.

“The site was temporarily down due to exceptionally high volumes of simultaneous users on a single petition, significantly higher than on any previous occasion,” a House of Commons spokeswoman said.

The UK Government Digital Service resolved the problem and the petition is now accessible.

24 June 2016

US President Barack Obama has had separate telephone calls on the UK decision to leave the EU with British Prime Minister David Cameron and German Chancellor Angela Merkel, the White House said in a statement.

Britain’s membership in NATO and the special relations between the two countries are to remain unaffected, the US president promised the British PM.

Obama and Merkel have both expressed regret over the outcome of the referendum, but said that people’s will must be respected and abided by.

The UK exit process should start as soon as possible, since there is no reason to wait until October, when British Prime Minister David Cameron will step down, European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker said.

“Britons decided yesterday that they want to leave the European Union, so it doesn’t make any sense to wait until October to try to negotiate the terms of their departure. I would like to get started immediately,” Juncker told Germany’s ARD television station.

Brexit is most likely to be followed by more ‘exits’ in the nearest future unless the EU reconsiders its policies, Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said, Reuters reported.

Large groups of 18- to 25-year-olds who voted to remain in the EU gathered outside Parliament and at Downing Street protesting the results of the referendum and the strict border policy of Boris Johnson, who is now believed to be one of the most likely candidates for the position of prime minister. The young Brits were joined by a considerable number of 16- and 17-year-olds who demand the right to vote, saying that the decision to leave was made for them.

Croatia’s government has lamented the results of the UK referendum, calling it “the hardest blow to European unity,” the cabinet of the bloc’s newest member said.

“There is no doubt that this [Brexit] is the hardest blow to the European unity it has ever suffered, and for us this is an especially sensitive issue in the times when the EU can expand on the neighboring countries,” an official statement says.

The UK government should put the referendum results into effect as soon as possible, France’s President Francois Hollande believes, according to French government spokesman Stephane Le Foll.

“The president said that all of the necessary procedures for Britain’s leave should be carried out as soon as possible,” Le Foll said after an extraordinary meeting of the cabinet.

Finland’s parliament is to hold an extraordinary meeting following the UK’s decision to leave the EU, Prime Minister Juha Sipilä said.

“We need to get rid of the sense of crisis… We need to start working on economy growth, develop internal market and respond to the challenging situation in agriculture,” the prime minister’s office reported, according to Interfax.

“We are to focus on the certain steps we need to take, though Britain’s decision is likely to divert attention during the months, or even years to come,” Sipilä said.

Brexit will not bring any changes to the bilateral agreements on migration between the UK and France, French government spokesman Stephane Le Foll said.

"On the question of immigration, to be clear, British exit from the European Union will not lead to changes in terms of immigration treaties with [the] United Kingdom... These are bilateral treaties," he said.

A strategy paper from the German finance ministry has recommended the UK become an "associate partner country" of the EU. 

Responding to an earlier BBC report, Morgan Stanley has denied it is moving 2,000 banking staff out of London, according to Reuters.

A spokesman for the company said the story – which claimed the company was moving jobs to either Dublin or Frankfurt – was not true, but failed to elaborate.

RT’s Ed Schultz believes Brexit has been a “political defeat” for US President Barack Obama and his plans to sign the TTIP trade deal.

Earlier this year, the President made a controversial intervention in the EU referendum campaign which caused some resentment among Leave campaigners.

“Obviously President Obama and his administration wanted to see the UK stay in the EU for the issue of trade agreements, trying to get TTIP, trying to get the (TPP) through," he said.

However, Shultz doesn’t expect to see any change in the close relationship between the UK and US.

French far-right leader Marine le Pen held a press conference in Paris in which she called for France to hold a similar referendum on EU membership.

The National Front (FN) leader declared she would become “Madame Frexit.”

“France has possibly a thousand more reasons to want to leave the EU than the English," Le Pen told a gathering of far-right parties in Vienna last Friday.

European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker has rebuffed claims that Brexit could mean the beginning of the end of the EU.

Asked on the issue during a press conference in Brussels, Juncker simply answered “No” before making an abrupt exit.

Spain will seek to jointly govern Gibraltar with Britain, according to Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Garcia-Margallo.

"It's a complete change of outlook that opens up new possibilities on Gibraltar not seen for a very long time. I hope the formula of co-sovereignty - to be clear, the Spanish flag on the Rock [of Gibraltar] - is much closer than before," Garcia-Margallo said, as quoted by Reuters.

The enclave, which Spain has long claimed sovereignty to, is a major point of contention between the UK and Spain. 

US presidential candidate Hillary Clinton says she respects the result of the vote, Reuters reports. She also stressed a steadfast commitment to the "special relationship" between the US and UK.

Britain's vote to leave the European Union means regulatory uncertainty for drug companies, Reuters reports.

The European Medicines Agency (EMA), which approves treatments for all EU countries, is expected to have to relocate. 

The association of Germany's pharmaceuticals industry said on Friday that the agency will need to move to a city within the EU. 

US stock exchanges have dropped significantly upon opening.

The Dow Jones plummeted 500 points after the bell rang to start trading on Friday.

While the NASDQ has fallen 458 points to its lowest level since November 2011.

The Bank of England says it cannot, and should not, stand in the way of necessary adjustments in financial markets following Brexit, Reuters reports.

US President Barack Obama says Britain and the EU will both remain indispensable partners of the United States. 

Britain's Chancellor George Osborne is not happy with the Brexit outcome, but has admitted he will have to cooperate with the decision.

There's some speculation that after Cameron stepped down, Osborne will be forced to do the same.

Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy has called on EU leaders to form a “new European treaty” and change the Schengen agreement.  

Labour members are rallying around beleaguered leader Jeremy Corbyn, after some MPs threatened a vote of no confidence following the EU referendum result.

Some 25,000 Corbynites have signed an online petition in support of Corbyn “against the Blairites.”

“Jeremy is our only hope for the future,” Michelle W. wrote on the comments page.

HSBC and Goldman Sachs – two major banks that publicly threatened to pull out of the UK if Brexit went ahead - have refused to repeat their claims on Friday.

HSBC chair Douglas Flint emphasised the bank’s “commitment to British businesses, customers and staff,” adding that it “remains undiminished” despite the vote.

Another source told the BBC that until relations with the EU are settled, “we don’t know what’s happening.”

Regardless of HSBC's plans, the banks stocks are currently plummeting.

Far-right Dutch politician Geert Wilders has applauded “Britain’s Independence Day” and called for a referendum in his own country.

“The Europhile elite has been defeated. Britain points Europe the way to the future and to liberation. It is time for a new start, relying on our own strength and sovereignty,” he said in a statement on his website.

Wilders said The Netherlands wants to be in charge of its own country, its own money, its own borders and its own immigration policy.

“If I become prime minister, there will be a referendum in the Netherlands on leaving the European Union as well. Let the Dutch people decide,” he added.

The BBC reports investment bank Morgan Stanley says it has begun relocating 2,000 staff from London to either Dublin or Frankfurt.

Morgan Stanley president Colm Kelleher told Bloomberg two days ago that Brexit would be “the most consequential thing that we’ve ever seen since the war."

IMF chief Christine Lagarde hopes for a “smooth transition” to a new economic relationship between Britain and the European Union.

Lagarde said the financial institution strongly supports the Bank of England and European Central Bank’s commitments to “supply liquidity to the banking system and curtail excess financial volatility.”

“We urge the authorities in the UK and Europe to work collaboratively to ensure a smooth transition to a new economic relationship between the UK and the EU, including by clarifying the procedures and broad objectives that will guide the process”.

Croatia has warned Brexit could slow down EU enlargement in the Balkans.

Albania, Bosnia, Kosovo, Macedonia, Montenegro and Serbia are all at different stages of joining the bloc.

Croatian Foreign Minister Miro Kovac told regional broadcaster N1 TV: “"We also want stability in southeastern Europe and we will work so that Brexit does not have too much effect on the enlargement process.”

“However, we must be realistic. I'm afraid that there will be an effect on that process and that it may slow down a bit.”

#WhatHaveWeDone trends on Twitter

As Remain voters come to the terms with the shock of Brexit, the hashtag #WhatHaveWeDone is trending on Twitter.

Social media users are reflecting on the personal and economic impact of leaving the European Union.

Others are pointing the finger squarely at the older generation, who voted largely in favour of Brexit.

Lexit?

A petition is doing the rounds calling on London Mayor Sadiq Khan to declare the capital independent from the UK so that it can apply to join the EU.

The petition’s author James O’Malley writes: “Mayor Sadiq, wouldn't you prefer to be President Sadiq? Make it happen!”

Biden expresses regret

US Vice President Joe Biden has said that Washington would have preferred that the UK remain in the European Union, but respected the result of the referendum.

"I must say we had looked for a different outcome. We would have preferred a different outcome ... but the United States has a long-standing friendship with the United Kingdom and that very special bond will endure," he said in a speech in Dublin on Friday.

Cashing out

Travel agency Thomas Cook has suspended its online currency exchange service after unprecedented demand overnight.

Berlin reacts

German Chancellor Angela Merkel has voiced “deep regret” for the UK’s decision to leave the EU.

“We must never forget, especially in these hours, that the idea of European unity was an idea for peace,” she said.

Merkel emphasized that it was important to remain calm and work together to “make composed analysis and decisions.”

Merkel will host Italian prime minister Matteo Renzi, French president Francois Hollande and EU Council President Donald Tusk at a post-Brexit summit in Berlin on Monday.

Moscow concerned about economic fallout

Russia will analyze the outcome of the Brexit vote and will make decisions in the interests of its own economy, the Russian PM said Friday.

“We’re definitely not pleased with that. Of course, this move [Brexit] presents additional risks for the world economy,” Dmitry Medvedev said, stressing that the Russian government will carry out analysis and make decisions that benefit the national economy.

EU leaders tell Britain to hurry up

Senior European Union leaders, including President of the European Council Donald Tusk and President of the European Commission Jean-Claude Junker, have joined in the chorus of voices urging the UK to give formal notice of withdrawal from the 28-member bloc “as soon as possible.”

“We regret this decision but respect it,” the leaders wrote in a joint statement Friday morning.

“Any delay would unnecessarily prolong uncertainty…We stand ready to launch negotiations swiftly with the United Kingdom regarding the terms and conditions of its withdrawal from the European Union. Until this process of negotiations is over, the United Kingdom remains a member of the European Union, with all the rights and obligations that derive from this.”

Addressing the Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly (PACE), Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras warned that a Brexit could set a dangerous precedent.

He said Britain’s withdrawal from the EU could either be a "wake up call or the beginning of a very slippery, dangerous course".

Speaking at a Vote Leave press conference, Leading Brexit campaigner Boris Johnson said that despite the Leave victory, Britain will continue to be European and that “our children will continue to be European.”

“Young people can look forward to a more secure and more prosperous future if we take back the democratic control that is the foundation of our economic prosperity” he said.

“Above all we can find our voice in the world again. Powerful, liberal, humane, an extraordinary force for good. Yesterday the British people have spoken up for democracy.”

The UK needs to formally declare its intention to leave the European Union as soon as possible, rather than waiting until October when David Cameron steps down as Prime Minister, a European Parliament leader has said.

"An internal cat-fight of the Tory party is needed and a whole continent and all the British citizens who voted will have to wait for it. That's not serious at all" said Guy Verhofstadt, leader of the ALDE liberals, the third biggest bloc in the European Parliament.

Verhofstadt warned that waiting to hand in formal notice would prolong the market turbulence that started as the results poured in.

NATO chief says Britain still in alliance, despite Brexit

NATO Secretary -General Jens Stoltenberg has confirmed Britain’s membership of the military alliance “will remain unchanged,” according to Reuters.

"I know that the United Kingdom's position in NATO will remain unchanged," Stoltenberg said.

"The UK will remain a strong and committed NATO ally, and will continue to play its leading role in our alliance."

Beijing: Brexit will impact on Sino-British relations

This report on the Chinese government’s reaction to Brexit has just come in from Reuters:

“The Chinese government on Friday called for Britain and the European Union to reach agreement as soon as possible after Britain voted to leave the bloc, and said Beijing was still keen to promote its relations with London.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying added: “The impact will be on all levels, not only on relations between China and Britain. As to what kind of impact there will be, I believe all sides will calmly and conscientiously assess this.”

Trump praises Brexit vote

Trump says well done

Donald Trump has congratulated Britons for choosing to leave the European Union.

Speaking in Scotland, the presumptive U.S. Republican presidential nominee said: “They took back their country, that’s a great thing.”

Other EU members hoping to stay united.

Austrian Chancellor Christian Kern doesn't expect a "domino effect" of referendums on membership of the European Union now.  He said it wouldn't happen in his own country.

But he did admit "Europe will lose status and significance in the world because of Britain's step. The long-term economic effects will also be felt for some time."

Favorite to replace Cameron is no surprise

Former London mayor and leading Brexit campaigner Boris Johnson is favourite to succeed David Cameron as Prime Minister.

Bookies Ladbrokes quoted Johnson at evens, ahead of interior minister Theresa May at 3/1 and fellow Brexiteer Justice Secretary Michael Gove at 5/1.

Spain seeks co-sovereignty of Gibraltar after Brexit

Spain will reportedly seek co-sovereignty of Gibraltar following Britain's vote to leave the European Union.

Acting foreign minister Jose Manuel Garcia-Margallo said the Brexit vote completely changed the outlook on the future of the island.

The small island off the south coast of Spain, a British Overseas Territory since 1713, is a major point of contention in Anglo-Spanish relations.

Head of the BoE attempts to ease market fears

The governor of the Bank of England has made a rare public statement in order to calm falling markets.

Mark Carney insisted trading can continue as normal, and that British banks have more than enough liquidity to stay afloat.

Cameron resigns, says UK needs new Conservative PM by October

David Cameron has resigned as PM, saying he will step down within 3 months after the Brexit vote.

He says he wants a new prime minister in place by the time of the Conservative Party Conference in October.

He says the British people’s will “must be respected.”  

Cameron says Britain must now prepare for negotiations with the EU, with the full engagement of the governments of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland to ensure all parts are protected.

He says this will require “strong, determined leadership” and his standing down was “not a decision taken lightly.”

FTSE suffers one of its biggest falls ever 

The British stock market plunged more than 8.1 percent after it opened this morning.

More than £124 billion was wiped off the value of shares in the UK’s 100 largest listed companies within minutes.

While traders say currency moves are more extreme than during the 2008 financial crisis.

“Never seen anything like it. These are once-in-a-lifetime moves, bigger than Lehmans and Black Wednesday, and we haven't even had the result yet" Joe Rundle, head of trading at ETX Capital was cited as saying by the BBC.

Signs Cameron may resign

ITV’s political editor Robert Peston says there are signs David Cameron could soon announce his resignation as Prime Minister, which could mean chancellor George Osborne will have to follow.

The prime minister is expected to address the public from Downing Street shortly.

Jeremy Corbyn

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn says there are clear consequences ahead for the UK and job losses can be expected following the referendum result. He said the priority has to be to protect working conditions.

He has called for Article 50 of the Treaty on European Union to be invoked.

Labour on immigration: “We will obviously have to develop an immigration policy that needs to be applied to Europe and the rest of the world.”

But Corbyn could find his own job is most directly at risk. There is speculation that Labour backbenchers are already mulling over a party revolt over his leadership during the referendum.

Farage calls for ‘Brexit government’

Nigel Farage has called for a “Brexit government” that can take forward negotiations with the EU.

Speaking outside parliament, he said: “We now need a Brexit government and one that takes the opportunity to rejoin the world.”

He says June 23 should become a national bank holiday and the country’s independence day.

Farage says the referendum was “a victory for ordinary people, against the big banks, big businesses and big politics.”

The speech is his third since 4am BST. David Cameron has not yet put in an appearance, but is expected to speak for the first time at 8am BST.

It’s official: Final EU referendum results are in

The final EU referendum result has put ‘Leave’ at 17,410,742 votes, or 51.9 percent, while ‘Remain’ scored 48.1 percent, or 16,141,241 of the vote.

Bank of England issues statement 

UK likely to lose AAA credit rating

Standard and Poor’s has confirmed the UK is likely to lose its AAA credit rating.

Moritz Kraemer, chief ratings officer for S&P, told the FT on Friday morning he expected the political, financial and economic risks associated with a Brexit would lead to a credit downgrade in the near future.

“We think that a AAA-rating is untenable under the circumstances,” Mr Kraemer said.

The UK government will be informed 24 hours before any decision is announced.

Harry Potter author JK Rowling says Scottish independence referendum likely

While the UK collectively voted ‘Leave’ in the referendum, both Scotland and Northern Ireland voted to ‘Remain.’

JK Rowling, Scottish author of the Harry Potter series, said she believes “Scotland will seek independence now.”

Rowling also said British Prime Minister David Cameron’s “legacy will be breaking up two unions,” adding that “neither needed to happen.”

The leader of the French National Front has hailed the success of the 'Leave' campaign and called for a similar EU referendum in France.

Sinn Fein says "British government has forfeited any mandate to represent economic or political interests of people in N Ireland"

Domino effect? Geert Wilders demands Dutch referendum

Dutch anti-EU MP Geert Wilders is now calling for the Netherlands to hold a referendum on whether to leave the EU.

Wilders, who is leading opinion polls, said if he is elected prime minister in March’s general election he too will call for a referendum.

“We want to be in charge of our own country, our own money, our own borders, and our own immigration policy,” he said in a statement.

A survey by a television station Een Vandaag this week found 54 percent of people in the Netherlands, a founding EU member, want a referendum.

Before Thursday’s vote, it was predicted a Brexit would prompt many countries across Europe to call for independence referendums.

Brexit: Worldwide reaction

Europe is waking up to the news Britain has voted to leave the EU.

Former Swedish prime minister Carl Bildt called the result “beyond comprehension” and predicted “immediate uncertainty” and “long-term turmoil.”

Germany’s vice chancellor Sigmar Gabriel has labelled the vote “a bad day for Europe.”

Brexit is making headlines around the world. Both the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal are leading on the plummeting pound in the wake of the Brexit vote.

La Republica says “Europe stunned while Farage celebrates.”

Cameron to make public address

The PM David Cameron is likely to address the public at 7am BST.

The ‘Remain’ campaigner is expected concede defeat. There are calls for him to announce his resignation.

Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon issues statement

Pollsters and broadcasters say 'Leave' campaign has won

‘Black Friday’: Pound set for worst day on record as ‘Leave’ holds lead

As more results are declared in favor of leaving the EU, the sharp decline in the pound continues as it hits its lowest point since 1985.

The pound is now down over 8 percent against the US dollar, currently sitting at $1.34, which is a drop of 15c from the highs it reached when polls closed and the referendum seemed to be going the way of ‘Remain.’

This is the lowest the currency has fallen since 1985.

If the vote for ‘Leave’ continues, experts predict the currency will continue to spiral downwards.

The biggest percentage drop for the pound was on October 24, 2008, when it declined 5.9 percent during the global stock market crash.

Farage declares ‘victory’: ‘Dawn is breaking on an independent UK’

UKIP’s Nigel Farage has declared a victory for Brexit, despite vote counting still being underway.

Farage has thanked his supporters for their “damn hard work on the ground,” saying they have won “without a single bullet being fired.”

Farage says UKIP pushed the campaign not only for the UK, but for the whole of Europe, which he called a “failed project.”

“Let’s get rid of the flag, the anthem, Brussels, and all that has gone wrong,” he said.

“Let’s have June 23 go down as our independence day.”

But Farage is being heavily criticised on social media for his reference to “no bullets” being fired, with many asking whether he had forgotten about the murder of MP Jo Cox last week.

Others are saying he should not be celebrating a “victory” which has seen the pound plummet to record lows.

With over 50% of votes declared, 'Leave' takes 3.5% lead

With 53 percent of all votes now declared, a narrow majority of UK voters have decided to leave to the EU.

At 204/382 results declared, the count now stands at ‘Leave’ on 51.5 percent and ‘Remain’ on 48.5 percent, 8,318,550 to 7,842,626 in vote terms. Turnout currently stands at 71 percent.

With the vote leaning towards the ‘Leave’ camp, Nigel Farage has tweeted to say he now “dares to dream that the dawn is coming up on an independent United Kingdom.”

Now ITV News predicts 80% chance of Brexit

Well, that’s embarrassing! Ex-YouGov president now predicts a Brexit

Peter Kellner, the former YouGov president, earlier this evening predicted ‘Remain’ would have a lead over ‘Leave’ of about 8.5 percent.

Now the pollster has flip-flopped, tweeting: “Seems we are heading for result bad for UK, bad for pollsters and (least important) embarrassing for me.”

YouGov’s exit poll immediately after ballots closed at 10pm BST on Thursday indicated a win for ‘Remain’ at 52 percent and ‘Leave’ at 48 percent.

Could a ‘Leave’ vote trigger 2nd Scottish independence referendum?

With over 110 results declared, a somewhat clearer picture is emerging as to how the various nations that make up the United Kingdom are voting, particularly Scotland.

Scottish voters, as expected, have been strongly siding with the ‘Remain’ camp, with all 24 results declared so far voting to stay in the EU, 62 percent to 38 percent.

This is in stark contrast with the UK wide vote, which is almost 50-50.

When compared to Scotland, some of the results from England too have been at the other end of the scale.

Sunderland voted 61 percent to 39 percent in favor of leaving, while Carlisle and Kettering also voted to exit the EU on similar percentages.

If it falls such that the UK votes to ‘Leave’ while Scotland itself votes to ‘Remain,’ then a question mark hangs over whether this could trigger a repeat of September 2014’s independence referendum.

Many of those in the ‘Remain’ camp in Scotland say the country would have no other option but to leave the United Kingdom and seek EU membership for itself.

Speaking in May, Scotland’s former First Minister Alex Salmond said a win for ‘Leave’ would trigger the country’s second independence referendum “within two years.”

READ MORE: Leave the EU? Then Scotland will leave Britain! Salmond sends Brexit warning

75% chance of Britain leaving the EU, says ITV News forecast

Market panic? Not yet, say pundits, but FTSE 100 forecast to open 6% down

The pound plunged on Friday morning as early referendum results indicated the vote would be close. The sterling dropped sharply against the dollar, sinking close to $1.40 after earlier touching $1.50, its highest level since December.

But as the ‘Remain’ side started to inch back on top, the pound went back up again, showing just how volatile the market is proving to be.

If ‘Leave’ comes out on top, the FTSE 100, when it opens at 8am BST, is expected to be down six percent.

Joe Rundle, head of trading at ETX Capital, said: “Stocks and sterling are whipsawing around as markets are starting to price in a Brexit. The pound is swinging around and FTSE futures are trading down at present.

“We can expect to see these gyrations continue throughout the night as traders react to the referendum results as they come in. We’re not seeing a panic just yet but the complacency has definitely gone.”

‘Remain’ makes a comeback with 21% votes declared

Britain’s EU exit was looking increasingly likely in recent hours, but the ‘Remain’ campaign has now edged ahead once again.

With 84/382 results declared, or 21.9 percent, there is now a 50.6 percent to 49.4 percent advantage in favour of ‘Remain.’

Neither side can rest easy, however, as there are still millions of votes to count with neither side remotely close to a clear win.

Betting odds flip in Brexit’s favor

Betting odds have switched in favor of the ‘Leave’ campaign. Betfair Exchanges and Ladbrokes now favor Brexit to win the referendum.

But, as a sign of how close this referendum is to call, Betfair’s official odds have the two camps evenly matched.

Meanwhile, Ladbrokes has made this observation about the referendum turbulent betting odds.

Is the ‘Remain’ blame game already in full swing?

With ‘Leave’ edging ahead in the polls, sources say ‘Remain’ campaigners are already blaming each other for its relative lack of success.

Labour has criticised the Scottish National Party (SNP) for poor voter turnout in Scotland.

“Turnout in Scotland has been considerably lower than expected,” a Labour HQ source said.

“The SNP, the dominant party which ran huge campaigns for the independence referendum, UK election and Scottish elections, has run a lacklustre campaign with minimal ground activity.

“Sturgeon had more to say about criticising the ‘Remain’ camp than making the positive case for Europe, and she was nowhere to be seen until the dying days of the campaign.”

Speaking to the BBC, Former SNP leader Alex Salmond said if Labour wanted to work out who to blame they “should look to themselves.”

It’s official... Nigel Farage voted with a pen

While most have been fretting about which way the referendum will go, it seems some have been more concerned as to how Nigel Farage voted - with a pen or pencil.

Earlier, #PencilGate began trending on Twitter as a bizarre conspiracy theory spread, with pro-Brexit supporters urging voters to #usepens, as a pencil can be erased and their vote changed to ‘Remain.’

The Mirror newspaper questioned the UKIP leader, asking which he used. A slightly confused Farage confirmed he used a biro, not a pencil.

Rest easy now!

‘Leave’ camp maintains lead over ‘Remain’

With 29/382 results now declared, ‘Leave’ campaigners are feeling cautiously optimistic of a win, now leading narrowly by 53 percent to 47 percent.

In vote terms, this equals to 958,576 to 846,203 with an average turnout of 69 percent.

Not everyone is happy with the results though, as is to be expected.

Others are staying up late and fighting back the tiredness to watch the night’s events unfold, regardless of whether they have work.

RT's Ed Schultz talks Brexit with Unite the Union leader Len McCluskey.

Lindsey Lohan weighs into referendum... confuses everyone

Hollywood star Lindsey Lohan is bemusing the internet with her bizarre commentary on the EU referendum, which has seesawed between lucid and crazy all evening.

The former child actress’ first post of the night came shortly after Sunderland’s results showed a massive unexpected swing to Leave.

Lohan then added her advice on the economic impact of a Brexit.

She heaped praise on the Shetland Islands for voting to stay in the EU.

While berating the BBC for not explaining the impact of a Brexit.

In her latest tweet, she urged the UK not to let her down with the hashtag #IAMIRISH.

Fall in pound is 3rd biggest move on record

The fall in the pound is the third biggest move on record, after the 2008 financial crisis and Black Wednesday when sterling left the Exchange Rate Mechanism.

The pound has fallen from $1.50 to $1.45 in just a few hours - but as Capital Economics points out, it was at $1.40 earlier this month.

“Not a sterling crisis - yet…,” it tweeted.

23 June 2016

There is a little bit of a difference between who wins the battle and who wins the war, Nigel Farage told RT.

Postal ballots could spell trouble for ‘Remain’

Millions of postal ballots could deny ‘Remain’ a victory. Many postal votes were sent in the last 2-3 weeks, when Leave was peaking in support.

Postal votes surveyed in Wales put ‘Leave’ ahead, according to Labour cabinet minister Lord Hain.

Election analyst Mike Smithson said postal ballots could make up 20-25 percent of all votes cast.

Pound plummets on Sunderland 'Leave' result 

As the ‘Leave’ campaign takes a narrow lead, the British pound has plummeted.

After hitting highs against the US dollar earlier in the night, a massive win for the ‘Leave’ camp in Sunderland has seen the markets weaken instantly.

‘Leave’ campaign takes narrow lead

With 5/382 results now declared across the UK, the ‘Leave’ campaign has taken a narrow lead.

‘Leave’ now stands at 50.5 percent, and ‘Remain’ at 49.5 percent. That’s 161,744 votes to 158,536.

Sunderland votes ‘Leave’ by huge margin

Sunderland has become the first region to secure a ‘Leave’ victory, with 82,000 people voting for a Brexit.

Some 51,930 voted to stay in the EU.

Orkney votes ‘Remain’

The ‘Remain’ camp has won a significant victory on the small the Scottish island of Orkney.

‘Remain’ won by 63 percent. 

Some 7,189 people voted 'Remain' while 4,193 voted to 'Leave.' Turnout was at 68.3 percent.

Twitter users question BBC’s interactive results facade

The BBC has splurged its referendum results coverage cash on an interactive facade projected onto its London Broadcasting House.

Twitter users seem a little weary of it, however, questioning whether it’s a waste of time and money and who it actually benefits.

Others have noted there are far quicker ways to find out the results than walking down the street.

Others too have questioned just how much money was spent on the facade.

Newcastle votes to ‘Remain’ … but only just

Results for Newcastle are in and show 65,404 people voted to ‘Remain’ and 63,598 wanted out of the EU.

The result will cause upset in the ‘Leave’ ranks, as the region was expected to be a safe bet for Brexit.

First result in: Gibraltar votes overwhelmingly to ‘Remain’

Gibraltar, a British territory on the tip of southern Spain, has overwhelmingly voted for the UK to ‘Remain’ in the EU by 19,322 to 823 - that’s 96 percent to 4 percent.

Results show there was an 84 percent voter turnout.

Britain leaving the EU could cause a domino effect across the whole of the union. To discuss the potential economic effect RT is joined by Professor John Ryan, a visiting fellow at London School of Economics department of IDEAS.

Farage concedes, ‘un-concedes’ and then concedes again

While everyone waits to see just how Britain has voted, it seems Nigel Farage is also unsure about what way he feels about it.

At close of polls, Farage admitted that it seemed likely that ‘Remain’ were going to edge it.

Shortly after, however, Farage appeared to backtrack on this and that he had as such “un-conceded.”

It then emerged though that Farage has again changed sides and conceded again, sighting the fact that the financial markets seem to be siding with the ‘Remain’ camp.

Speaking with the Huffington Post, Farage added that the 48 hour extension for voter registration had a negative effect on the ‘Leave’ campaign.

“My view has been the sizeable number of registrations which took place in the 48 hour extension has played a part,” Farage said. “They got a huge number of young people. That’s going to make a difference.

And in the last few minutes Farage has said, shock, “I’m not conceding”.

Has Brexiteer Boris given up the ghost?

‘Leave’ campaigner Boris Johnson has taken to Twitter to thank his supporters and everyone who voted, saying “democracy has been served.”

Earlier this evening, Londoner Lewis Iwu tweeted to say he spoke to Johnson on the underground, and claimed the Tory MP conceded defeat before polling stations had even closed.

Johnson has at times been a controversial figure in the ‘Leave’ campaign, like when he said the EU’s principal objective was to create a powerful superstate resembling that envisioned by Hitler.

Despite his critics lumping him in with Nigel Farage and his controversial “breaking point” poster depicting a queue of Syrian refugees, Johnson is adamant he and the rest of ‘Leave’ have fought a positive campaign.

He has said this vote is more important to him than his future in British politics.

UK newspapers tease Friday's front pages

Some of Britain’s newspapers have already released advance images of Friday’s front pages.

Tabloid newspaper the Daily Mirror features a man with Union Jack face paint kissing a woman with EU face paint.

The front page leads with the following advice: “As Farage all but concedes defeat … and after the fear & hate… Britain needs Remain & Leave supporters to start the healing process…”

“Project Reunite” is printed at the bottom of the page in large font.

Britain’s most popular tabloid The Sun ran with UKIP leader Nigel Farage’s stunning concession – which he has since disputed – that the ‘Remain’ camp has won the day.

The Times has run with the headline “Closest call for Britain,” with subheadings covering Farage’s concession and the final YouGov poll which gave ‘Remain’ a four-point lead.

Watch RT’s Brexit ballot debates with radio talk show host Jon Gaunt and former Liberal Democrat MP Lembit Opik.

Pro-Brexit NI Secretary Villiers thinks ‘Remain’ has clinched it

‘Leave’ supporter and Northern Ireland secretary Theresa Villiers tells Sky News she thinks ‘Remain’ has won.

“My instinct is that Remain have won. I would put it down to Project Fear succeeding,” she said.

Leave campaign disregarding early YouGov poll & Farage ‘un-concedes’

The ‘Leave’ camp isn’t happy with YouGov’s exit poll indicating a win for ‘Remain’ at 52 percent and ‘Leave’ at 48 percent.

UKIP MEP Patrick O’Flynn has said it is “far too early to call anything for Remain” and that regardless such a margin is “close enough for shy Leavers or good postal share to tip it” in favour of a Brexit.  

It also seems that Nigel Farage has now backtracked on his earlier admission that ‘Remain’ had won and has “un-conceded,” reported ITV.

While the markets have seen the British pound rising against the dollar indicating a win for ‘Remain,’ this has been rubbished by those on the ‘Leave’ side.

Arron Banks from the Leave.EU campaign has also said their own polls indicate that the vote will fall 52-48 in Leave’s favor, saying a high turnout could “make for a surprising result” in their favor.

Another poll puts ‘Remain’ ahead, at 54%

The ‘Remain’ camp has an eight point lead over those who want Britain to leave the EU, according to an Ipsos MORI poll.

The firm’s CEO Ben Page said on Twitter: “We have carried on polling and have 54 remain v 46 Leave today/yesterday.”

Bookies raise ‘Remain’ odds

Ladbroke’s political betting has put the ‘Remain’ side’s chance of winning at 1/12 - an 88 percent chance of victory.

Its referendum betting barometer has put a ‘Leave’ outcome at 7/1, a mere 12 percent chance of coming out on top.

New job for Nigel? Twitter speculates

UKIP leader Nigel Farage could be out of a job on Friday if Britain votes to ‘Remain’ in the EU. Thankfully #SuggestAJobForFarage is trending on Twitter, so at least he has a few ideas.

The vehement Euroskeptic has spent the past 23 years in UKIP campaigning for a referendum on Britain’s membership of the bloc.

But if ‘Remain’ wins at the polls, he may be forced to resign. Anti-UKIP Twitter users have come up with a few suggestions as to what he could do with his life post-UKIP.

RT spoke with John Longworth, former director-general of the British Chambers of Commerce and chairman of the Vote Leave Business Council.

Cameron thanks ‘Remain’ supporters

Prime Minister David Cameron has thanked ‘Remain’ voters and campaigners for keeping Britain “stronger, safer & better off.”

The PM has staked his career and legacy on the referendum outcome.

Although he has said he won’t resign if the country votes to leave the EU, in reality he could face a no-confidence vote among Tory MPs over the issue.

Rumours abound in Parliament that die-hard anti-EU Conservatives are so enraged by the way Cameron campaigned in the referendum that they will try to force him out whatever the outcome on Friday.

However, 84 Tory MPs – two thirds of whom publicly supported the ‘Leave’ campaign – signed a letter on Thursday night urging Cameron to continue as PM regardless of the referendum result.

Farage’s victory cake may not taste so sweet after all...

Party fare is already laid out at Nigel Farage’s Brexit shindig as UKIP supporters await the results.

But as one BuzzFeed reporter at the event points out, his cake doesn’t look very appetising...

Vote sorting well underway in Sunderland

Polling stations may only have closed 20 minutes ago, but in Sunderland there’s no hanging around. Vote counting is already powering ahead.

Traditionally, there is friendly competition between Sunderland and neighboring Newcastle over who declares their result first.

YouGov poll puts ‘Remain’ in front… but ‘Leave’ camp says otherwise

The Sterling has jumped after pollster YouGov put ‘Remain’ at 52 percent and ‘Leave’ at 48 percent as vote counting gets under way.

However, the Leave campaign says its own private polling in the last two days shows ‘Leave’ is ahead at 52 - 48.

Nigel Farage concedes ‘Remain’ may win

UKIP leader Nigel Farage concedes the ‘Remain’ camp may well win the referendum, according to Sky News journalist Darren McCaffrey.

Earlier Thursday evening, former London Mayor Boris Johnson also admitted ‘Remain’ will probably win the vote.

Polls close in UK’s knife-edge Brexit referendum, counting under way 

Stick with RT UK for live updates through the night.

British pound rising against dollar as markets predict ‘Remain’ win

As polling stations edge towards closing time, it seems the markets are predicting a win for the ‘Remain’ camp.

After polling concludes at 10pm BST, one indicator as to which way the vote has gone will be the behavior of traders. The British pound has been on the rise against the US dollar since 7:30pm BST, indicating a certain confidence that Britain will be remaining in the EU.

Throughout the day, Wall Street has also been responding positively with stocks closing much higher than in recent weeks. In fact, the market made its biggest gain in a month, according to AP.

It emerged last month that Britain’s hedge fund industry has commissioned a number of private exit polls for Thursday’s vote, allowing them make informed bets on the result and possibly win big if their polls are correct.

Has Brexiteer Boris Johnson conceded defeat?

Londoner Lewis Iwu took to Twitter to say he spoke to the Tory MP on the underground this evening and was asked whether he voted to leave the EU.

Iwu said no, and claimed Johnson conceded defeat before the polling stations have even closed.

#PencilGate trends as bizarre conspiracy theory circulates

A wild theory is doing the rounds urging people to vote with a pen rather than use the pencil provided at the ballot box because they suspect the government could change their vote to Remain.

As crazy as the idea sounds, some people are taking it very seriously.

According to the Romford Recorder, a woman called the police on her local polling station because it would only provide pencils.

The uproar comes despite the Electoral Commission reassuring voters that ballot boxes include seals to stop tampering.

Twitter users have weighed in with their own deeply sarcastic thoughts on #pencilgate.

Polling stations forced to close amid flash-floods

British voters have been braving heavy rains and flash-floods to cast their ballots in some of the worst summer weather the country has seen.

In some areas polling stations have been forced to close by rising waters. RT is not aware if alternative polling stations have been provided.

The Electoral Commission has said no time extension will be granted at polling stations despite the weather and travel disruptions.

Voters will still be able to cast their ballot if they reach the queues by 10pm.

Voters fume as storms cause rail chaos

Twitter users are venting their anger at widespread travel chaos, which may cause some of them to miss the chance to vote in the referendum. Polling stations close at 10pm on Thursday.

Heavy rain has brought Waterloo Station, one of the busiest in London, to a complete standstill with all departing trains facing delays.

Services across the south east of England are experiencing severe delays.

Flooding has also caused severe delays on several London Underground lines.

Early loss for Brexit at Newbury

A horse named Brexit finished 6th in the 18.10 BST race at Newbury.

The filly was trained by Pat Phelan and owned by Tony Smith and the Undecided Partnership. Speaking to the Evening Standard, Phelan said the owner had no particular political persuasion.

“It is more about having a name that would be topical at a particular time” he said.

Bookies put the odds of Brexit the horse winning at 5 to 1, the same as a 'Leave' vote in the referendum. No doubt 'Leave' campaigners are hoping the going is a lot better for the real euroskeptics.

Evening heatmap shows ‘Remain’ outdoing ‘Leave’ on Twitter

Read into this what you will, but with only three hours to go before the polls come to a close, the word ‘Remain’ has been used more times on Twitter than ‘Leave’ since lunchtime.

The hashtags “euref” and “Brexit” were also widely used. 

Biggest turnout in British history could decide UK’s fate

The Electoral Commission’s provisional figures show that 46.49 million people are registered to vote in the EU referendum, the largest number in Britain’s history.

The previous record was set for last year’s general election, when 46.35 million people were signed up.

Turnout is traditionally low in British referendums, with just 42 percent voting in the 2011 proposal for a new electoral system.

But fears over the impact of Brexit alongside high-profile campaigning could mean an unprecedented number of Brits cast their ballot, according to analysts.

16-17 year olds angry they can’t vote

Writing on the Isle of Wight community blog, Yoppul, 17-year-old Joshua Taylor said young people should be allowed to vote because the outcome of the referendum will affect them the most.

“We have to live with the ‘grown-ups’ decision for the longest, unless it turns out that the every adult voter is a descendent of Benjamin Button,” he wrote.

Many Twitter users support under 18s being able to vote in this once-in-a-generation poll.

While others thought 16-17 year olds are too immature to be given the vote.

The House of Commons blocked legislation in November to allow 16-17 year olds to vote in the referendum.

RT’s Ed Schultz takes to the streets of London for EU referendum

Ed Schultz is taking to the streets of London on the evening of the historic EU referendum vote.

Schultz will examine what impact the referendum could have on the U.S.

Markets shrug off concerns

Markets didn’t seem too worried about a Brexit, ending the day up across Europe, despite voting continuing. The Stoxx Europe 600 Index was up 1.5 percent at closing, with a positive reaction to two polls released on Thursday, which put the ‘Remain’ campaign in the lead.

Britain’s FTSE 100 advanced 1.2 percent and the value of Sterling was also strong.

Economists have said the UK could enjoy a “mini-boom” regardless of the outcome of Thursday’s vote due to delayed investment being pushed through following the referendum.

A large proportion of the £6 billion allocated to investment projects was held back prior to the vote and will be released, according to the Centre for Economic and Business Research (CEBR).

The CEBR said it believed a 'Remain' vote for Britain was “highly likely.”

Woman calls police in Romford to report polling station for issuing pencils

Meanwhile, the pencil debate continues after a woman called the police in Romford to report her polling station for not handing out pens to cast votes, according to the Romford Recorder.

Lydia Abessira, wasn’t happy because she thought ballot papers could be rigged if they were marked with pencils.

“I’m not sure if this is the right procedure but if it is then it’s totally wrong” she said.

You know what they say about those bloody pencils, coming here, stealing our ballot papers.

Voters stranded abroad  

A number of Britons, including Guardian editor Maya Wolfe-Robinson, who are stranded abroad due to the French air traffic control strike, are tweeting that the Electoral Commission is not allowing them to vote by emergency proxy.

How will the count work? 

The Electoral Commission has provided this handy chart to show how the referendum votes will be counted.

‘93yr Mum’ goes viral

First there was Tony Blair’s 'Remain' Twitter selfie, which was ripped to shreds. Now, a Brexit supporter has become the latest target of mimicry and jokes after posting a message about taking his elderly mother to vote.

Within hours, the hashtag “93Yr Mum” started trending.

Keith Adams did try to defend his mum, but Twitter users aren’t having any of it.

‘Our Independence Day!’

UKIP leader and Brexiteer Nigel Farage has published a final Leave.EU broadcast, dripping with British clichés and misty-eyed references to the nation’s military and sporting history. 

Polls may be open, but the Mayor of London is still out fighting for ‘Remain’

After casting his vote for ‘Remain’ in Thursday’s referendum, Mayor of London Sadiq Khan joined Londoners from the “Stronger In” campaign to usher tardy voters to the polling booths.

The Mayor said there is “amazing energy” among campaigners as he took to the streets of Camden in north London.

Poll of polls puts ‘Remain’ ahead by 2 points

A poll combining all the top surveys on voting preferences in the EU referendum has put ‘Remain’ at 51 percent and ‘Leave’ at 49 percent.

Twitter heatmap shows ‘Brexit’ outperforming ‘Remain’

A lunchtime trendsmap showed the ‘Leave’ camp outdoing the pro-EU ‘Remain,’ despite the latest polls by Ipsos MORI and Populus indicating more support for Britain staying in the European Union.

Blair tweets ‘Remain’ sign selfie… Twitter has a field day

Tony Blair made a huge error of judgement by tweeting a photo of himself holding up a big white sign reading “I voted Remain,” leaving himself wide open to the hilarious power of Photoshop.

Within minutes, users began tweeting more appropriate versions by doctoring in alternative messages.

Poor Tony...

Turkey could hold its own Brexit-style vote on joining EU

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan suggested his country could hold a referendum over stalled talks to join the European Union.

“We can stand up and ask the people just like the British are doing,” he told the state-run Anadolu Agency.

“We would ask, ‘do we continue the negotiations with the European Union or do we end it?’ If the people say ‘continue,’ then we could carry on.”

The comments come after British Prime Minister David Cameron controversially claimed Turkey won’t be joining the EU any time soon.

Erdogan has accused the European Union of rejecting Turkey’s bid to join the 28-member bloc because the country holds a Muslim majority.

Glastonbury abuzz with EU chatter... but no polling booths on site

Glastonbury Festival founder Michael Eavis is a proud ‘Remain’ supporter. For those pitching up in the muddy fields this week, which way you swing in the referendum debate is also a hot topic. However, there isn’t actually a polling station on site.

Flocking music lovers can be seen wearing “I’m In” badges, but Eavis had urged voters to arrange either a postal or proxy vote, as there will be no provision for tardy voters on site.

Populus online poll: ‘Remain’ leads by 10 points

Support for the UK remaining in the European Union stands at 55 percent, taking a 10-point lead over Brexit, which stands at 45 percent, according to an online poll by research firm Populus.

The survey of 4,700 people was released on Thursday while voting is under way.

FTSE hits 2-month high as ‘Remain’ takes poll lead

The UK’s share index hit a two-month high on Thursday after the release of two polls showing the ‘Remain’ camp slightly ahead of the pro-Brexit crusade, Reuters reports.

Investors have become increasingly concerned over the outcome of the vote, with many fearing an exit from the EU would damage Britain’s economy and have a dire effect on the wider world.

Stirling rose by mid-morning after the FTSE 100 hike. There was also a rise in copper prices.

‘Leave’ camp urges voters to ‘use a pen’ 

With polls open just a few hours, conspiracy theories have already taken hold. Some ‘Leave’ supporters are worried the standard polling booth pencils could leave the referendum open to fraud.

Using the hashtag “#UseAPen,” Twitter users have urged voters to cross their preferred box with ink.

Broadcaster Charlie Brooker made a fair point, though.

Betting odds swing to 'Remain'

Nigel Farage and Michael Gove cast their votes

Justice Secretary and top Brexiteer Michael Gove voted alongside his wife, Daily Mail columnist Sarah Vine, in Kensington. The pair smiled for the cameras holding a ‘Leave’ umbrella amid the dreary weather.

UKIP leader Nigel Farage voted at a primary school polling station near his home in Kent. He said he had “waited a very long time” to vote for Brexit.

European cities lit up with Union Flag

Buildings across Europe’s major cities were lit up with the red, white and blue of the United Kingdom’s Union Flag on Wednesday night in solidarity with the ‘Remain’ campaign.

Ipsos MORI poll puts ‘Remain’ at 52%, ‘Leave’ at 48%  

The Remain camp was narrowly in the lead in the final poll of the referendum campaign, carried out by Ipsos MORI.

The survey showed 52 percent of Brits opting to stay in the EU against 48 percent for Brexit.

The research also suggested that 12 percent of people could change their minds in the few hours before casting their vote.

Brexit Referendum: domino effect?

#DogsAtPollingStations

Overnight thunder and flooding may have put a dampener on voters’ early morning trek to the nearest polling station. But as social media testifies, voters’ canine friends haven’t been put off!

Keeping up with a relatively new but quintessentially British voting tradition, dogs at polling stations is once again a hit on Twitter.

After a long, divisive few weeks of campaigning, the pure joy of #DogsAtPollingStations is something everyone can agree on.

China releases neutral statement on Brexit... but wants ‘unified’ EU

China’s foreign ministry did not indicate if the country supports Britain staying in or leaving the European Union, but said it will “respect the choice of the British people,” Reuters reports.

Relations between China and the UK have warmed in recent years with closer economic ties, but disputes have continued over China’s human rights record.

Foreign Minister Wang Yi said China “consistently supported the European integration process and would like to see a unified, strong and stable EU play an important role in international affairs.”

The Global Times, one of China’s most influential newspapers, took a stronger view on the referendum, stating that if Britain leaves the UK, the country will lose its global influence.

SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon casts her ballot

Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon voted for Britain to ‘Remain’ in the EU. Speaking after casting her ballot in Glasgow, she said: “Don’t let the Tories division drag us out of Europe, vote to Remain to keep Scotland a positive part of the world.”

‘Winter’s coming’ for Game of Thrones?

The EU referendum could impact your favorite TV show Game of Thrones, according senior fellow at the German Marshall Fund, Peter Chase.

Because the popular show is primarily filmed in Northern Ireland, Brexit could prove problematic from a production point of view.

Due to high costs, the show relies on the EU’s European Regional Development Fund to film the show, which would most likely be revoked if Britain leaves.

To be fair, Game of Thrones is big enough to find another location, but it could have a smaller budget for those epic battle scenes.

Final forecast indicates lead for ‘Remain’ camp

The EU referendum remains neck-in-neck as voters make their way through the bad weather to cast their ballot Thursday morning.

However, a final forecast from ‘Elections Etc’ has put the pro-EU Remain campaign in a six point lead over ‘Leave’ at 53 percent for staying in and 47 percent for a Brexit.

By examining the most recent polls from eight companies, the forecast found an average percentage of the results, but due to “unreliability” there is still “uncertainty” in the forecast.

You can watch UK's Brexit Referendum live here

A match not made in heaven: Are UK & EU set for divorce?

European shares rose on Thursday as firmer copper prices lifted mining stocks, as many investors expect the UK to vote in favor of staying in the EU. Britain's FTSE 100 equity index was also up 0.7 percent, while the pound also rose on currency markets.

Polls open in historic referendum on UK's EU membership.

22 June 2016

‘Leave’ takes 1% lead in final Opinium poll.

The ‘Leave’ campaign has taken a single point lead in the last Opinium poll published before the EU referendum tomorrow.

The research firm said despite the numbers, the referendum race was still “too close to call”. The ‘Remain’ camp was on 44 percent, with 'Leave' on 45 percent. 9 percent were undecided.

Two further opinion polls are to be released from YouGov and ComRes later tonight.

Celeb Brexiters

While David Beckham was the latest high-profile figure to back the ‘Remain’ campaign ahead of tomorrow’s EU referendum, other celebrities beg to differ.

Monty Python's John Cleese said on Twitter on Wednesday, the UK buys more goods from the EU “than they do from us,” in reference to trade barriers that could be imposed on Britain if Brexit happens.

Conspiracy theorist David Icke is no fan of the EU and previously said the European Commission was a “dictatorship” and “a vehicle for the incessant centralizing of power in the hands of a few dark suit bureaucrats.”

Socialite Joan Collins, Bruce Dickinson from Iron Maiden and model Elizabeth Hurley are just some of the array of celebrities planting their flags in the ‘Leave’ Camp.

Vote Leave flyover drowns out Jo Cox memorial

In advance of Thursday’s referendum, Vote Leave has flown two banner-carrying planes around central London’s airspace.

The stunt shockingly backfired, however, as the planes drowned out speakers at a memorial service for murdered MP Jo Cox, held simultaneously in Trafalgar Square, including a touching eulogy delivered by her bereaved husband.

‘Out is out’: Juncker rules out further EU renegotiation

European Commission chief Jean-Claude Juncker says there will be no further renegotiation of Britain’s place in the EU after the referendum.

“The British policymakers and British voters have to know that there will not be any kind of renegotiation,” Juncker told reporters in Brussels.

“Out is out.”

The package of measures that EU governments agreed with Britain in February, which aimed at keeping London in the 28-member bloc, offered concessions on the welfare rights of migrant workers and safeguards for the City of London financial center.

Juncker said: “We have concluded a deal with the prime minister. He got the maximum he could receive and we gave the maximum we could give. So there will be no renegotiation, not on the agreement we found in February, nor as far as any kind of treaty negotiations are concerned.”

Julian Assange to host live ‘Brexit Club’ broadcast

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange will hold a live show from the Ecuadorian embassy in London to discuss the EU referendum.

The six-hour broadcast will also feature a panel of guests including musicians Brian Eno and M.I.A., RT’s Afshin Rattansi and hacker Lauri Love.

Corbyn & Khan make final Labour pitch for ‘Remain’

Speaking at King’s Cross station on Wednesday afternoon, Labour Mayor of London Sadiq Khan urged the public to vote ‘Remain,’ saying “there’s no turning back if we vote Leave.”

“Let’s vote for jobs, for rights at work, for greater opportunities for everyone, this is the fight of our lives, let’s win this.”

Though himself a former Euroskeptic, Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn has joined Khan in outlining his reasons for a Remain vote:

• Tax avoiders: Britain’s power to combat global tax avoidance will be undermined if it leaves the EU.
• Environment: “The sea is a common denominator for all of us,” and better protected within the EU.
• Jobs: Millions of jobs linked to Europe would be protected if Britain remains.
• National Health Service (NHS): Remaining will ensure the public health system is safeguarded from cuts and privatisation.
• Reform from within: Corbyn says he wants to stay in the EU in order to change and reform it. This could include pushing for a minimum wage throughout the EU.
• ‘Spirit of cooperation’: Corbyn highlighted the Eurostar, which departs from King’s Cross, as a symbol of Britain’s “wish to travel and welcome others.” Voting to leave would be a rejection of the “spirit of cooperation” with Britain’s European neighbors.

Norway PM warns of ‘nationalistic’ Europe if Britain leaves EU

Norwegian Prime Minister Erna Solberg said the European Union will be “weakened” and more “nationalistic” if Britain votes to leave the EU, risking the rise of “extreme organizations.”

“A weakened EU, a more split Europe and a more nationalistic Europe will mean that the economic situation will become more difficult in Europe,” she told NRK, adding that downsizing the 28-member bloc would have dire consequences for the world.

Norway’s government has put a plan in place should Brexit have “indirect effects.”

Italian PM Matteo Renzi has meanwhile made an emotional plea to British voters not to “make the wrong choice” in the referendum, warning that it would be a “disaster” and the “wrong choice.”

The center-left leader said “there is no super state in Brussels, no pedantic grocer who measures cucumbers and lives on arcane and exacting acronyms that obscure reality.”

Donald Trump’s campaign, however, renewed his support for Brexit, with the presidential hopeful’s spokesperson Katrina Pierson telling Sky News the presumptive Republican nominee is “very much in favor of countries doing what is best for them,” ahead of his visit to the UK on Friday.

NATO chief: Britain must ‘Remain’ to fight terrorism

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said Britain’s role in Europe is crucial to combatting terrorism and illegal mass migration, in an interview with the Guardian.

Stoltenberg said a “fragmented Europe” would leave the region prone to “instability and unpredictability”

“To fight the terrorist threat we need both the EU and NATO and we need stronger cooperation between NATO and the European Union,” he said from NATO’s headquarters in Brussels.

“And the UK is pushing and showing leadership in pursuing that both from inside NATO and from inside EU. If our neighbourhoods are more stable we are more secure.”

Bookies say Brexit probability at 24%

According to bookies Ladbrokes, 62 percent of all bets today are for ‘Leave’, unchanged from yesterday, and the probability of Brexit remains at 24 percent.

But the actual polls, still neck and neck, do not reflect those odds.

Ladbrokes says the key catalyst on Monday morning, the day after the campaigning resumed following the Jo Cox murder, was a £25,000 bet on ‘Remain’ which helped move the odds in that direction.

Website Zero Hedge says a few large bettors are skewing the odds dramatically in favour of Remain, even if most are betting on Leave albeit with smaller cash amounts.

The average stake on a bet to remain being £450, compared to £75 on a bet to leave.

‘Free Brexit tattoos! Get one if you can live with it’

Free Brexit tattoos are being offered in London’s Soho to “highlight the permanence of your vote.”

Gove likens pro-EU financial experts to Nazis, Boris defends him

Brexiteer Michael Gove has compared Remain-supporting economists to “German scientists” who were paid to denounce Albert Einstein.

"We have to be careful about historical comparisons, but Albert Einstein during the 1930s was denounced by the German authorities for being wrong and his theories were denounced, and one of the reasons of course he was denounced was because he was Jewish,” he told the LBC.

"They got 100 German scientists in the pay of the government to say that he was wrong and Einstein said: 'Look, if I was wrong, one would have been enough'.

"The truth is that if you look at the quality of the analysis, if you look at the facts on the ground, you can come to an appropriate conclusion.”

Boris Johnson says it was “right” of Gove to make such an analogy.

He told the BBC: “You know, look, I erm, Michael Gove has run an absolutely fantastic campaign and he is right in what he says.

“Some of these experts, if you look back over the past 20, 30 years, they totally failed to foresee the crash of 2008, they got it 100 percent wrong in respect of the euro.”

However, Gove has since apologised for his "clumsy" comment.

Business advisers decline to sign Cameron’s pro-EU letter

Up to half of David Cameron’s closest business advisers declined to sign a letter backing the prime minister’s stance on remaining in the European Union, despite a strong push by ‘In’ campaigners to gain last-minute support from the private sector, according to Sky News.

Out of the 20 members of Cameron’s Business Advisory Group (BAG), nine of those including leaders of major firms ARM Holdings, Land Securities and Legal & General were absent from the list of some 1,200 signatories of the letter, which was published in the Times.

Over half of the UK’s biggest listed companies, along with entrepreneurs such as co-founder of Carphone Warehouse, Charles Dunstone and Richard Branson.

Downing Street officials were reportedly frustrated at the move by almost half of BAG’s members. Chairperson of Santander, Ana Botin, and Jeff Fairburn, CEO of housebuilder Persimmon, were among others who declined to sign the letter.

The majority of the nine executives have previously expressed pro-EU sentiments, but corporate policy stated that they were unable to sign the letter, Sky News reports.

An unnamed business leader said Downing Street had been “shouty” and furious” when he announced he would not be signing the letter.

Gary Lineker: ‘Plenty of reasons to Remain, barely any to Leave’

Broadcaster and former England footballer Gary Lineker has come out in support of Britain remaining in the EU, telling his Twitter followers he has found “plenty of reasons” to back Remain, and “barely any” to Leave the EU.

Facing criticism from those on the Leave side, Lineker said the “hatred and bitterness is neither helpful nor necessary.”

Another former England footballer John Barnes has also pledged his support for Remain, saying “speaking from the point of view of English footballers, it will be better off.”

He says his previous comments about the referendum were “misinterpreted” by Michael Gove, who claimed Barnes backed Brexit.

“I think about what is right for the country. I made it plain that I do not support them. I support Remain.”

His comments come after former Manchester United and England players, David Beckham and Rio Ferdinand, also came out as Remain supporters.

Queen: ‘Give me 3 good reasons why Britain should Remain!’

Queen Elizabeth II reportedly asked dinner guests to give her “three good reasons why Britain should be part of Europe,” according to royal author Robert Lacey.

Lacey told the Press Association: “The Queen likes a healthy debate around the dinner table. It was just a question.”

Her Majesty’s biographer says she is “impeccably non-political in public” but in private she could be “refreshingly outspoken among friends.”

A Buckingham Palace spokesman said: “The Queen is above politics and acts on the advice of her government in political matters. The referendum is a matter for the British people to decide.”

Despite her “neutral” position, the Queen was seen as having intervened during the Scottish independence referendum in 2014, by reportedly telling a member of the public she hoped Scots would “think very carefully” before the vote.

Quitting the EU will not stem immigration - Ex-PM Major

Former Tory prime minister Sir John Major has warned leaving the EU would be a “disproportionate” response to migration concerns and the country would live to regret it for a “long time to come.”

During a campaign visit to Bristol with serving PM David Cameron, Major warned Britain “not to pull up the drawbridge.”

He said Leave campaigners are the “gravediggers of our prosperity” and will have to answer for lies peddled during the referendum campaign.

“They will have to account for what they have said and done but that will be of little consolation for we will be out, out for good, diminished as an influence on the world.”

Major dismissed claims the ‘Remain’ camp had orchestrated a “project fear” approach to the referendum, as Cameron has a “duty” to warn the nation of the dangers of leaving.

In 2014, Major said there were too many migrants entering Britain and that more controls were needed.

‘Vote Remain to protect NHS’ - Corbyn

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn is urging the public to vote to ‘Remain’ in the EU so the publicly owned National Health Service (NHS) can be protected.

Speaking at the annual conference of British trade union Unison in Brighton on Wednesday morning, Corbyn said the vote will be one of the most “significant” decisions ever taken in Britain.

“Labour formed the NHS, creating healthcare as a human right. That does not apply to most countries in the world. We have to defend that principle to our dying day.

“A vote to leave will put the NHS in jeopardy.”

Corbyn told union delegates Labour also backs reforming the EU.

‘Let’s make June 23 Independence Day!’ Farage delivers final speech ahead of Brexit vote

UKIP leader Nigel Farage has given his final speech ahead of Thursday’s Brexit referendum – a vote he’s been campaigning for his entire political career. One way or another, it’s likely he will be out of a job on Friday.

Speaking to the press, he says pushing for the referendum has “at times been a long and quite lonely and difficult road,” but it would never have happened without UKIP.

He is proud of what the party has been able to achieve, and has “changed the political landscape … even for the foreseeable future.”

He says that in the event of a Brexit on Thursday, the party would act as a “canary in the mineshaft” in the EU parliament during negotiations.

In a last ditch effort to convince voters to ‘Leave,’ Farage has reiterated many of his greatest hits:

• Cameron has been dishonest to the public
• EU law overrules UK courts
• EU is a big business cartel
• “We don’t even have our own passports anymore”

On whether he had apologized for his widely condemned “Breaking Point” immigration poster, he said: “I apologized for the timing … I can’t apologize for the truth.”

Operation Croissant! Parisians urge Londoners to vote ‘Remain’

At London’s King’s Cross station this morning, commuters were greeted with ‘Operation Croissant’ - Parisians wielding croissants and messages to vote to stay in the EU.

The original plan was to hand out free croissants, but organizers say they were advised by the police this would be illegal, as giving out free food could amount to “treating.”

So instead, they handed out postcards with notes from France.

PM has ‘no regrets’ calling referendum - but could his career be over?

David Cameron insists he has no regrets about calling the EU referendum in 2013. On whether he was pressured into calling it, Cameron told the BBC: “We haven’t had a say on the issue since the 1970s. Europe has changed… I would dispute that this has been done in a hurry.”

In calling the referendum, which he accepts will be “very close,” he has put the unity of his Conservative Party and his own career on the line.

So will he still be prime minister on Friday?

“I will accept the instructions of the British people and get to work to deliver them,” he says.

Cameron says reforms will continue after the referendum if the UK stays inside the EU. He says staying in will help Britain tackle issues such as terrorism and climate change.

He says he is a “deeply patriotic person” and does not want to “give that up to some sort of United Europe.”

“We are not shackled to a corpse, you can see the European economy is recovering… The vision of Britain in Europe is that we do have a special status, you have the best of both worlds,” he told the BBC.

Cameron admits he's made mistakes

‘You can’t call this referendum, it’s too close’ - polling expert

As the country prepares to vote on its future, ‘in’ or ‘out’ of the European Union, polls suggest the result could go either way.

On Tuesday, pollster YouGov had ‘Leave’ ahead by 51 percent to 49, while a Survation poll had ‘Remain’ ahead by just one percentage point.

John Curtice, a polling expert and professor of politics at Strathclyde University told the Independent: “It’s around 50-50. To cut a long story short, undoubtedly last week Leave made progress - the first significant progress of the campaign.

“You actually had the phone polls calling it 50-50 and you had the internet polls having Leave ahead. It’s very, very tight. You can’t call this referendum, it’s too close.”

Bill Buchanan, a professor at the School of Computing at Edinburgh Napier University told the Conversation that bookies and big money are backing ‘Remain’. He said the answer to who comes out on top could lie in “following the money.”

“This is why the odds look strong for Remain, because there is more money being placed on a vote to stay in. Even when the polls were saying that an exit vote was leading, the bookies were still putting remain in a stronger position.”