LONDON — The "leave" camp widened its lead Thursday with 50% of votes counted in the United Kingdom's historic referendum on its European Union membership.
Results from the British referendum — also known as "Brexit" — are still too incomplete to draw any solid conclusions. There were 187 districts still to declare with "leave" holding 51.4% of the vote and "remain" at 48.6%.
Peter Byrne, EPA
The Manchester Town Hall is the setting for the national count in the EU referendum, in Manchester, Britain, June 23. 2016.
As returns rolled in, the British pound gyrated with mixed signals on whether the "remain" forces were winning on the question of the United Kingdom staying in the European Union.
The British currency initially soared to a 2016 peak of $1.50 amid signs that "remain" was winning the day, but fell 4 cents in 5 minutes when returns from Newcastle showed the "remain" forces posting a smaller margin, 50.7% to 49.3%, than expected.
Asian stock markets proved volatile as well, with Tokyo stocks and U.S. futures plunging as early vote results showed a tight race.
"Marginal win for Remain in Newcastle giving pound bulls the willies," Jeremy Cook of World First currency exchange tells the BBC. "Newcastle should be a solid Remain victory."
John Linton, AP
A ballot box is opened for counting at the Titanic Exhibition Centre in more
Pro-EU forces were also buoyed early in the counting when Nigel Farage, the leader of the U.K. Independence Party, said it "looks like 'remain' will edge it," Sky News reported. In addition, the final poll from online research firm YouGov has “remain” on 52% and “leave” on 48%. While not an exit poll, the survey was conducted on the day of the referendum.
The four-month campaign has been acrimonious. Backers argued that severing ties with the EU is the only way to reduce a flood of migrants and protect the U.K.'s independence from burdensome EU regulation.
Supporters of remaining in the EU, led by Prime Minister David Cameron, said jobs, the economy, national security and the U.K.'s standing on the world stage would be compromised outside the alliance.
Although there are no public exit polls and the final official results might not be known until Friday morning, financial markets, which have commissioned their own private exit polls, had appeared to feel that the "remain" forces may have squeaked through, until the Newcastle votes poured in.
Andy Coulson, Cameron's former director of communications, tells ITN that if he was sitting with the prime minister after the Newcastle result, "Anxious would be the overriding emotion."
Alastair Grant, AP
Britain's Prime Minister David Cameron and his wife Samantha leave after voting in the EU referendum in London, Thursday June 23, 2016.
A British exit could send global financial markets into a tailspin over fears that the result will have a negative impact on trade, economic growth, jobs and investment in Europe.
While the "remain" ledger seemed strong, former London mayor Boris Johnson, who leads the "leave" campaign, said polls suggested the outcome would be close. He said "all the information is that turnout is good in areas where we need it to be."
If Britain should choose to leave the alliance, it would be the first since the EU was formed 43 years ago. It could also prompt other member nations to follow the U.K.'s lead and reverse a decades-long drive for European unity.
As Britain and Europe held its — for now — collective breath, the counting process got underway immediately. Sealed ballot boxes, and ballots sent by mail, were being collected and transported to the 382 counting locations.
The Electoral Commission said a record 46.5 million people registered to vote. The question on the ballot paper is: "Should the United Kingdom remain a member of the European Union or leave the European Union?" The side that gets more than 50% of the votes will win.
The tiny overseas British territory Gibraltar was the first counting area to report results. The 2
More visit our website :
Www.blogforallz. blogspot. Com
Sign up here with your email
ConversionConversion EmoticonEmoticon