Campaigning renewed after a three-day suspension following the murder of Pro-EU Labour Party lawmaker Jo Cox on Thursday. Both Remain and Leave camps were making last-ditch efforts to gain support, as polls on Monday showed an uncertain outcome of the upcoming vote, Xinhua news agency reported.
An ORB poll for the Daily Telegraph put the support for Remain at 53 percent, up five percentage points on the previous one, with Leave down to 46 per cent. A survey conducted from May 16 to June 12 by social research body NatCen found the support at 53 percent for Remain versus 47 percent for Leave, while an online poll over the weekend by YouGov for The Times showed a slim lead of Leave at 44 percent, with Remain at 42 percent.
“All the signs of ORB’s latest and final poll point to a referendum that will truly come down to the wire,” political strategist Lynton Crosby said.
The slightly Remain-tipped poll results led to a strong recovery of the pound sterling on market earlier on Monday and a rise in Asian stocks on Tuesday.
Billionaire George Soros warned that a Brexit outcome would trigger a pound decline of at least 15 per cent as in September 1992, and possibly a more disruptive more than 20 per cent, with “an immediate and dramatic impact on financial markets, investment, prices and jobs”.
Gloomy predictions of other experts include a start of EU breaking apart, and protectionism and nationalism harming global trade. An optimistic scenario limits pain elsewhere than Britain in Europe to a lesser extent, and suggests an affected global market soon to recover with no big economic damage.
Soros said powerful speculative forces are eager to exploit any miscalculations by the British government or voters. Risks loom ahead with the Thursday vote deemed as a turning point in the political and economic fate of both Britain and Europe.
British-Indian councillors voice support for Britain in EU
Leicester City Councillor Vijay Singh Riyait believes that Britain’s membership of the EU is critical to our long-term prospects, commenting: “Britain’s future economic and social well-being relies on us being an integral part of the EU and working to tackle the big issues facing us all such as climate change, migration and security with our Europeans friends.”
Councillor Kamaljit Singh Chana, from Harrow Council, said the choice for him is simple: “I want a seat at the table whereby I can effectively contribute to an issue, influence and set strategy that will affect my country.”
Councillor Mukesh Malhotra from Hounslow said his vote to remain would be a vote for his children and grandchildren. “Our membership of EU supports jobs and investment and helps deliver social justice. I stay remain for the benefit of my children & grandson in the future,” he said.