MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency
Brexit referendum: race too close to call, say pollsters
Minister David Cameron invoked Britain's wartime spirit in a last-ditch bid to win votes on Wednesday on the eve of a knife-edge referendum on European Union membership that has put the continent on alert. Read full article
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Disclaimer & comment rulesToo close to call and Farage ducks out of the final debate to have dinner with his son Sam. Why would he do that when this is the most important issue he has campaigned on for years? He is toxic to the campaign and has been told to shut up is my opinion.
Jun 23rd, 2016 - 08:33 am - Link - Report abuse 0The leave campaign appear to have picked up momentum in these last few days.
Jun 23rd, 2016 - 09:08 am - Link - Report abuse 0Dislike of Cameron/Osbourne and the EU elite could yet swing it.
Not long to wait now.
@1. Did you read the article in the Daily Mail? Here a couple of really telling paragraphs.
Jun 23rd, 2016 - 09:21 am - Link - Report abuse 0“It is unclear why he had not seen Sam, 27, who works at KPMG, for nine months.
He had recently told ITV: 'I've got a son who works for one of the corporates and he's been told: ”You must vote to remain part of this otherwise terrible things will happen”.'
Here are some thoughts. Family comes first. The son mentioned is from his first marriage. Possibly his eldest. Perhaps Mr Farage thought that he had already said all he had to say. Perhaps he considered it right to spend some time with his son advising the proper course of action when faced with a threat.
@3 No but I know some of the family through friends. Yes, it is a complicated family especially as Farage is an alcoholic with rather divisive political views. And yes, the family is fractured.
Jun 23rd, 2016 - 09:56 am - Link - Report abuse 0Farage is an extremely well paid MEP - yes, he is on the gravy train - and he has campaigned on Brexit for as long as we can all remember. The night before the most significant vote of our lifetimes is not the time to abandon the fight. No family member was seriously ill. Farage has bottled out before - remember his infamous resigning because 'he is a man of his word' (but only for the weekend) - but I think he was told to shut up after his disastrous racist poster campaign. If Brexit lose it could well be the reason.
I don't know what threat you are talking about but in the U.K. voting is entirely secret and no one can be forced to vote one way or another. That is why it is secret. No one can ever know how you vote. Even if you tell us you voted one way you could be lying. There is no such thing as voter intimidation in the U.K.
I prefer Boris Johnson's analogy of being stuck in the back of a car and being driven by 27 drivers in a direction you really don't want to go. And when you see the comment about Merkel and Hollande meeting up next week to decide which direction the EU will follow in the future - doesn't that send shivers down your spine? It does mine.
Jun 23rd, 2016 - 01:02 pm - Link - Report abuse 0And still they pick on Farage,
Jun 23rd, 2016 - 01:21 pm - Link - Report abuse 0the man who speaks the truth no one wants to hear,
still
the result will be what it is,
we will all have to wait.
@6 No one 'picked on' Farage. He cancelled at the last minute a major debate on an issue he has campaigned on for years. The man is a loud-mouthed, racist, drunk. His poster campaign was highly offensive and a lie. The truth is, he was told not to appear as he was damaging the Leave campaign. Farage is no victim, he is the bully.
Jun 23rd, 2016 - 01:33 pm - Link - Report abuse 0Yes, the result will be the will of the majority.
We canvassed our office today, a finance department in a continental investment bank in London.
Jun 23rd, 2016 - 02:16 pm - Link - Report abuse 0Only one person claimed they were voting to stay in the union. My “circle” seems to fit exactly among the group that would be expected to vote remain but I hardly know anybody planning too.
It's all very odd as I don't know where the claimed “remain majority” are hiding.
I can't see the UK voting to leave. It wont happen.
Jun 23rd, 2016 - 02:27 pm - Link - Report abuse 0@8 I think in true U.K. style we tend to keep our vote secret. It is supposed to be private. It is fine to 'pick a side' on an anonymous message board where no one really knows you but given the very nasty extremes on both sides it is wise to keep quiet or lie amongst colleagues. I don't think the animosity is going to disappear after the vote.
Jun 23rd, 2016 - 03:15 pm - Link - Report abuse 0The divisive campaigning has taken politics to a new low in the U.K.. What happened to disagreeing without being disagreeable? Did you notice how some politicians can debate passionately and then have a drink together afterwards? That is the debating I know, not this snarling, threatening and abusive element that exists now.
I dare say the person who murdered Jo Cox will try to justify his evil act.
Jun 23rd, 2016 - 04:05 pm - Link - Report abuse 0Perhaps he will quote nasty abuse about her that he read in the Sun and blame the correspondent. What is clear is that this has been a dreadful referendum with dreadful people on both sides, too stupid to discuss facts and only too happy to indulge in abuse.
Farage? I quite like him. Is he an alcoholic? I doubt it but he certainly likes a drink. Was he wise to cancel/ dodge that ridiculous bear pit of a “debate”on Channel 4. I think he was. My only regret is that Nigel Lawson was somehow persuaded to attend. Paxman was terrible, give me Kay Burley anyday.
The result is hours away. Looks like Remain has it. But is this the end of the story? I doubt it. Anything over 45% for Leave and this will be just like Scottish independence and turn into a Neverendum.
We all had a detailed conversation about it. Don't think anyone felt pressured either way (other than the guy voting for remain who we pushed down the fire escape)
Jun 23rd, 2016 - 04:18 pm - Link - Report abuse 0The consensus seemed to be that we don't object to a European Union - just not this one. We'd be happy to return to Maastricht and bin the Euro. The Euro has destroyed the union and the eurocrats obsession with ever closer union has compounded it.
@12 *(other than the guy voting for remain who we pushed down the fire escape)*
Jun 23rd, 2016 - 04:28 pm - Link - Report abuse 0Hahahahaha!
@ 11 Neverendum - I very much doubt it............
Jun 23rd, 2016 - 06:05 pm - Link - Report abuse 0Given the ever shriller warnings & pleadings to Remain from all political parties. I suspect this is the last time we the people will be asked to decide this particular matter.........
I bet, at this very moment, at EU central there is some secret department working behind closed doors on preventing similar referendums in the future ?
kind of a democracy prevention task force
14
Jun 23rd, 2016 - 06:10 pm - Link - Report abuse 0We shall see and then if its Remain we shall see.
“I bet, at this very moment, at EU central there is some secret department working behind closed doors on preventing similar referendums in the future ?”
Jun 23rd, 2016 - 06:24 pm - Link - Report abuse 0Utter nonsense. Paranoid much.
The man is a loud-mouthed, racist, drunk. His poster campaign was highly offensive and a lie
Jun 23rd, 2016 - 06:56 pm - Link - Report abuse 0Prove it,
it seems it is you that is racist not him,
I feel bad aroma from you,
you are full of hate, hate leads to anger , anger leads to evil, and evil leads to the dark side,
we all know what happened to Anakin sky walker do we not,
NIGEL FARAGE'S SPEECH IN FULL
There are some people who think our best days are behind us.
They think we're too small, too weak, too worn down to hold our heads high and walk tall on the world stage.
They've lost faith in their country and they've lost faith in their own ability to make a success of it.
They think we're better off letting other people make our decisions for us.
They are wrong. We are a great country, a proud country, a brave country.
A country with an amazing history of entrepreneurialism, sporting greatness, and amazing science.
We are big enough to stand on our own two feet. We are strong enough to make our own mark on the world.
And we are brave enough to make our own decisions, live under our own laws, bear our own failures and forge our own success just like our friends in Australia and Canada and any other proper democracy anywhere else in the world.
Let's have peace, trade and honest friendship. Let's believe in ourselves and let's make June the 23rd independence day.
That don't sound Racist to me, it sound patriotic.
@17 How is my not agreeing with Nigel Farage racist? Twit.
Jun 23rd, 2016 - 07:04 pm - Link - Report abuse 0Why would you wrote just one nationalist speech from Farage? Even the founder of UPIK thinks Farage is racist and has ruined the party.
just because they think,
Jun 23rd, 2016 - 07:10 pm - Link - Report abuse 0you jump on the band wagon,
if they told you to put your head in the oven, would you,
such words are un necessary are they not,
their is enough crap in the world without adding or copying insults, uncalled for, by anyone,
besides that card has now [ sadly ] lost its value and meaning,
the voting is all but over,
why not we wait and see tomorrow if indeed we are still in or out.
@19 I know you struggle with the English language and that makes it hard to understand you most of the time, but that doesn't excuse the nonsense you sometimes come out with. “just because they think, you jump on the band wagon,” makes no sense whatsoever.
Jun 23rd, 2016 - 07:19 pm - Link - Report abuse 0Just to help you understand, I make my own mind up about people.
I make my own mind up about people.
Jun 23rd, 2016 - 07:21 pm - Link - Report abuse 0no excuse you know you were wrong,
so please don't belittle me, its un becoming of you.
@21 Wrong about what? You make no sense. If you are talking about Nigel Farage, I am absolutely right about him. Why do you think he was muzzled and didn't take part in the last debate over the E.U? His views are toxic and were damaging to the Leave campaign.
Jun 23rd, 2016 - 07:29 pm - Link - Report abuse 0And before you call that comment 'racist', Nigel Farage is not a race. Disliking someone's politics is not racist or even offensive. We are supposed to question and challenge the views of politicians in a free country.
What happened to the pens...
Jun 23rd, 2016 - 07:30 pm - Link - Report abuse 0The thing at the polling station was like a bloody crayon...
Met a lot of folk there....not one voted to leave...
And before you call that comment 'racist', Nigel Farage is not a race. Disliking someone's politics is not racist or even offensive. We are supposed to question and challenge the views of politicians in a free country
Jun 23rd, 2016 - 07:36 pm - Link - Report abuse 0Nigel Farage is not a race
Disliking someone's politics is not racist or even offensive
We are supposed to question and challenge the views of politicians in a free country
We agree on something,
politicians are probably the last to agree on democracy
most are as bad as each other.
23 Voice (#)
What happened to the pens,
to easy, apparently some people were turned away today.
20
Jun 23rd, 2016 - 07:47 pm - Link - Report abuse 0You need to rein it in...
Picking on Briton now...name calling...
...“I know you struggle with the English language ”...what the fcuk is that insult all about...
Condescending much...?
I voted to remain....but I'm not picking on everyone else over it...
There views and votes are theirs whether you agree with them or not...
Take a break....
So....Sunderland should be the first counted votes...it usually is....and I reckon the majority will be to leave for that area...
They don't like immigrants....they don't even have asian taxi drivers....so I'm told...
Look no further than this top Eurocrat for proof of Brussels’ loathing for democracy. After Dutch voters had the gall to defy the EU last week, Fraser Cameron, a former senior adviser to the Commission, wrote this on why “it is time for an EU ban on referenda”.
Jun 23rd, 2016 - 07:48 pm - Link - Report abuse 0“Referenda are becoming a huge problem for the EU. The latest result in the Netherlands on the Association Agreement with Ukraine is probably the worst possible outcome. If the turnout had been below 30% the Dutch government could have safely ignored the vote…
Undoubtedly there is a growing trend towards referenda. There have been over 50 in the last twenty years. Sometimes referenda are forced upon governments if there is sufficient voter support, as was the case in the Netherlands… Perhaps it is time for an EU ban on referenda!”
Elaine - didn't take long did it ?
It's not paranoid if its true !
@26 A secret department? That is paranoia.
Jun 23rd, 2016 - 08:08 pm - Link - Report abuse 0You use as many exclamation marks as ChrisR. Calm down.
Elaine - I am calm.
Jun 23rd, 2016 - 08:32 pm - Link - Report abuse 0I use exclamation marks for emphasis not to demonstrate excitement. On that point in my last two posts I used just one - have you been drinking ?
Are you disputing that the EU is anti democratic or just that this is kept secret ?
@28 I am stating your assertion about a secret department is bonkers.
Jun 23rd, 2016 - 09:06 pm - Link - Report abuse 0...and so there was the Sunderland vote that has just come in...
Jun 23rd, 2016 - 11:26 pm - Link - Report abuse 0...just like I said it would be...majority leave....
They're a right bunch of racist Mackems....
..and you said weeks ago the result would be Remain? Wrong again! And that from the biggest bunch of racists in the UK!
Jun 23rd, 2016 - 11:41 pm - Link - Report abuse 0WTF...are you dribbling on about again....
Jun 24th, 2016 - 12:03 am - Link - Report abuse 0At this point in time the Remain camp is leading by a about 9000 votes...
How am I wrong...
It's far to early for a prediction...
...but mine is still...
Remain...
I didn't really expect all the Council Estate scum to be voting for the first time in their lives....and contributing to the result...
So the result is going to be close...
btw...you were 'dragged up'...so would know all about the scum vote....
Well fark!
Jun 24th, 2016 - 03:34 am - Link - Report abuse 0Remain ain't leading by 9,000 any longer.
What interesting times we live in.
Just took a look, though it's nowhere near finished, and it still go the other way. But so far it's encouraging. With the numbers so far, which is only about 70 pc, the BBC has predicted a leave with an eventual spread 52 to 48 pc.
Jun 24th, 2016 - 03:56 am - Link - Report abuse 013,411,911 to leave
12,635,440 to remain
We shall see. Stay tuned.
Well done!
Jun 24th, 2016 - 04:33 am - Link - Report abuse 0Thus far the 'Leave' vote has extended it's lead. It likes likely they will win the referendum. I've been trying to convince my friends why this is so important and now the local media is finally paying it the attention it deserves.
Jun 24th, 2016 - 04:36 am - Link - Report abuse 0There is a lot of Australian investment in the UK and now that investment is suddenly worth a lot less ( 10% to be specific ). Once the implications are further absorbed I think it will actually help the Coalition in the federal election.
It's been interesting to observe the level of surprise - even shock - amongst many media talking heads and industry spokespersons at this ( likely ) result.
It really is a momentous decision.
Game over.
Jun 24th, 2016 - 05:03 am - Link - Report abuse 0How long can the EU last now? Now that their sugar daddy has said enough.
Ka - chinnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnng!
Jun 24th, 2016 - 07:03 am - Link - Report abuse 0Lol - An Independent Scotland right back on the cards.
Jun 24th, 2016 - 11:29 am - Link - Report abuse 0Love it!!!!! Thanks all you Brexiteers - I Love each and every one of you.
Voicy - Bahahahaha, loser! Youre right, working class home, grammar school, Professional Engineer, Self made Hi Tech business owner, resident in Britains promised land. Suck on it!
Jun 24th, 2016 - 02:19 pm - Link - Report abuse 0#39 We love it too.
Lets keep calm & avoid media hysteria. We will succeed as a United Kingdom. Lets work together accept differing opinions & build consensus
Jun 24th, 2016 - 06:58 pm - Link - Report abuse 0Apparently today the German minister for trade said they wanted a special relationship with Britain over trade ,
and to get things moving in that direction,
The USA and Canada also wants a special relationship with Britain,
and this was from American's under Obama who stated today the special relationship will carry on ?
it seems we wont be abandoned after all,
but nothing will happen much until article 50 is operated, so they say,
and Cameron says he will not start this until October as the next prime ministers will do it,
yet Junker and the French, today wanted Britain to go now,
A rosy future then, after a turbulent if not shaky start.
so they say.
25 Voice
thanks
26 McGregor
Jun 25th, 2016 - 08:22 pm - Link - Report abuse 0“Fraser Cameron, a former senior adviser to the Commission, wrote this on why “it is time for an EU ban on referenda”. ”
Yup!! that got reported in the Daily Express last week. As of next year ( round about April time ) If any member state wish to hold a referendum on leaving the EU, they can only do so after the other member states have taken a vote and approved it.
39 EscoSes Doido
“Lol - An Independent Scotland right back on the cards.”
Double LOL!!!!! An Independent Scotland“ ...........so........ and let me get this right....... sorry, I am laughing so hard right now.... You want an ”Independent Scotland“ but you are going to join the EU?
So rather than be ruled over by Westminster, you want to ruled over by Brussels???
Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha!!!!!!!!!
You just go right ahead!! Bonne voyage!!
41 Briton
”Lets keep calm & avoid media hysteria.“
Bit too late for that now I'm afraid old friend. If you saw the BBC reports on Friday night they were all of the ”What have we done to ourselves?” variety.
Some one needs to have a word in their shell-like and tell them that at the moment, they ain't even reading the same book, let alone being on the same page.
Well,
Jun 25th, 2016 - 10:37 pm - Link - Report abuse 0apparently today the pound has rallied , 5 countries have stated they wish to have talks on trade as soon as poss.,
Canada Germany and the US , obarmy would you believe,
all want special trade links with us,
lets hope we go forwards, rather than backwards.
EU leadership are now getting seriously worried about the noise and calls for other referenda in more countries. France is now the biggest concern but Denmark and and Italy showing a great deal of popular interest in requiring elections on their own staying or leaving. Brussels likely to make announcements, hollow or otherwise, about making significant concessions. Something other than the usual “ let them eat cake” that they became so accustomed to repeating.
Jun 26th, 2016 - 03:44 am - Link - Report abuse 0Apparently the French government sat down to a meeting with that le-pen lady,
Jun 26th, 2016 - 07:02 pm - Link - Report abuse 0this referendum is throwing up things that were thought unheard of before this happened.
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