British politicians make final appeals in EU vote campaigns

More than 1,200 business titans united Wednesday to warn against Britain breaking with the European Union, as rivals battled for the last votes on the eve of a tightly fought referendum that will shape Europe’s future.

The outcome looked deeply uncertain, as a poll by Survation gave “Remain” 45 percent and “Leave” 44 percent, with 11 percent undecided.

The “Leave” and “Remain” camps attempted to appeal to those instincts as they squared off Tuesday night for a fiery, two-hour televised “Great Debate”, billed as the final centerpiece of the campaign.

Investors are on alert over the historic vote, with many markets edging gingerly higher on the expectation that Britons will finally decide to stay.

Across Europe, concerned leaders weighed in with warnings.

Leading Brexit campaigner Boris Johnson, a former mayor of London touted as a future prime minister, won a standing ovation from many people late Tuesday when he urged Britons in a public debate to declare “Independence Day” by voting to pull out of the EU. But those supporting Brexit have struck a chord with many voters by saying Britain would regain control of immigration if it cut itself loose from a bloc they regard as domineering and out of touch.

However, bookmaker Betfair said that based on bets placed there was a 76% chance Britain would vote to stay in the bloc and a 24% chance of Brexit. “The country is in an absolute mess”, he added. He posed for selfies and signed autographs from Maldon in Essex to Ashby-de-la-Zouch, where he was heckled by 17-year-old Will Taylor, who said: “I’m annoyed that I can’t vote and as a young person it’s my future”.

Prime Minister David Cameron, whose job is under threat in case of an European Union exit, said leaving the European Union would create a huge economic problem without resolving immigration challenges.

The British left-leaning tabloid called on its readers to vote to remain in the European Union, saying “for the sake of our great nation’s future. we must lead not leave”.

The prime minister rejected European Union critics’ accusations that Britain is “shackled to a corpse”.

“You can see it all across southern Europe and you can see it alas in this country as well”, he said, lambasting Brussels for imposing a “multitude of regulations” on British business.

“Businesses and their employees benefit massively from being able to trade inside the world’s largest single market without barriers”, the business leaders wrote.

Both sides in the referendum were trying to keep things positive, wary that negative campaigning would turn off voters.

Johnson told LBC radio the poster had “xenophobic undertones” and insisted the official Vote Leave campaign had nothing to do with it.

European Commission chief Jean-Claude Juncker warned there would be no further renegotiation whatever the result on Thursday, after EU leaders reached a deal on a new settlement for Britain in February. The Daily Mirror newspaper called it the “most divisive, vile and unpleasant political campaign in living memory”.

The pound advanced to $1.4687 in Asia Wednesday, from $1.4628 in NY, where it hit a five-month high of $1.4783.

Her alleged killer, 52-year-old Thomas Mair, gave his name as “Death to traitors, freedom for Britain” at his first appearance in court after being charged with her murder.

Speaking to a crowd of 9,000 in Trafalgar Square on what would have been Cox’s 42nd birthday, her husband, Brendan, said that Cox “feared the consequences of Europe dividing again” and urged people to follow her example.

In a policy paper, she warned that an “unwelcome Brexit” would spark debates over the devolved administrations of Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales. “The tone of whipping up fears and whipping up hatred potentially”, he told the BBC.

World leaders, including U.S. president Barack Obama, Chinese president Xi Jinping, German chancellor Angela Merkel, and the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation and Commonwealth allies, have urged Britain to remain in the EU.