It is June 23 2016 and it is decision day.
ADVERTISEMENTIt is June 23 2016 and it is decision day. Will the UK public vote to stay in the European Union or leave in today’s defining referendum.
Opinion polls keep swinging backwards and forwards between the two camps.
Late on Wednesday, as the campaign’s last televised debate unfolded, a poll by ComRes for the Daily Mail and ITV News put the Remain vote on 48 percent, to 42 percent for Leave with 11 percent undecided.
A YouGov study for the Times had the pro-EU camp ahead 51 percent to 49 percent, after excluding voters who haven’t made up their minds.
But earlier on Wednesday, two online surveys found the Leave campaign ahead by one or two percentage points.
Either way, some voters are preparing themselves by rushing to swap their pounds for euros and US dollars. The fear is sterling will slump if there is a vote to leave.
UBSBank employee Mark said:
“I presume a lot of people are betting against what’s going to happen tomorrow. So obviously they’re doing a good business in there, I expect, so it’s good for them, but we have to wait and see what happens.”
Although banks are usually busy at this time of year with holiday makers travelling abroad the UK Post Office online service said currency sales were up 74% on last year.
Trevor Samuel, Manager at Thomas Exchange Global agreed that demand was unusually high at the moment.
“My feeling is it’s to do with the referendum as well. People are getting worried about sterling getting weaker. So I think there is a bit of panic buying along with the normal British holidaymakers as well.”
Experts have observed the pound rate has infact fluctuated over the last few weeks along with the opinion polls. Tourists visiting the capital say they feel privileged to be in the country at such a crucial moment in the future of Britain.