US secretary of state John Kerry said on Tuesday that Britain&#39;s vote to leave the European Union may never be implemented and that London is in no hurry to go. 
 
Speaking one day after talks with Prime Minister David Cameron, Kerry said the outgoing British leader feels &quot;powerless&quot; to negotiate a departure he does not want. 
 
&quot;This is a very complicated divorce,&quot; Kerry told the Aspen Ideas Festival, referring to Britain&#39;s negotiated exit from the EU after last week&#39;s &quot;Brexit&quot; referendum. 
 
Kerry, who visited Downing Street on Monday, said Cameron was loathe to invoke &quot;Article 50&quot; of the Lisbon treaty, which would trigger a two-year timetable for departure. 
 
London, Kerry explained, does not want to find itself boxed in after two years without a new association agreement and to be forced out of the EU without one. 
 
And, he added, Cameron &quot;feels powerless - and I think this is a fair conclusion - to go out and start negotiating a thing that he doesn&#39;t believe in and he has no idea how he would do it. 
 
&quot;And by the way, nor do most of the people who voted to do it,&quot; Kerry said, apparently referring to &quot;Leave&quot; campaigners such as former London mayor Boris Johnson, now the front-runner to replace Cameron as premier. 
 
Asked by the panel moderator if this meant the Brexit decision could be &quot;walked back&quot; and if so how, Kerry said: &quot;I think there are a number of ways.&quot; 
 
&quot;I don&#39;t as secretary of state want to throw them out today. I think that would be a mistake. But there are a number of ways,&quot; he said. 
 
Washington has long supported a strong role for its British ally in the European project, and was dismayed when British voters chose last week to quit the Union. 
 
Now, US officials are calling for a calm debate on Brexit leading to a deal that would allow a close association between London and Brussels to continue. 
 
Some EU leaders, however, insist that Cameron must move quickly to invoke Article 50 and begin divorce talks, to put an end to political and economic uncertainty. 
 
(AFP)

Kerry said there are a number of ways in which the Brexit decision could be walked back

US secretary of state John Kerry said on Tuesday that Britain's vote to leave the European Union may never be implemented and that London is in no hurry to go. Speaking one day after talks with Prime Minister David Cameron, Kerry said the outgoing British leader feels "powerless" to negotiate a departure he does not want. "This is a very complicated divorce," Kerry told the Aspen Ideas Festival, referring to Britain's negotiated exit from the EU after last week's "Brexit" referendum. Kerry, who visited Downing Street on Monday, said Cameron was loathe to invoke "Article 50" of the Lisbon treaty, which would trigger a two-year timetable for departure. London, Kerry explained, does not want to find itself boxed in after two years without a new association agreement and to be forced out of the EU without one. And, he added, Cameron "feels powerless - and I think this is a fair conclusion - to go out and start negotiating a thing that he doesn't believe in and he has no idea how he would do it. "And by the way, nor do most of the people who voted to do it," Kerry said, apparently referring to "Leave" campaigners such as former London mayor Boris Johnson, now the front-runner to replace Cameron as premier. Asked by the panel moderator if this meant the Brexit decision could be "walked back" and if so how, Kerry said: "I think there are a number of ways." "I don't as secretary of state want to throw them out today. I think that would be a mistake. But there are a number of ways," he said. Washington has long supported a strong role for its British ally in the European project, and was dismayed when British voters chose last week to quit the Union. Now, US officials are calling for a calm debate on Brexit leading to a deal that would allow a close association between London and Brussels to continue. Some EU leaders, however, insist that Cameron must move quickly to invoke Article 50 and begin divorce talks, to put an end to political and economic uncertainty. (AFP)

Brexit may not happen, London in no hurry to leave, says US state secretary John Kerry

British Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt said on Tuesday he was seriously considering entering the race to succeed David Cameron as prime minister. 
 
Hunt, who backed the campaign to stay in the European Union (EU), told ITV&#39;s Good Morning Britain programme he was weighing up whether to put his name forward before nominations for the next Conservative party leader close on Thursday.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;I am seriously considering it,&quot; he said &quot;What I want to do is to make the argument as to the kind of Britain that we need to be outside the EU. This is a big, big change and if we get it right we can succeed.&quot; 
 
Cameron announced he would resign after Britons voted to leave the EU. Boris Johnson, who was the most high-profile figure in the Leave camp, is the favourite to replace him, but a number of other prominent Conservatives are also thought to be considering a leadership bid. 
 
Hunt said Britain must remain part of the single market, and writing in the Daily Telegraph he said Britain could hold a second referendum on EU membership if it could broker a deal with the bloc to allow full control of its borders. 
 
&quot;I&#39;m not saying we have a second referendum on whether we remain in the EU,&quot; he told the BBC. &quot;We are leaving the EU...but what I am saying is that when we have negotiated the terms of our departure....I do think people should have a chance to have their say on those terms.&quot; 
 
Hunt said the prime minister who succeeded Cameron should be given a chance to negotiate with Brussels before Britain hands in its two-year notice to quit the EU, so they can put any deal on migration to the British public. 
 
&quot;So before setting the clock ticking we need to negotiate a deal and put it to the British people, either in a referendum or through the Conservative manifesto at a fresh general election,&quot; Hunt said. 
 
(Reuters)&nbsp;

'So before setting the clock ticking we need to negotiate a deal and put it to the British people'

British Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt said on Tuesday he was seriously considering entering the race to succeed David Cameron as prime minister. Hunt, who backed the campaign to stay in the European Union (EU), told ITV's Good Morning Britain programme he was weighing up whether to put his name forward before nominations for the next Conservative party leader close on Thursday. "I am seriously considering it," he said "What I want to do is to make the argument as to the kind of Britain that we need to be outside the EU. This is a big, big change and if we get it right we can succeed." Cameron announced he would resign after Britons voted to leave the EU. Boris Johnson, who was the most high-profile figure in the Leave camp, is the favourite to replace him, but a number of other prominent Conservatives are also thought to be considering a leadership bid. Hunt said Britain must remain part of the single market, and writing in the Daily Telegraph he said Britain could hold a second referendum on EU membership if it could broker a deal with the bloc to allow full control of its borders. "I'm not saying we have a second referendum on whether we remain in the EU," he told the BBC. "We are leaving the EU...but what I am saying is that when we have negotiated the terms of our departure....I do think people should have a chance to have their say on those terms." Hunt said the prime minister who succeeded Cameron should be given a chance to negotiate with Brussels before Britain hands in its two-year notice to quit the EU, so they can put any deal on migration to the British public. "So before setting the clock ticking we need to negotiate a deal and put it to the British people, either in a referendum or through the Conservative manifesto at a fresh general election," Hunt said. (Reuters)

British health secretary likely to run for PM, pitches negotiations with EU

Britain could have a new prime minister by early September, the ruling Conservative Party said on Monday, after David Cameron started laying the groundwork for his successor to trigger the country&#39;s exit from the European Union. 
 
The government is under pressure to fill a vacuum left when Cameron announced he would resign by October after Britain ignored his advice and voted to leave the 28-member bloc in last week&#39;s referendum. 
 
Triggering a leadership battle that could draw in some of his closest advisers, Cameron urged ministers to work together in the meantime. 
 
One of Cameron&#39;s allies, finance minister George Osborne, ruled himself out of the leadership race, but British media said other cabinet colleagues were poised to enter. 
 
Cameron also formed a separate unit, staffed by public servants, to help advise Britain on its departure and its options for a future outside the EU. 
 
&quot;Although leaving the EU was not the path I recommended, I am the first to praise our incredible strengths as a country,&quot; Cameron told parliament. 
 
&quot;As we proceed with implementing this decision and facing the challenges that it will undoubtedly bring, I believe we should hold fast to a vision of Britain that wants to be respected abroad, tolerant at home, engaged in the world.&quot; 
 
Asked about the possibility of a second EU referendum, Cameron said the result of Thursday&#39;s vote must be accepted. 
 
Graham Brady, chair of the &quot;1922 Committee&quot; of Conservative lawmakers, which sets the party&#39;s ground rules in parliament, said the group had recommended that the leadership contest should begin next week and conclude no later than Sept. 2. 
 
That recommendation will almost certainly be passed. 
 
&quot;Both the Conservatives and the country more generally really want certainty. We would like a resolution and we think it would be a good thing to conclude this process as soon as we practicably can,&quot; Brady told Sky News. 
 
He said there should be no new parliamentary election before Britain had negotiated the terms of its exit from the EU. 
 
Several Conservative lawmakers have urged leadership candidates to try to broker a deal quickly to make sure that any campaign is as painless as possible, and to avoid deepening divisions exposed during the referendum campaign. 
 
&quot;A leadership contest now is not in the interests of our country,&quot; said Justine Greening, international development minister. &quot;It will mean our party focuses inward at the very time our country most needs us to focus outward.&quot; 
 
 
Jockeying for position 
Osborne, who was once widely regarded as a front-runner to succeed Cameron, said his fierce advocacy for Britain staying part of the EU meant he was no longer a suitable candidate for the highest office. 
 
&quot;I believed in this cause and fought hard for it. So it is clear that while I completely accept the result, I am not the person to provide the unity my party needs,&quot; Osborne said in an article published by the Times newspaper. 
 
Work and pensions minister Stephen Crabb is considering a bid to succeed Cameron, Sky News reported, citing sources. He is canvassing Conservative lawmakers for support along with Business Secretary Sajid Javid, who is seeking to become finance minister, Sky said. 
 
The editor of the Spectator magazine tweeted that Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt was also &quot;highly likely&quot; to launch a leadership bid. 
 
But all eyes are on former London mayor Boris Johnson, the most prominent of the &quot;Leave&quot; campaigners and now bookmakers&#39; favourite to succeed Cameron. 
 
But not all party members back him and many are pressing for &quot;Anyone But Boris&quot;, seeing his decision to back the Leave campaign as a betrayal of his former ally Cameron, according to media reports. 
 
A YouGov opinion poll on Monday showed interior minister Theresa May scored better than Johnson on who would make the best prime minister, among both the general public and Conservative voters. 
 
Cameron&#39;s spokesman said the prime minister would not endorse any candidate to succeed him. 
 
Instead, Cameron urged unity both in government and in the country and announced he had set up an advisory unit to help manage Britain&#39;s departure from the European Union and to make sure his successor has all the information necessary to decide the country&#39;s future. 
 
&quot;Clearly this will be the most complex and most important task that the British civil service has undertaken in decades. So the new unit will sit at the heart of government and be led by and staffed by the best and brightest from across our civil service,&quot; Cameron said. 
 
For now, the priority was working together on government business, which some critics say has been all but put on hold since campaigning for the referendum began in February, and reassuring the many migrants who fear their status may change. 
 
Cameron told parliament he would not put up with intolerance, after reports that migrants, particularly those from Poland, had been told by some Britons to &quot;go home&quot; since the referendum. 
 
&quot;Let&#39;s remember these people have come here and made a wonderful contribution to our country. And we will not stand for hate crime or these kinds of attacks,&quot; he said. &quot;They must be stamped out.&quot; 
 
(Reuters)

Cameron urged unity both in government and country as work and pensions minister and the health secretary seek to launch a leadership bid

Britain could have a new prime minister by early September, the ruling Conservative Party said on Monday, after David Cameron started laying the groundwork for his successor to trigger the country's exit from the European Union. The government is under pressure to fill a vacuum left when Cameron announced he would resign by October after Britain ignored his advice and voted to leave the 28-member bloc in last week's referendum. Triggering a leadership battle that could draw in some of his closest advisers, Cameron urged ministers to work together in the meantime. One of Cameron's allies, finance minister George Osborne, ruled himself out of the leadership race, but British media said other cabinet colleagues were poised to enter. Cameron also formed a separate unit, staffed by public servants, to help advise Britain on its departure and its options for a future outside the EU. "Although leaving the EU was not the path I recommended, I am the first to praise our incredible strengths as a country," Cameron told parliament. "As we proceed with implementing this decision and facing the challenges that it will undoubtedly bring, I believe we should hold fast to a vision of Britain that wants to be respected abroad, tolerant at home, engaged in the world." Asked about the possibility of a second EU referendum, Cameron said the result of Thursday's vote must be accepted. Graham Brady, chair of the "1922 Committee" of Conservative lawmakers, which sets the party's ground rules in parliament, said the group had recommended that the leadership contest should begin next week and conclude no later than Sept. 2. That recommendation will almost certainly be passed. "Both the Conservatives and the country more generally really want certainty. We would like a resolution and we think it would be a good thing to conclude this process as soon as we practicably can," Brady told Sky News. He said there should be no new parliamentary election before Britain had negotiated the terms of its exit from the EU. Several Conservative lawmakers have urged leadership candidates to try to broker a deal quickly to make sure that any campaign is as painless as possible, and to avoid deepening divisions exposed during the referendum campaign. "A leadership contest now is not in the interests of our country," said Justine Greening, international development minister. "It will mean our party focuses inward at the very time our country most needs us to focus outward." Jockeying for position Osborne, who was once widely regarded as a front-runner to succeed Cameron, said his fierce advocacy for Britain staying part of the EU meant he was no longer a suitable candidate for the highest office. "I believed in this cause and fought hard for it. So it is clear that while I completely accept the result, I am not the person to provide the unity my party needs," Osborne said in an article published by the Times newspaper. Work and pensions minister Stephen Crabb is considering a bid to succeed Cameron, Sky News reported, citing sources. He is canvassing Conservative lawmakers for support along with Business Secretary Sajid Javid, who is seeking to become finance minister, Sky said. The editor of the Spectator magazine tweeted that Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt was also "highly likely" to launch a leadership bid. But all eyes are on former London mayor Boris Johnson, the most prominent of the "Leave" campaigners and now bookmakers' favourite to succeed Cameron. But not all party members back him and many are pressing for "Anyone But Boris", seeing his decision to back the Leave campaign as a betrayal of his former ally Cameron, according to media reports. A YouGov opinion poll on Monday showed interior minister Theresa May scored better than Johnson on who would make the best prime minister, among both the general public and Conservative voters. Cameron's spokesman said the prime minister would not endorse any candidate to succeed him. Instead, Cameron urged unity both in government and in the country and announced he had set up an advisory unit to help manage Britain's departure from the European Union and to make sure his successor has all the information necessary to decide the country's future. "Clearly this will be the most complex and most important task that the British civil service has undertaken in decades. So the new unit will sit at the heart of government and be led by and staffed by the best and brightest from across our civil service," Cameron said. For now, the priority was working together on government business, which some critics say has been all but put on hold since campaigning for the referendum began in February, and reassuring the many migrants who fear their status may change. Cameron told parliament he would not put up with intolerance, after reports that migrants, particularly those from Poland, had been told by some Britons to "go home" since the referendum. "Let's remember these people have come here and made a wonderful contribution to our country. And we will not stand for hate crime or these kinds of attacks," he said. "They must be stamped out." (Reuters)

Preparing for Brexit, Britain may see new Prime Minister by early September

Britain&#39;s vote to leave the European Union may lead to further volatility in financial markets, finance minister George Osborne said on Monday, but &#39;world&#39;s fifth-biggest economy would cope with the challenge ahead&#39;, he asserted.&nbsp; 
 
Osborne, who was speaking publicly for the first time since Britain voted to leave the bloc on Thursday, said the government had put in place robust contingency plans and there was more action that it and the Bank of England could take. 
 
&quot;Our economy is about as strong as it could be to confront the challenge our country now faces,&quot; he told a news conference at Britain&#39;s finance ministry.&nbsp; 
 
 
Osborne to clarify his political future in coming days&nbsp; 
Osborne&#39;s future as finance minister has come under question after he was on the losing side in the referendum.&nbsp;During the campaign, he said he would have to raise taxes and cut spending in the event of a vote to leave the EU. 
 
On Monday, however, he said the government should wait until the successor to Prime Minister David Cameron is in place before deciding on how to change its fiscal plans in response to the expected slowdown in the economy. 
 
Cameron said on Friday he would stand down but would stay in the job until his successor was in place in October. 
 
&quot;There will be an adjustment in our economy because of the decision that the British people have taken,&quot; Osborne said. 
 
&quot;There will have to be action to deal with the impact on the public finances, but of course it&#39;s perfectly sensible to wait until we have a new prime minister to determine what that will look like,&quot; he said. 
 
Sterling, which fell more than 8 percent against the US dollar on Friday, trimmed some of its losses on Monday as Osborne spoke. 
 
Further, Osborne, who was once the favourite to succeed Cameron, said he would clarify his political future in the coming days. 
 
(Reuters)&nbsp; 
 
 
&nbsp;

Osborne said UK government should wait until David Cameron's successor is in place before deciding on how to change its fiscal plans

Britain's vote to leave the European Union may lead to further volatility in financial markets, finance minister George Osborne said on Monday, but 'world's fifth-biggest economy would cope with the challenge ahead', he asserted. Osborne, who was speaking publicly for the first time since Britain voted to leave the bloc on Thursday, said the government had put in place robust contingency plans and there was more action that it and the Bank of England could take. "Our economy is about as strong as it could be to confront the challenge our country now faces," he told a news conference at Britain's finance ministry. Osborne to clarify his political future in coming days Osborne's future as finance minister has come under question after he was on the losing side in the referendum. During the campaign, he said he would have to raise taxes and cut spending in the event of a vote to leave the EU. On Monday, however, he said the government should wait until the successor to Prime Minister David Cameron is in place before deciding on how to change its fiscal plans in response to the expected slowdown in the economy. Cameron said on Friday he would stand down but would stay in the job until his successor was in place in October. "There will be an adjustment in our economy because of the decision that the British people have taken," Osborne said. "There will have to be action to deal with the impact on the public finances, but of course it's perfectly sensible to wait until we have a new prime minister to determine what that will look like," he said. Sterling, which fell more than 8 percent against the US dollar on Friday, trimmed some of its losses on Monday as Osborne spoke. Further, Osborne, who was once the favourite to succeed Cameron, said he would clarify his political future in the coming days. (Reuters)

Economy strong enough to face Brexit vote, Osborne calls for patient approach

The petition calling for a second referendum on Britain`s exit from the European Union (EU) which has gained more than three million signatures is under investigation by parliamentary authorities for possible manipulations. 
 
The House of Commons petitions committee has confirmed that 77,000 signatures were added fraudulently and have been removed and the committee is now continually monitoring the petition for any suspicious activity. 
 
The request for another referendum on the Parliament&#39;s official petitions website should have been signed only by British and UK residents, but data showed signatories from other countries as well, including Iceland, the Cayman Islands and Tunisia. 
 
According to the officials, in some cases there are more signatures than total population like in the Vatican City that has a total population of just 800, but over 39,000 residents of the city appeared to have signed the petition. 
 
Helen Jones, the chair of the petitions committee, said that those signatures discovered to be fake would be &quot;removed&quot; and said such fraud &quot;undermines the process of parliamentary democracy&quot;, reports The Guardian. 
 
She said, &quot;The Government Digital Service are taking action to investigate and, where necessary, remove fraudulent signatures.&nbsp; 
It is clear that this petition is very important to a substantial number of people.&nbsp; 
 
The petitions committee will be considering the petition at its meeting next week, and will decide whether or not to schedule a debate on it. 
 
&quot;The website`s only identity `test` is a simple checkbox asking to confirm you are either a British citizen or that you are a resident of the UK.&nbsp; 
 
While postcodes are required, street addresses are not, and no proof of ID is needed. 
 
The petition was started by leave activist William Oliver Healey in May, when polls suggested remain would win. Parliament must consider all petitions that reach a threshold of 100,000 votes for a debate.&nbsp; 
 
(ANI)

The House of Commons petitions committee has confirmed that 77,000 signatures were added fraudulently and have been removed

The petition calling for a second referendum on Britain`s exit from the European Union (EU) which has gained more than three million signatures is under investigation by parliamentary authorities for possible manipulations. The House of Commons petitions committee has confirmed that 77,000 signatures were added fraudulently and have been removed and the committee is now continually monitoring the petition for any suspicious activity. The request for another referendum on the Parliament's official petitions website should have been signed only by British and UK residents, but data showed signatories from other countries as well, including Iceland, the Cayman Islands and Tunisia. According to the officials, in some cases there are more signatures than total population like in the Vatican City that has a total population of just 800, but over 39,000 residents of the city appeared to have signed the petition. Helen Jones, the chair of the petitions committee, said that those signatures discovered to be fake would be "removed" and said such fraud "undermines the process of parliamentary democracy", reports The Guardian. She said, "The Government Digital Service are taking action to investigate and, where necessary, remove fraudulent signatures. It is clear that this petition is very important to a substantial number of people. The petitions committee will be considering the petition at its meeting next week, and will decide whether or not to schedule a debate on it. "The website`s only identity `test` is a simple checkbox asking to confirm you are either a British citizen or that you are a resident of the UK. While postcodes are required, street addresses are not, and no proof of ID is needed. The petition was started by leave activist William Oliver Healey in May, when polls suggested remain would win. Parliament must consider all petitions that reach a threshold of 100,000 votes for a debate. (ANI)

Brexit: Petition for second EU referendum under scrutiny for fraudulent signatures

Just days after a shock Brexit, Spaniards started voting in repeat elections Sunday to decide if they too want a radical change as promised by a far-left coalition led by Podemos. 
 
The polls, which opened at 0700 GMT under a generally blue sky nationwide, are pitting voters hungry for change in a country with sky-high unemployment against those who fear this change would worsen the situation for Spain, which was on the brink of collapse just a few years ago. 
 
Britain&#39;s surprise vote to leave the European Union has further exacerbated this cleavage, with the outgoing conservative Popular Party (PP) insisting on the need for &quot;stability&quot; in the face of &quot;radicalism&quot; and &quot;populism&quot;, in a thinly-veiled dig at the Unidos Podemos coalition. 
 
&quot;If you want a united country and not a radical Spain, think about it, go for what is safe... vote for the Popular Party,&quot; acting prime minister Mariano Rajoy said in one of his last tweets before the obligatory day of campaign silence. 
 
Voters have the choice between four major political groupings after the emergence of Podemos and centre-right upstart Ciudadanos last year uprooted the country`s two-party dominance.&nbsp;This upheaval meant that the last general elections in December resulted in a hung parliament, after which parties failed to agree on a coalition, prompting Sunday`s repeat vote. 
 
Opinion polls suggest fractured mandate&nbsp; 
Opinion polls suggest the results Sunday will also be fractured, with the PP coming first without a majority, tailed by Unidos Podemos, which could replace the 137-year-old Socialist party as Spain`s main left-wing force. 
 
Political leaders will have to go back to the negotiating table, under more pressure this time to form a coalition.Throughout the latest campaign -- and again on Friday after Brexit -- the PP has hammered away at the need for stability in reference to the rise of Unidos Podemos, which like Greece`s ruling Syriza party rejects EU-backed austerity and pledges to fight for the least well-off. 
 
Electorate on lookout for stable party &nbsp; 
The coalition, led by charismatic, pony-tailed Pablo Iglesias, has responded with a message of calm aimed at defusing this criticism. 
 
Unidos Podemos, the &quot;o&quot; of Unidos shaped as a heart, has made &quot;smile of a country&quot; its slogan for an emotional campaign. 
 
Rajoy argues that since the PP came to power in 2011, it has brought Spain back to growth and overseen a drop in unemployment -- though at 21 percent it is still the second highest rate in the European Union after Greece. 
 
But his rivals retort that inequalities have risen, the jobs created are mainly unstable, and they point to the repeated corruption scandals to have hit the PP. 
 
Ileana Vellon Garcia, a 51-year-old cleaner in Madrid, will vote for Unidos Podemos.&nbsp;&quot;They represent change. I was for the Socialists for a long time, but they have really disappointed me,&quot; she says. 
 
Whether Brexit will have any influence on Spain`s election is as yet uncertain. 
 
But for Vicente Serrano, a 74-year-old retiree in the southeastern port city of Alicante, uncertainty is not a good thing. &quot;At a time of such sudden changes in the world, look at the United Kingdom, I&#39;m opting for the right because it tends to be less fickle,&quot; he says.&nbsp; 
 
(AFP)&nbsp; 
 
 
 
 
 
&nbsp;

Last elections were held six months ago, failed to throw up a stable government

Just days after a shock Brexit, Spaniards started voting in repeat elections Sunday to decide if they too want a radical change as promised by a far-left coalition led by Podemos. The polls, which opened at 0700 GMT under a generally blue sky nationwide, are pitting voters hungry for change in a country with sky-high unemployment against those who fear this change would worsen the situation for Spain, which was on the brink of collapse just a few years ago. Britain's surprise vote to leave the European Union has further exacerbated this cleavage, with the outgoing conservative Popular Party (PP) insisting on the need for "stability" in the face of "radicalism" and "populism", in a thinly-veiled dig at the Unidos Podemos coalition. "If you want a united country and not a radical Spain, think about it, go for what is safe... vote for the Popular Party," acting prime minister Mariano Rajoy said in one of his last tweets before the obligatory day of campaign silence. Voters have the choice between four major political groupings after the emergence of Podemos and centre-right upstart Ciudadanos last year uprooted the country`s two-party dominance. This upheaval meant that the last general elections in December resulted in a hung parliament, after which parties failed to agree on a coalition, prompting Sunday`s repeat vote. Opinion polls suggest fractured mandate Opinion polls suggest the results Sunday will also be fractured, with the PP coming first without a majority, tailed by Unidos Podemos, which could replace the 137-year-old Socialist party as Spain`s main left-wing force. Political leaders will have to go back to the negotiating table, under more pressure this time to form a coalition.Throughout the latest campaign -- and again on Friday after Brexit -- the PP has hammered away at the need for stability in reference to the rise of Unidos Podemos, which like Greece`s ruling Syriza party rejects EU-backed austerity and pledges to fight for the least well-off. Electorate on lookout for stable party The coalition, led by charismatic, pony-tailed Pablo Iglesias, has responded with a message of calm aimed at defusing this criticism. Unidos Podemos, the "o" of Unidos shaped as a heart, has made "smile of a country" its slogan for an emotional campaign. Rajoy argues that since the PP came to power in 2011, it has brought Spain back to growth and overseen a drop in unemployment -- though at 21 percent it is still the second highest rate in the European Union after Greece. But his rivals retort that inequalities have risen, the jobs created are mainly unstable, and they point to the repeated corruption scandals to have hit the PP. Ileana Vellon Garcia, a 51-year-old cleaner in Madrid, will vote for Unidos Podemos. "They represent change. I was for the Socialists for a long time, but they have really disappointed me," she says. Whether Brexit will have any influence on Spain`s election is as yet uncertain. But for Vicente Serrano, a 74-year-old retiree in the southeastern port city of Alicante, uncertainty is not a good thing. "At a time of such sudden changes in the world, look at the United Kingdom, I'm opting for the right because it tends to be less fickle," he says. (AFP)

Spain goes to the polls

Britain&#39;s vote to leave the European Union (EU) could open a period of turbulence for the country&#39;s airline industry, which has soared under the EU&#39;s Single European Sky system over the last two decades. 
 
Among the mass of agreements that Britain will have to renegotiate with Brussels are those governing flights between Britain and the rest of the EU. 
 
&quot;They are not long, the days of wine and roses,&quot; whether for airlines, airports or British air travellers, points out Peter Morris, chief economist at Ascend Flightglobal Consultancy. 
 
British airlines may not be able to introduce any route without prior authorisation&nbsp; 
The single sky system lifted trade restrictions on airlines controlled by EU member states or their nationals, and whose headquarters are located within the EU.&nbsp;Unless British negotiators manage to secure preferential conditions, British airlines will lose this status. 
 
This will mean they no longer enjoy rights including being able to freely set airfares, and to launch any route in Europe without getting authorisation in advance. 
 
In concrete terms, passengers leaving or arriving in the United Kingdom will face new taxes, while British airlines will be slower to develop new routes. 
 
Airlines in Britain might want to remain in Single European Sky&nbsp; 
The shares of two main key players in the sector, EasyJet and the International Airlines Group (IAG), plummeted Friday following the news of the shock Brexit vote, losing 14.35 percent and 22.54 respectively on the London market. 
 
Low-cost airline Ryanair, however, which campaigned vocally for Britain to remain in the EU, is a little less exposed because it is based in Ireland, even if it has a large presence in Britain. 
 
As soon as the referendum result became clear, EasyJet wrote to British and EU authorities pressing them to ensure that Britain remains in the Single European Sky. 
 
&quot;Britain being in Europe is the best thing for Britain,&quot; EasyJet chief executive Carolyn McCall told AFP a few months before Thursday&#39;s referendum. 
 
&quot;That is based on the fact that deregulation of aviation has been a fantastic benefit to consumers,&quot; she said, noting that it had reduced fares by 40 percent and increased routes by 170 percent. 
 
On Friday the airline insisted that Brexit will not have a major impact on its strategy, but also said it was working on alternative options to allow it to maintain its current network and operations. 
 
According to Morris, EasyJet, currently based at Luton airport north of London, &quot;will doubtless already have plans under way for a head office within the EU, perhaps under a different brand&quot;. 
 
He said he also expects that IAG, which includes British Airways and which is headquartered in London, will try to widen its network using its non-British subsidiary airlines, at the expense of British Airways. 
 
IAG also owns Spanish carriers Iberia and Vueling as well as Ireland&#39;s Aer Lingus, which it could use to strengthen its operations around hubs in Dublin and Madrid. 
 
That could harm London&#39;s role as an international hub with five airports. 
 
Fall in demand for flights to Europe also likely&nbsp; 
The Brexit vote may have a few more consequences for the aviation sector in the country.&nbsp; 
 
On the downside for the British capital, tides of US and Asian passengers who transit via its airports could be attracted by offers from hubs which remain in the EU. 
 
Further, the long-debated construction of a new runway at Heathrow or Gatwick, Britain&#39;s two main airports, could be delayed further if &quot;Leave&quot; campaign figurehead Boris Johnson becomes prime minister. 
 
The former London mayor, tipped as a frontrunner to succeed Prime Minister David Cameron after the Brexit vote, has long campaigned for an alternative plan to build a new airport in the Thames estuary east of the capital. 
 
&quot;For Heathrow and its third runway the game&#39;s up,&quot; said John Strickland of JLS Consulting.&nbsp;He highlighted another more immediate consequence of the Brexit vote: the collapse of sterling on exchange markets. 
 
This will lead to higher fuel and lease costs, and a likely fall in demand for flights to Europe by British travellers whose pounds aren&#39;t worth as much on the continent since Thursday&#39;s shock vote. 
 
(AFP)&nbsp; 
 
 
 
 
&nbsp;

In concrete terms, passengers leaving or arriving in United Kingdom may face new taxes, while British airlines will be slower to develop

Britain's vote to leave the European Union (EU) could open a period of turbulence for the country's airline industry, which has soared under the EU's Single European Sky system over the last two decades. Among the mass of agreements that Britain will have to renegotiate with Brussels are those governing flights between Britain and the rest of the EU. "They are not long, the days of wine and roses," whether for airlines, airports or British air travellers, points out Peter Morris, chief economist at Ascend Flightglobal Consultancy. British airlines may not be able to introduce any route without prior authorisation The single sky system lifted trade restrictions on airlines controlled by EU member states or their nationals, and whose headquarters are located within the EU. Unless British negotiators manage to secure preferential conditions, British airlines will lose this status. This will mean they no longer enjoy rights including being able to freely set airfares, and to launch any route in Europe without getting authorisation in advance. In concrete terms, passengers leaving or arriving in the United Kingdom will face new taxes, while British airlines will be slower to develop new routes. Airlines in Britain might want to remain in Single European Sky The shares of two main key players in the sector, EasyJet and the International Airlines Group (IAG), plummeted Friday following the news of the shock Brexit vote, losing 14.35 percent and 22.54 respectively on the London market. Low-cost airline Ryanair, however, which campaigned vocally for Britain to remain in the EU, is a little less exposed because it is based in Ireland, even if it has a large presence in Britain. As soon as the referendum result became clear, EasyJet wrote to British and EU authorities pressing them to ensure that Britain remains in the Single European Sky. "Britain being in Europe is the best thing for Britain," EasyJet chief executive Carolyn McCall told AFP a few months before Thursday's referendum. "That is based on the fact that deregulation of aviation has been a fantastic benefit to consumers," she said, noting that it had reduced fares by 40 percent and increased routes by 170 percent. On Friday the airline insisted that Brexit will not have a major impact on its strategy, but also said it was working on alternative options to allow it to maintain its current network and operations. According to Morris, EasyJet, currently based at Luton airport north of London, "will doubtless already have plans under way for a head office within the EU, perhaps under a different brand". He said he also expects that IAG, which includes British Airways and which is headquartered in London, will try to widen its network using its non-British subsidiary airlines, at the expense of British Airways. IAG also owns Spanish carriers Iberia and Vueling as well as Ireland's Aer Lingus, which it could use to strengthen its operations around hubs in Dublin and Madrid. That could harm London's role as an international hub with five airports. Fall in demand for flights to Europe also likely The Brexit vote may have a few more consequences for the aviation sector in the country. On the downside for the British capital, tides of US and Asian passengers who transit via its airports could be attracted by offers from hubs which remain in the EU. Further, the long-debated construction of a new runway at Heathrow or Gatwick, Britain's two main airports, could be delayed further if "Leave" campaign figurehead Boris Johnson becomes prime minister. The former London mayor, tipped as a frontrunner to succeed Prime Minister David Cameron after the Brexit vote, has long campaigned for an alternative plan to build a new airport in the Thames estuary east of the capital. "For Heathrow and its third runway the game's up," said John Strickland of JLS Consulting. He highlighted another more immediate consequence of the Brexit vote: the collapse of sterling on exchange markets. This will lead to higher fuel and lease costs, and a likely fall in demand for flights to Europe by British travellers whose pounds aren't worth as much on the continent since Thursday's shock vote. (AFP)

Brexit effect: Turbulent road ahead or sky full of opportunities for British airlines?

With property prices in Britain predicted to plummet post-Brexit,&nbsp;foreign investors, especially in Asia, are already poised for a buying spree.

It is an ironic twist to the shock referendum result -- many who opted to leave the European Union saw their vote as a deterrent to outsiders looking to take advantage of economic opportunities in Britain.

The aftermath of Thursday&#39;s vote to leave the EU saw the resignation of British Prime Minister David Cameron and the collapse of the pound to a 31-year low. There was pandemonium on currency, equity and oil markets.

At around 2100 GMT Friday, sterling was down about 8.8 per cent against the dollar compared with Thursday night, and&nbsp;foreign&nbsp;exchange experts predicted more weakness ahead.

Property prices are also expected to take a hit, with reports of buyers pulling out of transactions due to market uncertainty.

But while there may be a &quot;wait and see&quot; approach for some, ambitious&nbsp;foreign investors are on the hunt for bargains while the exchange rate is so low.

&quot;Several of my opportunistic investors have said we really ought to think about this seriously, and to think whether we should take advantage of this new window in the market,&quot; said Nicholas Brooke, chairman of professional property services for the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors.

&quot;Anyone who&#39;s not dealing in sterling would see an opportunity.&quot;

Brooke, whose firm plays an advisory role for prospective buyers, said while many clients remained cautious, some in Hong Kong and China with &quot;substantial&quot; investment capabilities had voiced interest.

London-based international property agent Knight Frank also said&nbsp;foreign investors would be wary as they assessed the full impact of the Brexit fallout, but the drop in the pound would mean their buying power would &quot;increase significantly&quot;.

Interest would be especially strong from China, Hong Kong and Singapore, -- where investors have a long history of buying up property in Britain, especially London, the firm&#39;s Asia-Pacific specialist Nicholas Holt said.

Chinese international property portal Juwai.com predicted 30 per cent more consumer enquiries this month than in May.

The historic low of the pound against the Singapore dollar also constituted a &quot;fantastic buying opportunity&quot; for investors in the city, added Donald Han, executive director of Chesterton Singapore, a consultancy specialising in UK property. 
 
&#39;Wholehearted embrace&#39; 
 
Asian investors have long sought out both commercial and residential UK property off the back of potential for capital growth and a resilient economy.

London house prices are some of the most expensive in the world and have been on the rise over the past six years.

But in the wake of the Brexit vote, international consultancy KPMG has forecast house prices could fall five per cent nationwide and even more in the capital.

Property consultancy Jones Lang LaSalle (JLL) said capital value adjustment could be down up to 10 per cent in the next two years.

The International Monetary Fund has warned that the British economy could sink into recession next year and overall economic output would be 5.6 per cent lower than otherwise forecast by 2019, with unemployment rising back above six per cent.

However, the Brexit camp argues that the business world will adapt quickly with Britain&#39;s flexible and dynamic economy buoyed by new economic partners and selective immigration.

&quot;The UK&#39;s decision to leave the EU is an historic event and we should embrace this wholeheartedly,&quot; said Robin Paterson, joint chairman of UK Sotheby&#39;s International Realty.

He predicted increased investment from from Asia as well as the US.

Besides established investors into Britain, some areas might see new blood join the fray.

JLL predicts more buyers from India, which is already an established source of property investment into Britain.

&quot;It is very likely that many more Indians will seek to&nbsp;invest&nbsp;there,&quot; said Anuj Puri, JLL chairman and country head for India.

(AFP)

&nbsp;

It's ironic. Many Britons who opted to leave the EU thought their vote would keep outsiders out

With property prices in Britain predicted to plummet post-Brexit, foreign investors, especially in Asia, are already poised for a buying spree. It is an ironic twist to the shock referendum result -- many who opted to leave the European Union saw their vote as a deterrent to outsiders looking to take advantage of economic opportunities in Britain. The aftermath of Thursday's vote to leave the EU saw the resignation of British Prime Minister David Cameron and the collapse of the pound to a 31-year low. There was pandemonium on currency, equity and oil markets. At around 2100 GMT Friday, sterling was down about 8.8 per cent against the dollar compared with Thursday night, and foreign exchange experts predicted more weakness ahead. Property prices are also expected to take a hit, with reports of buyers pulling out of transactions due to market uncertainty. But while there may be a "wait and see" approach for some, ambitious foreign investors are on the hunt for bargains while the exchange rate is so low. "Several of my opportunistic investors have said we really ought to think about this seriously, and to think whether we should take advantage of this new window in the market," said Nicholas Brooke, chairman of professional property services for the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors. "Anyone who's not dealing in sterling would see an opportunity." Brooke, whose firm plays an advisory role for prospective buyers, said while many clients remained cautious, some in Hong Kong and China with "substantial" investment capabilities had voiced interest. London-based international property agent Knight Frank also said foreign investors would be wary as they assessed the full impact of the Brexit fallout, but the drop in the pound would mean their buying power would "increase significantly". Interest would be especially strong from China, Hong Kong and Singapore, -- where investors have a long history of buying up property in Britain, especially London, the firm's Asia-Pacific specialist Nicholas Holt said. Chinese international property portal Juwai.com predicted 30 per cent more consumer enquiries this month than in May. The historic low of the pound against the Singapore dollar also constituted a "fantastic buying opportunity" for investors in the city, added Donald Han, executive director of Chesterton Singapore, a consultancy specialising in UK property. 'Wholehearted embrace' Asian investors have long sought out both commercial and residential UK property off the back of potential for capital growth and a resilient economy. London house prices are some of the most expensive in the world and have been on the rise over the past six years. But in the wake of the Brexit vote, international consultancy KPMG has forecast house prices could fall five per cent nationwide and even more in the capital. Property consultancy Jones Lang LaSalle (JLL) said capital value adjustment could be down up to 10 per cent in the next two years. The International Monetary Fund has warned that the British economy could sink into recession next year and overall economic output would be 5.6 per cent lower than otherwise forecast by 2019, with unemployment rising back above six per cent. However, the Brexit camp argues that the business world will adapt quickly with Britain's flexible and dynamic economy buoyed by new economic partners and selective immigration. "The UK's decision to leave the EU is an historic event and we should embrace this wholeheartedly," said Robin Paterson, joint chairman of UK Sotheby's International Realty. He predicted increased investment from from Asia as well as the US. Besides established investors into Britain, some areas might see new blood join the fray. JLL predicts more buyers from India, which is already an established source of property investment into Britain. "It is very likely that many more Indians will seek to invest there," said Anuj Puri, JLL chairman and country head for India. (AFP)

With home prices expected to crash post-Brexit, foreign investors poised for buying spree

Just days after voting to leave the European Union, more than 2.5 million Britons and UK residents have signed a petition calling for a second vote, forcing lawmakers to at least consider a debate on the issue. 
 
Parliament has to consider a debate on any petition posted on its website that attracts more than 100,000 signatures. 
 
The proposal, posted before the June 23 referendum, said the government should hold another plebiscite on EU membership if the support for Leave or Remain in a referendum was less than 60 per cent in a turnout of under 75 per cent of eligible voters. 
 
The result on Thursday saw 52 per cent of voters, 17,410,742 people, back a British exit, on a turnout of 72 per cent. 
 
According to an opinion poll conducted on Friday, half of voters said the result should stand, even if the EU offered more reforms to Britain&#39;s EU membership, while 39 per cent said a second referendum should be held under the new terms offered. 
 
Some 48 per cent of British adults said they were happy with the result against 43 per cent who were unhappy, according to the poll by ComRes for the Sunday Mirror. 
 
The online petition -- which only British citizens or UK residents have the right to sign -- was proving so popular that by 2136 GMT on Saturday, 2,503,065 people had signed it. 
 
Most of those who signed were based in areas where support for staying in the EU was strongest, most especially London, the website indicated. 
 
Prime Minister David Cameron, who said on Friday he would resign after leading the failed campaign to keep Britain in the EU, had said there would be no second referendum. 
 
The ComRes poll also asked a representative sample of 1,069 adults when the next general election should be. 
 
One third said there should be a vote as soon as the next prime minister was in place in the autumn, while 23 per cent said an election should be held early next year. 
 
Some 27 per cent said the next election should be in 2020 as currently planned, according to the online poll. 
 
(Reuters)

Britain's parliament has to consider a debate on any petition posted on its website that attracts more than a 100,000 signatures

Just days after voting to leave the European Union, more than 2.5 million Britons and UK residents have signed a petition calling for a second vote, forcing lawmakers to at least consider a debate on the issue. Parliament has to consider a debate on any petition posted on its website that attracts more than 100,000 signatures. The proposal, posted before the June 23 referendum, said the government should hold another plebiscite on EU membership if the support for Leave or Remain in a referendum was less than 60 per cent in a turnout of under 75 per cent of eligible voters. The result on Thursday saw 52 per cent of voters, 17,410,742 people, back a British exit, on a turnout of 72 per cent. According to an opinion poll conducted on Friday, half of voters said the result should stand, even if the EU offered more reforms to Britain's EU membership, while 39 per cent said a second referendum should be held under the new terms offered. Some 48 per cent of British adults said they were happy with the result against 43 per cent who were unhappy, according to the poll by ComRes for the Sunday Mirror. The online petition -- which only British citizens or UK residents have the right to sign -- was proving so popular that by 2136 GMT on Saturday, 2,503,065 people had signed it. Most of those who signed were based in areas where support for staying in the EU was strongest, most especially London, the website indicated. Prime Minister David Cameron, who said on Friday he would resign after leading the failed campaign to keep Britain in the EU, had said there would be no second referendum. The ComRes poll also asked a representative sample of 1,069 adults when the next general election should be. One third said there should be a vote as soon as the next prime minister was in place in the autumn, while 23 per cent said an election should be held early next year. Some 27 per cent said the next election should be in 2020 as currently planned, according to the online poll. (Reuters)

Over 2.5 million sign petition asking for second EU referendum

With early returns indicating a close result and prompting big swings in the value of sterling, oil prices fell after voting ended in a UK referendum on whether to stay in the European Union (EU). 
 
While U.S. crude was down 35 cents at $49.76 a barrel at 0001 GMT; Brent crude was down 27 cents at $50.64 a barrel.&nbsp; 
On Thursday, both contracts rose sharply, rallying on optimism the Britons would vote to stay in Europe. 
 
Pertinently, the first few official results on Friday put the &#39;Brexit&#39; campaign ahead, although opinion polls suggest that the vote will end in a victory for the &#39;remain&#39; campaign.&nbsp; 
 
Also, with results in from the first five of 382 voting districts, those in favour of ending Britain&#39;s 43-year membership had a small lead, but it was too early to discern a reliable trend. 
 
Sterling slumped to $1.4475, having earlier hit a high for the year at $1.5022. The euro turned tail to hit $1.1324 and the yen recouped early losses to stand at 104.96 per dollar. 
 
(Reuters)&nbsp;

Albeit, opinion polls have suggested that the vote will end in a victory for the 'remain' campaign

With early returns indicating a close result and prompting big swings in the value of sterling, oil prices fell after voting ended in a UK referendum on whether to stay in the European Union (EU). While U.S. crude was down 35 cents at $49.76 a barrel at 0001 GMT; Brent crude was down 27 cents at $50.64 a barrel. On Thursday, both contracts rose sharply, rallying on optimism the Britons would vote to stay in Europe. Pertinently, the first few official results on Friday put the 'Brexit' campaign ahead, although opinion polls suggest that the vote will end in a victory for the 'remain' campaign. Also, with results in from the first five of 382 voting districts, those in favour of ending Britain's 43-year membership had a small lead, but it was too early to discern a reliable trend. Sterling slumped to $1.4475, having earlier hit a high for the year at $1.5022. The euro turned tail to hit $1.1324 and the yen recouped early losses to stand at 104.96 per dollar. (Reuters)

Oil prices fall after as first few results put 'Brexit' ahead

Scotland sees its future in the European Union (EU) despite Britain&#39;s vote to leave, first minister Nicola Sturgeon said today, raising the spectre of a new Scottish independence vote and the possible dissolution of the United Kingdom. 
 
Scotland voted by a margin of 62 per cent to 38 per cent to remain in the EU in a referendum on Thursday that put it at odds with Britain as a whole, which voted 52-48 in favour of Leave. 
 
&quot;Scotland has delivered a strong, unequivocal vote to remain in the EU, and I welcome that endorsement of our European status,&quot; said Sturgeon, head of the Scottish National Party. 
 
Former first minister Alex Salmond explicitly said Scotland is now likely to push for a second independence referendum after the conditions spelled out in the SNP manifesto before re-election in May appeared to have been met. 
 
One key reason Scots rejected independence in a referendum almost three years ago was because independence meant leaving the EU too. After Thursday&#39;s vote, the question is whether some Scots who wavered but eventually voted to stick with the UK in 2014, may now prefer to join the secessionists. 
 
Splitting Scotland from the UK would end three centuries of shared history, upending another successful economic relationship shortly after the now-impending divorce between Britain and the EU. 
 
Most voters in Northern Ireland also voted to remain and Irish nationalist leaders there called for a poll on leaving the United Kingdom and uniting with Ireland. 
 
Calling a new Scottish vote would not be quick or simple and the SNP, marked by caution since Sturgeon took over as leader, would want to first ensure a new vote could be won. 
 
Where the last Scottish independence campaign fell down is considered to be the economic argument; a new Scotland was then projected to stick with its old currency, the pound, and was underpinned by an oil price then over $100 but which is now roughly a half of that level. 
 
Sturgeon would have to build a robust economic independence strategy to convince those emotionally persuaded in 2014 but not economically so. 
 
She would also have to make sure that the maelstrom around Britain&#39;s EU exit does not sweep away some of the support the SNP currently has. 
 
There are other big factors hindering a divorce. One may fear that a lightweight EU, without Britain, is a less attractive partner for Scotland, which sends two thirds of its output to the rest of the UK. 
 
Another rests on concerns about what a border between England and Scotland would do to both security and the economy. 
 
&quot;It could be that in the panic that ensues after a British exit, some people might want to stick with what we still have,&rdquo; said an SNP lawmaker speaking on condition of anonymity. 
 
Polls do not indicate that support for secession has changed much since 2014, but there are several other factors, beyond leaving the EU, which mean that could change. 
 
The biggest is Sturgeon herself, a skilled politician, highly rated by both political friends and foes. 
 
With approval ratings of 60 percent among Scots according to pollster Yougov, she is a convincing messenger for independence which she told Reuters last week she &quot;desperately&quot; wants. 
 
Yet Sturgeon needed to play it cautiously for &quot;good reason,&quot; said Anand Menon of think tank UK in a Changing Europe. 
 
&quot;Nicola Sturgeon knows that if Scotland is independent and England is out of the EU, you have an external EU border between Scotland and England. An external border means the prospects of terrorists, its means the prospect of different regulations, and trade will be obstructed,&quot; Menon said. 
 
Many voters remain sceptical but acknowledge the departure of Britain from the EU shone a new light on the issue. 
 
&quot;The SNP will have to come back with a better argument for independence in a European context to convince me,&quot; said Catherine, a 41-year-old operations manager from Aberdeen. 
 
&quot;If they come back with some real proper facts and figures I would think about it. We&rsquo;re a small country, we definitely don&rsquo;t want to be on our own.&quot; 
 
(Reuters)

It voted 62 to 38% to remain, is now likely to push for a second independence referendum which could mean the dissolution of the UK

Scotland sees its future in the European Union (EU) despite Britain's vote to leave, first minister Nicola Sturgeon said today, raising the spectre of a new Scottish independence vote and the possible dissolution of the United Kingdom. Scotland voted by a margin of 62 per cent to 38 per cent to remain in the EU in a referendum on Thursday that put it at odds with Britain as a whole, which voted 52-48 in favour of Leave. "Scotland has delivered a strong, unequivocal vote to remain in the EU, and I welcome that endorsement of our European status," said Sturgeon, head of the Scottish National Party. Former first minister Alex Salmond explicitly said Scotland is now likely to push for a second independence referendum after the conditions spelled out in the SNP manifesto before re-election in May appeared to have been met. One key reason Scots rejected independence in a referendum almost three years ago was because independence meant leaving the EU too. After Thursday's vote, the question is whether some Scots who wavered but eventually voted to stick with the UK in 2014, may now prefer to join the secessionists. Splitting Scotland from the UK would end three centuries of shared history, upending another successful economic relationship shortly after the now-impending divorce between Britain and the EU. Most voters in Northern Ireland also voted to remain and Irish nationalist leaders there called for a poll on leaving the United Kingdom and uniting with Ireland. Calling a new Scottish vote would not be quick or simple and the SNP, marked by caution since Sturgeon took over as leader, would want to first ensure a new vote could be won. Where the last Scottish independence campaign fell down is considered to be the economic argument; a new Scotland was then projected to stick with its old currency, the pound, and was underpinned by an oil price then over $100 but which is now roughly a half of that level. Sturgeon would have to build a robust economic independence strategy to convince those emotionally persuaded in 2014 but not economically so. She would also have to make sure that the maelstrom around Britain's EU exit does not sweep away some of the support the SNP currently has. There are other big factors hindering a divorce. One may fear that a lightweight EU, without Britain, is a less attractive partner for Scotland, which sends two thirds of its output to the rest of the UK. Another rests on concerns about what a border between England and Scotland would do to both security and the economy. "It could be that in the panic that ensues after a British exit, some people might want to stick with what we still have,” said an SNP lawmaker speaking on condition of anonymity. Polls do not indicate that support for secession has changed much since 2014, but there are several other factors, beyond leaving the EU, which mean that could change. The biggest is Sturgeon herself, a skilled politician, highly rated by both political friends and foes. With approval ratings of 60 percent among Scots according to pollster Yougov, she is a convincing messenger for independence which she told Reuters last week she "desperately" wants. Yet Sturgeon needed to play it cautiously for "good reason," said Anand Menon of think tank UK in a Changing Europe. "Nicola Sturgeon knows that if Scotland is independent and England is out of the EU, you have an external EU border between Scotland and England. An external border means the prospects of terrorists, its means the prospect of different regulations, and trade will be obstructed," Menon said. Many voters remain sceptical but acknowledge the departure of Britain from the EU shone a new light on the issue. "The SNP will have to come back with a better argument for independence in a European context to convince me," said Catherine, a 41-year-old operations manager from Aberdeen. "If they come back with some real proper facts and figures I would think about it. We’re a small country, we definitely don’t want to be on our own." (Reuters)

Divided Kingdom? Scotland says its future lies in the EU

Reacting to Britain&rsquo;s exit from the European Union (EU) on Friday, right-wing Members of Parliament (MP) in France and Netherland have also given a call for referendum.&nbsp; 
 
Hailing Britain&#39;s decision, French far-right leader Marine Le Pen took to micro blogging site to share her views. &quot;Victory for Freedom! As I have been asking for years we must now have the same referendum in France and EU countries,&quot; the National Front (FN) leader tweeted. 
 
The eurosceptic, anti-immigration FN has accused the EU of suffering a &quot;democratic deficit&quot; and has long urged all members of the bloc to follow Britain&#39;s example. 
 
The Brexit vote is likely to fire up eurosceptic populists across the bloc, with Dutch far-right MP Geert Wilders also calling for an EU referendum in his own country following the result. 
 
Fears are high that a domino effect could see other countries following in Britain`s footsteps, threatening the core of the European project. 
 
&quot;France has possibly a thousand more reasons to want to leave the EU than the English,&quot; Le Pen said at a gathering of far-right parties in Vienna last Friday. 
 
Le Pen has accused the EU of pursuing closer integration &quot;against our will&quot;. 
 
She says the union is responsible for high eurozone unemployment and has failed to keep out &quot;smugglers, terrorists (and) economic migrants&quot;. 
 
Dutch far-right MP also calls for NExit&nbsp; 
Shortly after Britain voted for a Brexit, Dutch anti-Islam MP Geert Wilders called for the Netherlands to hold a referendum on whether to leave the EU.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;The Dutch people deserve a referendum as well. The Party for Freedom consequently demands a referendum on NExit, a Dutch EU exit,&quot; Wilders said in a statement. 
 
With 374 out of 382 regional results declared in Britain, there were 16.8 million votes for &quot;Leave&quot; and 15.7 million for &quot;Remain&quot;, making it mathematically impossible for &quot;Remain&quot; to win. 
 
&quot;We want to be in charge of our own country, our own money, our own borders, and our own immigration policy,&quot; Wilders said in a statement.&nbsp;If I become prime minister, there will be a referendum in the Netherlands on leaving the European Union as well. Let the Dutch people decide,&rdquo; he was quoted saying.&nbsp; 
 
The Netherlands, which currently holds the rotating presidency of the EU, held a referendum earlier this year on whether to back closer cooperation between the EU and Ukraine. Turnout was low, but over 60 per cent voted against the deal. 
 
Elections are not due in the Netherlands until next year, but since last year polls have consistently shown support for the Freedom Party (PVV) climbing on the back of the refugee crisis.&nbsp; 
 
Although it is has slipped back in recent months, the last polls from May showed Wilders&#39; party would win the largest support gaining some 31 seats in the 150-seat party, more than doubling its current 15 seats. 
 
The statement sent by Wilders&#39; PVV said that recent polls showed a majority of Dutch people were in favour of holding a referendum, and that most would vote to leave. 
 
(AFP)&nbsp;

Fears are high that a domino effect could see other countries following in Britain's footsteps, threatening the core of the European project

Reacting to Britain’s exit from the European Union (EU) on Friday, right-wing Members of Parliament (MP) in France and Netherland have also given a call for referendum. Hailing Britain's decision, French far-right leader Marine Le Pen took to micro blogging site to share her views. "Victory for Freedom! As I have been asking for years we must now have the same referendum in France and EU countries," the National Front (FN) leader tweeted. The eurosceptic, anti-immigration FN has accused the EU of suffering a "democratic deficit" and has long urged all members of the bloc to follow Britain's example. The Brexit vote is likely to fire up eurosceptic populists across the bloc, with Dutch far-right MP Geert Wilders also calling for an EU referendum in his own country following the result. Fears are high that a domino effect could see other countries following in Britain`s footsteps, threatening the core of the European project. "France has possibly a thousand more reasons to want to leave the EU than the English," Le Pen said at a gathering of far-right parties in Vienna last Friday. Le Pen has accused the EU of pursuing closer integration "against our will". She says the union is responsible for high eurozone unemployment and has failed to keep out "smugglers, terrorists (and) economic migrants". Dutch far-right MP also calls for NExit Shortly after Britain voted for a Brexit, Dutch anti-Islam MP Geert Wilders called for the Netherlands to hold a referendum on whether to leave the EU. "The Dutch people deserve a referendum as well. The Party for Freedom consequently demands a referendum on NExit, a Dutch EU exit," Wilders said in a statement. With 374 out of 382 regional results declared in Britain, there were 16.8 million votes for "Leave" and 15.7 million for "Remain", making it mathematically impossible for "Remain" to win. "We want to be in charge of our own country, our own money, our own borders, and our own immigration policy," Wilders said in a statement. If I become prime minister, there will be a referendum in the Netherlands on leaving the European Union as well. Let the Dutch people decide,” he was quoted saying. The Netherlands, which currently holds the rotating presidency of the EU, held a referendum earlier this year on whether to back closer cooperation between the EU and Ukraine. Turnout was low, but over 60 per cent voted against the deal. Elections are not due in the Netherlands until next year, but since last year polls have consistently shown support for the Freedom Party (PVV) climbing on the back of the refugee crisis. Although it is has slipped back in recent months, the last polls from May showed Wilders' party would win the largest support gaining some 31 seats in the 150-seat party, more than doubling its current 15 seats. The statement sent by Wilders' PVV said that recent polls showed a majority of Dutch people were in favour of holding a referendum, and that most would vote to leave. (AFP)

In wake of Brexit, right-wing MPs in France, Netherland call for referendum

As Brexit wins the Britain votes to leave the European Union (EU), Ireland is seemingly anticipating a damaging economic and political fallout. 
 
Britain&rsquo;s nearest neighbour and largest trade partner, Ireland has the EU&rsquo;s fastest-growing economy but also more to lose than any other member state from a `Brexit` with far-reaching implications for its trade, economy, security of energy supplies and peace in British-ruled Northern Ireland.&nbsp; 
 
Downside is definite: Sinn Fein&nbsp; 
Within minutes of the outcome becoming apparent, Northern Ireland`s largest Irish nationalist party, Sinn Fein said the result intensified the case for a vote on whether Northern Ireland should leave the United Kingdom.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;The downside is definite and the upside is speculative,&quot; Noonan told parliament as the United Kingdom voted on Thursday, referring to the potential upside that some companies keen to stay in the EU might move from Britain to Ireland. 
 
Ireland`s central bank had warned that a withdrawal would hurt economic growth and jobs and significantly impact the financial sector, while a government-commissioned report found it could cut trade with Britain by at least 20 percent. 
 
Noonan said earlier this week that an estimated cumulative Brexit-related hit on the Irish economy of as much as 1.6 percent of GDP would be &quot;containable&quot;. 
 
 
Farmers, major UK suppliers more vulnerable 
Irish exporters will be the first to suffer, as the pound weakened significantly against the euro, making their euro-priced goods more expensive. Ireland will have to consider taking steps to assist firms exporting into Britain, Foreign Minister Charlie Flanagan told Reuters on Wednesday.&nbsp; 
 
Farmers and food producers, major UK suppliers, are especially vulnerable. The British Irish Chamber of Commerce said business needed a comprehensive and quickly concluded trade agreement between the EU and the UK that recognised the unique relationship between Ireland and the UK. 
 
&quot;As the voice of businesses with significant employment in the UK and Ireland, the Chamber is concerned about any adverse impact the UK`s decision could have on trade between these Islands,&quot; said John McGrane, Director General of the Chamber. 
 
Reintroduction of a hard border would be considered: Flanagan&nbsp; 
Of most concern to Dublin is the impact on Northern Ireland, which has the only land frontier between the United Kingdom and the rest of the EU. It was marked by military checkpoints until a 1998 peace deal ended three decades of sectarian violence. 
 
Flanagan said the reintroduction of a hard border would have to be considered in any negotiation and that the return of controls, for customs or security, could pose a difficult challenge for the peace process. 
 
The dismantling of military border posts was a key aspect of a 1998 peace deal that ended three decades of violence between Catholic nationalists seeking a united Ireland and Protestant unionists who wanted to keep Northern Ireland British. Over 3,600 died in the conflict. 
 
British finance minister George Osborne has said border controls would be inevitable, while former prime ministers Tony Blair and John Major, who also campaigned for a vote to remain, said a Brexit could undermine peace in the six-county province.Pro-Brexit campaigners, including Britain`s minister for Northern Ireland, described those warnings as &quot;scaremongering&quot; and said a Brexit would not endanger a common travel area that predates both countries` entry into the EU in 1973. 
 
 
&lsquo;This outcome dramatically changes political landscape&rsquo;&nbsp; 
While the United Kingdom as a whole voted by 52 percent to 48 percent in favour of leaving the EU, 56 percent of those in Northern Ireland favoured staying.&nbsp; 
 
Northern Ireland`s nationalist Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness said ahead of the vote that Britain should immediately commit to holding a vote to unite Ireland if its citizens chose to leave the EU. 
 
Under the 1998 agreement that brought about peace, Britain`s Secretary of State for Northern Ireland may call such a vote at any time. It also specifies that the Secretary &quot;shall&quot; order a referendum if it appears likely that a majority of those voting would seek to form part of a united Ireland. 
 
Nigel Dodds, a senior member of the province`s largest party, the pro-British Democratic Unionist Party, told Sky News on Thursday that Sinn Fein were on very weak ground calling for a unity vote. 
 
But Sinn Fein chairman Declan Kearney said in a statement:&nbsp; 
 
&quot;This outcome tonight dramatically changes the political landscape here in the north of Ireland and we will be intensifying our case for the calling of a border poll,&rdquo; he said.&nbsp; 
 
He further added saying, &quot;The British government as a direct result have forfeited any mandate to represent the interests of people here in the north of Ireland in circumstances where the north is dragged out of Europe as a result of a vote to leave.&quot;&nbsp; 
 
(Reuters)&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

Ireland has the EU`s fastest-growing economy but also more to lose than any other member in view of British exit?

As Brexit wins the Britain votes to leave the European Union (EU), Ireland is seemingly anticipating a damaging economic and political fallout. Britain’s nearest neighbour and largest trade partner, Ireland has the EU’s fastest-growing economy but also more to lose than any other member state from a `Brexit` with far-reaching implications for its trade, economy, security of energy supplies and peace in British-ruled Northern Ireland. Downside is definite: Sinn Fein Within minutes of the outcome becoming apparent, Northern Ireland`s largest Irish nationalist party, Sinn Fein said the result intensified the case for a vote on whether Northern Ireland should leave the United Kingdom. "The downside is definite and the upside is speculative," Noonan told parliament as the United Kingdom voted on Thursday, referring to the potential upside that some companies keen to stay in the EU might move from Britain to Ireland. Ireland`s central bank had warned that a withdrawal would hurt economic growth and jobs and significantly impact the financial sector, while a government-commissioned report found it could cut trade with Britain by at least 20 percent. Noonan said earlier this week that an estimated cumulative Brexit-related hit on the Irish economy of as much as 1.6 percent of GDP would be "containable". Farmers, major UK suppliers more vulnerable Irish exporters will be the first to suffer, as the pound weakened significantly against the euro, making their euro-priced goods more expensive. Ireland will have to consider taking steps to assist firms exporting into Britain, Foreign Minister Charlie Flanagan told Reuters on Wednesday. Farmers and food producers, major UK suppliers, are especially vulnerable. The British Irish Chamber of Commerce said business needed a comprehensive and quickly concluded trade agreement between the EU and the UK that recognised the unique relationship between Ireland and the UK. "As the voice of businesses with significant employment in the UK and Ireland, the Chamber is concerned about any adverse impact the UK`s decision could have on trade between these Islands," said John McGrane, Director General of the Chamber. Reintroduction of a hard border would be considered: Flanagan Of most concern to Dublin is the impact on Northern Ireland, which has the only land frontier between the United Kingdom and the rest of the EU. It was marked by military checkpoints until a 1998 peace deal ended three decades of sectarian violence. Flanagan said the reintroduction of a hard border would have to be considered in any negotiation and that the return of controls, for customs or security, could pose a difficult challenge for the peace process. The dismantling of military border posts was a key aspect of a 1998 peace deal that ended three decades of violence between Catholic nationalists seeking a united Ireland and Protestant unionists who wanted to keep Northern Ireland British. Over 3,600 died in the conflict. British finance minister George Osborne has said border controls would be inevitable, while former prime ministers Tony Blair and John Major, who also campaigned for a vote to remain, said a Brexit could undermine peace in the six-county province.Pro-Brexit campaigners, including Britain`s minister for Northern Ireland, described those warnings as "scaremongering" and said a Brexit would not endanger a common travel area that predates both countries` entry into the EU in 1973. ‘This outcome dramatically changes political landscape’ While the United Kingdom as a whole voted by 52 percent to 48 percent in favour of leaving the EU, 56 percent of those in Northern Ireland favoured staying. Northern Ireland`s nationalist Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness said ahead of the vote that Britain should immediately commit to holding a vote to unite Ireland if its citizens chose to leave the EU. Under the 1998 agreement that brought about peace, Britain`s Secretary of State for Northern Ireland may call such a vote at any time. It also specifies that the Secretary "shall" order a referendum if it appears likely that a majority of those voting would seek to form part of a united Ireland. Nigel Dodds, a senior member of the province`s largest party, the pro-British Democratic Unionist Party, told Sky News on Thursday that Sinn Fein were on very weak ground calling for a unity vote. But Sinn Fein chairman Declan Kearney said in a statement: "This outcome tonight dramatically changes the political landscape here in the north of Ireland and we will be intensifying our case for the calling of a border poll,” he said. He further added saying, "The British government as a direct result have forfeited any mandate to represent the interests of people here in the north of Ireland in circumstances where the north is dragged out of Europe as a result of a vote to leave." (Reuters)

Ireland anticipates damaging economic, political fallout after Brexit

Britain&#39;s vote to become the first country to leave the EU, as projected by national media, is a shattering blow that threatens the survival of the post-war European project, officials and analysts said. 
 
The loss of one of its biggest members will at the very least force major changes on an embattled bloc already struggling to deal with growing populism, a migration crisis and economic woes. 
 
In the long-run, &quot;Brexit&quot; may lead to other countries holding referendums, a far looser union, and possibly even the disintegration of a grouping set up 60 years ago to bring security and prosperity after World War II. 
 
EU President Donald Tusk warned in the run-up to the vote that Brexit could lead to the &quot;destruction of not only the EU but also of Western political civilisation.&quot; 
 
With Europe facing a resurgent Russia and the threat of terrorism, Tusk said &quot;our enemies... will open a bottle of champagne if the result of referendum is negative for us.&quot; 
 
In a less doom-laden assessment, European Commission Chief Jean-Claude Juncker said last week that the EU was not &quot;in danger of death&quot; from a Brexit but that it would have to learn lessons. 
 
&#39;Very serious blow&#39; 
Chris Bickerton, a lecturer at Britain&#39;s Cambridge University and author of &quot;The European Union: A Citizen&#39;s Guide&quot;, said it was a &quot;very serious blow&quot; but not terminal, given the &quot;core role&quot; of the EU in much of European political life. 
 
But he added that it would probably drift towards a &quot;looser, ad hoc&quot; union. 
 
&quot;I don&#39;t think it would suddenly disappear but over the longer term, we might see it slowly decline and become something different,&quot; he told AFP. 
 
The next steps for the EU would be difficult, he added. 
 
&quot;We are very much in uncharted territory,&quot; he said. &quot;I don&#39;t think anyone really thought Brexit was really likely, certainly not when they were negotiating with Cameron, otherwise they would have done a very different deal.&quot; 
 
In the immediate aftermath of the British vote, seven years of potentially bitter divorce negotiations between Brussels and London loom. 
 
The remaining EU countries will likely be keen to move ahead. France and Germany, the main EU heavyweights, have already been working on a joint plan for the future. 
 
But with Berlin and Paris at loggerheads over future integration of the eurozone, any plan is likely to be a modest affair that deals only with issues such as security and defence. 
 
Even without Britain in the club, the drift away from &quot;ever closer union&quot; and federalism is likely to increase, with growing talk of a &quot;two-speed Europe&quot; that allows states opt-outs from key rules. 
 
One major step could be making membership of the euro non-compulsory, which would help Poland, which appears to have no intention of joining the single currency but is officially meant to. 
 
Domino effect? 
The main fear in many European capitals is that either way, the result could trigger a domino effect of referendums in other countries. 
 
French far-right leader Marine Le Pen on Tuesday urged all EU states to follow Britain&#39;s example, and eurosceptics in the Netherlands, Denmark and Sweden have made similar calls for referendums. 
 
Vivien Pertusot, Brussels-based analyst with the French Institute of International Relations (IFRI), said the EU was likely to survive but be weakened. 
 
&quot;Institutions rarely die,&quot; he told AFP. &quot;Maybe there will not be disintegration, but a loss of relevance. The EU will lose, bit by bit, its centrality for all the most political projects.&quot; 
 
The danger for the EU is that even after if makes changes following the British referendum, it will still not be able to quell the forces of history tearing it apart. 
 
&quot;The EU is in a negative spiral,&quot; Janis Emmanouilidis, director of studies at Brussels-based think tank European Policy Centre, told AFP. 
 
The question of what could replace the EU if it does collapse is even more vexed. 
 
&quot;It might sound as if yes, this story has ended, a new one has began, but that&#39;s not not easy. Especially after the experience of failure,&quot; said Emmanouilidis. 
 
(AFP)

Britain leaving may lead to the disintegration of a grouping set up 60 years ago to bring security and prosperity after World War II

Britain's vote to become the first country to leave the EU, as projected by national media, is a shattering blow that threatens the survival of the post-war European project, officials and analysts said. The loss of one of its biggest members will at the very least force major changes on an embattled bloc already struggling to deal with growing populism, a migration crisis and economic woes. In the long-run, "Brexit" may lead to other countries holding referendums, a far looser union, and possibly even the disintegration of a grouping set up 60 years ago to bring security and prosperity after World War II. EU President Donald Tusk warned in the run-up to the vote that Brexit could lead to the "destruction of not only the EU but also of Western political civilisation." With Europe facing a resurgent Russia and the threat of terrorism, Tusk said "our enemies... will open a bottle of champagne if the result of referendum is negative for us." In a less doom-laden assessment, European Commission Chief Jean-Claude Juncker said last week that the EU was not "in danger of death" from a Brexit but that it would have to learn lessons. 'Very serious blow' Chris Bickerton, a lecturer at Britain's Cambridge University and author of "The European Union: A Citizen's Guide", said it was a "very serious blow" but not terminal, given the "core role" of the EU in much of European political life. But he added that it would probably drift towards a "looser, ad hoc" union. "I don't think it would suddenly disappear but over the longer term, we might see it slowly decline and become something different," he told AFP. The next steps for the EU would be difficult, he added. "We are very much in uncharted territory," he said. "I don't think anyone really thought Brexit was really likely, certainly not when they were negotiating with Cameron, otherwise they would have done a very different deal." In the immediate aftermath of the British vote, seven years of potentially bitter divorce negotiations between Brussels and London loom. The remaining EU countries will likely be keen to move ahead. France and Germany, the main EU heavyweights, have already been working on a joint plan for the future. But with Berlin and Paris at loggerheads over future integration of the eurozone, any plan is likely to be a modest affair that deals only with issues such as security and defence. Even without Britain in the club, the drift away from "ever closer union" and federalism is likely to increase, with growing talk of a "two-speed Europe" that allows states opt-outs from key rules. One major step could be making membership of the euro non-compulsory, which would help Poland, which appears to have no intention of joining the single currency but is officially meant to. Domino effect? The main fear in many European capitals is that either way, the result could trigger a domino effect of referendums in other countries. French far-right leader Marine Le Pen on Tuesday urged all EU states to follow Britain's example, and eurosceptics in the Netherlands, Denmark and Sweden have made similar calls for referendums. Vivien Pertusot, Brussels-based analyst with the French Institute of International Relations (IFRI), said the EU was likely to survive but be weakened. "Institutions rarely die," he told AFP. "Maybe there will not be disintegration, but a loss of relevance. The EU will lose, bit by bit, its centrality for all the most political projects." The danger for the EU is that even after if makes changes following the British referendum, it will still not be able to quell the forces of history tearing it apart. "The EU is in a negative spiral," Janis Emmanouilidis, director of studies at Brussels-based think tank European Policy Centre, told AFP. The question of what could replace the EU if it does collapse is even more vexed. "It might sound as if yes, this story has ended, a new one has began, but that's not not easy. Especially after the experience of failure," said Emmanouilidis. (AFP)

With Britain gone, can the EU survive?

The UK referendum results and possibility of Brexit has caught the world attention and back at home, head of the anti-European Union (EU) UK Independence Party (UKIP) is probably not too pleased with the early results hinting that country may remain with 28-member bloc. 
 
Britain may have voted to remain in the European Union at the membership referendum but the bloc is doomed regardless, Nigel Farage Thursday said. He also opined that Britain had voted to remain in the EU, possibly because of an extension of a deadline for people to register to vote. 
 
It may be recalled that the voter registration period for June 23 referendum was extended by 48 hours earlier this month, after a late surge in applications crashed a key website shortly before an original deadline. 
 
&quot;The eurosceptic genie is out of the bottle, and it will now not be put back,&quot; he told supporters, in comments carried on local television. 
 
&quot;If we do stay part of this union it is doomed, it is finished anyway. If we fail tonight it will not be us that knocks out the first brick from the wall, it will be someone else.&quot; 
 
&quot;I hope and pray that my sense of this tonight is wrong,&quot; Farage said.&nbsp; 
 
He repeated his forecast that Remain would narrowly win even after official results which showed a better-than-expected performance for Leave in two northern cities, Sunderland and Newcastle, that nudged his camp just ahead of the Remain camp with five out of 382 areas declared. 
 
&quot;My sense of this is that the government&#39;s registration scheme, getting 2 million voters, the 48-hour extension, may be what tips the balance,&quot; he commented.&nbsp; 
 
(Reuters)&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

'If we fail tonight it will not be us that knocks out the first brick from the wall, it will be someone else,' he said

The UK referendum results and possibility of Brexit has caught the world attention and back at home, head of the anti-European Union (EU) UK Independence Party (UKIP) is probably not too pleased with the early results hinting that country may remain with 28-member bloc. Britain may have voted to remain in the European Union at the membership referendum but the bloc is doomed regardless, Nigel Farage Thursday said. He also opined that Britain had voted to remain in the EU, possibly because of an extension of a deadline for people to register to vote. It may be recalled that the voter registration period for June 23 referendum was extended by 48 hours earlier this month, after a late surge in applications crashed a key website shortly before an original deadline. "The eurosceptic genie is out of the bottle, and it will now not be put back," he told supporters, in comments carried on local television. "If we do stay part of this union it is doomed, it is finished anyway. If we fail tonight it will not be us that knocks out the first brick from the wall, it will be someone else." "I hope and pray that my sense of this tonight is wrong," Farage said. He repeated his forecast that Remain would narrowly win even after official results which showed a better-than-expected performance for Leave in two northern cities, Sunderland and Newcastle, that nudged his camp just ahead of the Remain camp with five out of 382 areas declared. "My sense of this is that the government's registration scheme, getting 2 million voters, the 48-hour extension, may be what tips the balance," he commented. (Reuters)

Britain may Remain but EU doomed anyway: UKIP chief

Britain has voted to leave the European Union, forcing the resignation of Prime Minister David Cameron and dealing the biggest blow to the European project of greater unity since World War Two.

Global financial markets plunged on Friday as results from a referendum showed a near 52-48 percent split for leaving a bloc it joined more than 40 years ago.

The pound fell as much as 10 percent against the dollar to levels last seen in 1985, on fears the decision could hit investment in the world&#39;s fifth-largest economy, threaten London&#39;s role as a global financial capital and usher in months of political uncertainty.

World stocks headed for one of the biggest slumps on record, and billions of dollars were wiped off the value of European companies. Britain&#39;s big banks took a $130 billion battering, with Lloyds and Barclays falling as much as 30 percent.

An emotional Cameron, who led the &quot;Remain&quot; campaign to defeat, losing the gamble he took when he called the referendum three years ago, said he would leave office by October.

&quot;The British people have made the very clear decision to take a different path and as such I think the country requires fresh leadership to take it in this direction,&quot; he said in a televised address outside his Downing Street office.

&quot;I do not think it would be right for me to be the captain that steers our country to its next destination.&quot;
<img alt="" class="img-responsive" src="http://s.wionews.com/photos/UK%20and%20the%20EU_A%20rocky%20relationship_timeline-20160624101010.jpg" />
 
Quitting the EU could cost Britain access to the EU&#39;s trade barrier-free single market and mean it must seek new trade accords with countries around the world. The United Kingdom itself could break apart, with politicians in Scotland - where nearly two-thirds of voters wanted to stay in the EU - calling for a new vote on independence. 
 
The EU for its part will be economically and politically damaged, facing the departure not only of its most free-market proponent but also a member with a UN&nbsp;Security Council veto, a powerful army and nuclear capability. In one go, the bloc will lose around a sixth of its economic output.

The result emboldened eurosceptics in other member states with populist leaders in France and the Netherlands demanding their own referendums to leave.

The vote will initiate at least two years of divorce proceedings with the EU, the first exit by any member state. Cameron - who has been premier for six years and called the referendum in a bid to head off pressure from domestic eurosceptics, including within his own party - said it would be up to his successor to formally start the exit process.

His Conservative Party rival Boris Johnson, the former London mayor who became the most recognisable face of the &quot;leave&quot; camp, is now widely tipped to seek his job. Johnson made no comment as he left his home to jeers from a crowd in the mainly pro-EU capital. 
 
&nbsp;

<img alt="" class="img-responsive" src="http://s.wionews.com/photos/How%20the%20old%20and%20the%20young%20of%20Britain%20voted%20(1)-20160624022607.jpg" /> 
 
 
&#39;Independence Day&#39; 
There was euphoria among Britain&#39;s eurosceptic forces, claiming a victory over the political establishment, big business and foreign leaders including U.S. President Barack Obama who had urged Britain to stay in.

&quot;Dare to dream that the dawn is breaking on an independent United Kingdom,&quot; said Nigel Farage, leader of the eurosceptic UK Independence Party, describing the EU as &quot;doomed&quot; and &quot;dying&quot;.

&quot;This will be a victory for real people, a victory for ordinary people, a victory for decent people ... Let June 23 go down in our history as our independence day.&quot;

European politicians reacted with dismay.

&quot;The news from Britain is really sobering. It looks like a sad day for Europe and Britain,&quot; said German foreign minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier.

&quot;Please tell me I&#39;m still sleeping and this is all just a bad nightmare!&quot; former Finnish Prime Minister Alexander Stubb tweeted.

The shock hits a European bloc already reeling from a euro zone debt crisis, unprecedented mass migration and confrontation with Russia over Ukraine. Anti-immigrant and anti-EU political parties have been surging across the continent, placing unprecedented pressure on the centre-left and centre-right establishment that has governed Europe for generations.

French National Front leader Marine Le Pen called for a similar referendum in France, changed her Twitter profile to a Union Jack and declared &quot;Victory for freedom!&quot;

Dutch far right leader Geert Wilders, also demanding a referendum, said: &ldquo;We want be in charge of our own country, our own money, our own borders, and our own immigration policy.&quot;

U.S. presidential candidate Donald Trump, whose rise has been fuelled by disenchantment with the political establishment in the United States that has parallels with populism in Europe, declared that Britons &quot;took back control of their country&quot;. He was in Scotland opening a golf club.

Britain has always been ambivalent about its relations with the rest of post-war Europe. A&nbsp;firm supporter of free trade, tearing down internal economic barriers and expanding the EU to take in ex-communist eastern states, it opted out of joining the euro single currency or the Schengen border-free zone.

Cameron&#39;s ruling Conservatives in particular have harboured an anti-EU wing for generations, and it was partly to silence such figures that he called the referendum in 2013.

World leaders including Obama, Chinese President Xi Jinping, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, NATO and Commonwealth governments had all urged a &quot;Remain&quot; vote, saying Britain would be stronger and more influential in the EU than outside.

The four-month campaign was among the divisive ever waged in Britain, with accusations of lying and scare-mongering on both sides and rows on immigration which critics said at times unleashed overt racism.

It also revealed deeper splits in British society, with the pro-Brexit side drawing support from millions of voters who felt left behind by globalisation and believed they saw no benefits from Britain&#39;s ethnic diversity and free-market economy.

At the darkest moment, a pro-EU member of parliament was stabbed and shot to death in the street by an attacker who later told a court his name was &quot;Death to traitors, freedom for Britain&quot;.

Older voters backed Brexit; the young mainly wanted to stay in. London and Scotland supported the EU, but wide swathes of middle England, which have not shared in the capital&#39;s prosperity, voted to leave.

Concerns over uncontrolled immigration, loss of sovereignty and remote rule from Brussels appear to have trumped almost unanimous warnings of the economic perils of going it alone.

 
Threat of UK break-up 
The United Kingdom itself now faces a threat to its survival; Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said Thursday&#39;s vote &quot;makes clear that the people of Scotland see their future as part of the European Union.&quot;
<a name="UKTimeline"> </a>

<a name="UKTimeline">Her predecessor, Alex Salmond, said Scotland was now likely to push for a second independence referendum. It voted against seceding in 2014. Northern Ireland&#39;s largest Irish nationalist party, Sinn Fein, said the result intensified the case for a vote on whether to quit the United Kingdom.</a>
<a name="UKTimeline"> </a>

<a name="UKTimeline">The global financial turmoil was the worst shock since the 2008 economic crisis, and comes at a time when interest rates around the world are already at or near zero, leaving policymakers without the usual tools to respond.</a>
<a name="UKTimeline"> </a>

<a name="UKTimeline">The body blow to global confidence could prevent the Federal Reserve from raising interest rates as planned this year, and might even provoke a new round of emergency policy easing from all major central banks, despite their limited options.</a>
<a name="UKTimeline"> </a>

<a name="UKTimeline">The Bank of England said it would take all necessary steps to secure monetary and financial stability. Japanese Finance Minister Taro Aso promising to &quot;respond as needed&quot; in the currency market.</a>
<a name="UKTimeline"> </a>

<a name="UKTimeline">EU affairs ministers and ambassadors from member states gather in Luxembourg by 10 am&nbsp;(0800 GMT) for previously-scheduled talks that will provide the first chance for many to react.</a>
<a name="UKTimeline"> </a>

<a name="UKTimeline">Left unclear is the relationship Britain can negotiate with the EU once it leaves.</a>
<a name="UKTimeline"> </a>

<a name="UKTimeline">To retain access to the single market, vital for its giant financial services sector, London may have to adopt all EU regulation without having a say in its shaping, contribute to Brussels coffers, and continue to allow free movement as Norway and Switzerland do - all things the Leave campaign vowed to end.</a>
<a name="UKTimeline"> </a>

<a name="UKTimeline">EU officials have said UK-based banks and financial firms would lose automatic &quot;passport&quot; access to sell services across Europe if Britain ceased to apply the EU principles of free movement of goods, capital, services and people.</a>
<a name="UKTimeline"> </a>

<a name="UKTimeline">Aside from trade, huge questions now face the millions of British expatriates who live freely elsewhere in the bloc and enjoy equal access to health and other benefits, as well as millions of EU citizens who live and work in Britain.&nbsp; 
 
(Reuters)</a>
<a name="UKTimeline"> </a>

The UK votes 52 to 48 per cent to leave the European Union and Cameron says he will go by October

Britain has voted to leave the European Union, forcing the resignation of Prime Minister David Cameron and dealing the biggest blow to the European project of greater unity since World War Two. Global financial markets plunged on Friday as results from a referendum showed a near 52-48 percent split for leaving a bloc it joined more than 40 years ago. The pound fell as much as 10 percent against the dollar to levels last seen in 1985, on fears the decision could hit investment in the world's fifth-largest economy, threaten London's role as a global financial capital and usher in months of political uncertainty. World stocks headed for one of the biggest slumps on record, and billions of dollars were wiped off the value of European companies. Britain's big banks took a $130 billion battering, with Lloyds and Barclays falling as much as 30 percent. An emotional Cameron, who led the "Remain" campaign to defeat, losing the gamble he took when he called the referendum three years ago, said he would leave office by October. "The British people have made the very clear decision to take a different path and as such I think the country requires fresh leadership to take it in this direction," he said in a televised address outside his Downing Street office. "I do not think it would be right for me to be the captain that steers our country to its next destination." Quitting the EU could cost Britain access to the EU's trade barrier-free single market and mean it must seek new trade accords with countries around the world. The United Kingdom itself could break apart, with politicians in Scotland - where nearly two-thirds of voters wanted to stay in the EU - calling for a new vote on independence. The EU for its part will be economically and politically damaged, facing the departure not only of its most free-market proponent but also a member with a UN Security Council veto, a powerful army and nuclear capability. In one go, the bloc will lose around a sixth of its economic output. The result emboldened eurosceptics in other member states with populist leaders in France and the Netherlands demanding their own referendums to leave. The vote will initiate at least two years of divorce proceedings with the EU, the first exit by any member state. Cameron - who has been premier for six years and called the referendum in a bid to head off pressure from domestic eurosceptics, including within his own party - said it would be up to his successor to formally start the exit process. His Conservative Party rival Boris Johnson, the former London mayor who became the most recognisable face of the "leave" camp, is now widely tipped to seek his job. Johnson made no comment as he left his home to jeers from a crowd in the mainly pro-EU capital. 'Independence Day' There was euphoria among Britain's eurosceptic forces, claiming a victory over the political establishment, big business and foreign leaders including U.S. President Barack Obama who had urged Britain to stay in. "Dare to dream that the dawn is breaking on an independent United Kingdom," said Nigel Farage, leader of the eurosceptic UK Independence Party, describing the EU as "doomed" and "dying". "This will be a victory for real people, a victory for ordinary people, a victory for decent people ... Let June 23 go down in our history as our independence day." European politicians reacted with dismay. "The news from Britain is really sobering. It looks like a sad day for Europe and Britain," said German foreign minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier. "Please tell me I'm still sleeping and this is all just a bad nightmare!" former Finnish Prime Minister Alexander Stubb tweeted. The shock hits a European bloc already reeling from a euro zone debt crisis, unprecedented mass migration and confrontation with Russia over Ukraine. Anti-immigrant and anti-EU political parties have been surging across the continent, placing unprecedented pressure on the centre-left and centre-right establishment that has governed Europe for generations. French National Front leader Marine Le Pen called for a similar referendum in France, changed her Twitter profile to a Union Jack and declared "Victory for freedom!" Dutch far right leader Geert Wilders, also demanding a referendum, said: “We want be in charge of our own country, our own money, our own borders, and our own immigration policy." U.S. presidential candidate Donald Trump, whose rise has been fuelled by disenchantment with the political establishment in the United States that has parallels with populism in Europe, declared that Britons "took back control of their country". He was in Scotland opening a golf club. Britain has always been ambivalent about its relations with the rest of post-war Europe. A firm supporter of free trade, tearing down internal economic barriers and expanding the EU to take in ex-communist eastern states, it opted out of joining the euro single currency or the Schengen border-free zone. Cameron's ruling Conservatives in particular have harboured an anti-EU wing for generations, and it was partly to silence such figures that he called the referendum in 2013. World leaders including Obama, Chinese President Xi Jinping, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, NATO and Commonwealth governments had all urged a "Remain" vote, saying Britain would be stronger and more influential in the EU than outside. The four-month campaign was among the divisive ever waged in Britain, with accusations of lying and scare-mongering on both sides and rows on immigration which critics said at times unleashed overt racism. It also revealed deeper splits in British society, with the pro-Brexit side drawing support from millions of voters who felt left behind by globalisation and believed they saw no benefits from Britain's ethnic diversity and free-market economy. At the darkest moment, a pro-EU member of parliament was stabbed and shot to death in the street by an attacker who later told a court his name was "Death to traitors, freedom for Britain". Older voters backed Brexit; the young mainly wanted to stay in. London and Scotland supported the EU, but wide swathes of middle England, which have not shared in the capital's prosperity, voted to leave. Concerns over uncontrolled immigration, loss of sovereignty and remote rule from Brussels appear to have trumped almost unanimous warnings of the economic perils of going it alone. Threat of UK break-up The United Kingdom itself now faces a threat to its survival; Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said Thursday's vote "makes clear that the people of Scotland see their future as part of the European Union." Her predecessor, Alex Salmond, said Scotland was now likely to push for a second independence referendum. It voted against seceding in 2014. Northern Ireland's largest Irish nationalist party, Sinn Fein, said the result intensified the case for a vote on whether to quit the United Kingdom. The global financial turmoil was the worst shock since the 2008 economic crisis, and comes at a time when interest rates around the world are already at or near zero, leaving policymakers without the usual tools to respond. The body blow to global confidence could prevent the Federal Reserve from raising interest rates as planned this year, and might even provoke a new round of emergency policy easing from all major central banks, despite their limited options. The Bank of England said it would take all necessary steps to secure monetary and financial stability. Japanese Finance Minister Taro Aso promising to "respond as needed" in the currency market. EU affairs ministers and ambassadors from member states gather in Luxembourg by 10 am (0800 GMT) for previously-scheduled talks that will provide the first chance for many to react. Left unclear is the relationship Britain can negotiate with the EU once it leaves. To retain access to the single market, vital for its giant financial services sector, London may have to adopt all EU regulation without having a say in its shaping, contribute to Brussels coffers, and continue to allow free movement as Norway and Switzerland do - all things the Leave campaign vowed to end. EU officials have said UK-based banks and financial firms would lose automatic "passport" access to sell services across Europe if Britain ceased to apply the EU principles of free movement of goods, capital, services and people. Aside from trade, huge questions now face the millions of British expatriates who live freely elsewhere in the bloc and enjoy equal access to health and other benefits, as well as millions of EU citizens who live and work in Britain. (Reuters)

Britain leaves and Cameron follows

Amid fears that the eurosceptic Scandinavian country could lose a key ally in Brussels, a Danish daily Berlingske Thursday published an English-language editorial imploring Britain to &quot;please stay&quot; in the EU. 
 
&quot;As a nation, we in Denmark understand your scepticism about the EU, perhaps better than any other country. Three times we voted no -- in 1992, 2000 and 2015 -- but never out,&quot; the right-wing daily wrote. 
 
&quot;Let us stay and fight for pragmatic, better and more sustainable European solutions,&quot; it said, adding that Britain&#39;s voice was needed in the EU to &quot;fight for free trade and (for) breaking down regulation and bureaucracy.&quot; 
 
A cartoon on the paper&#39;s front page showed a door marked with an EU flag slamming shut on a half naked man with a bowler hat and an umbrella, tearing off his Union Jack suit as it closed behind him. 
 
An English translation of the editorial, headlined &quot;Please Stay&quot;, was published on Berlingske&#39;s website. 
 
Reading between the lines 
Pertinently, Denmark has been a reluctant member of the EU since joining in 1973, rejecting the Maastricht Treaty in a 1992 referendum and only saying &quot;yes&quot; the following year after being granted opt-out clauses on the euro, defence, and justice and home affairs. 
 
Danish voters also rejected joining the euro in 2000, and proposals to lift some of the country&#39;s exemptions on EU justice rules were turned down in a referendum in December last year. 
 
Like his British counterpart David Cameron, Danish Prime Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen wants to curb European migrants&#39; access to child benefits, but with exports accounting for just over half of the country&#39;s economic output there are few politicians who back leaving the bloc completely.&nbsp; 
 
The eurosceptic Danish People&#39;s Party, one of the government&#39;s main allies in parliament, wants Denmark to obtain further EU opt-outs in case of a Brexit, as it believes Britain would then obtain a &quot;hybrid&quot; agreement with the bloc rather than leave completely. 
 
(AFP)&nbsp; 
 
 
 
&nbsp;

'Let us stay and fight for pragmatic, better and more sustainable European solutions,' says Berlingske's editorial in English

Amid fears that the eurosceptic Scandinavian country could lose a key ally in Brussels, a Danish daily Berlingske Thursday published an English-language editorial imploring Britain to "please stay" in the EU. "As a nation, we in Denmark understand your scepticism about the EU, perhaps better than any other country. Three times we voted no -- in 1992, 2000 and 2015 -- but never out," the right-wing daily wrote. "Let us stay and fight for pragmatic, better and more sustainable European solutions," it said, adding that Britain's voice was needed in the EU to "fight for free trade and (for) breaking down regulation and bureaucracy." A cartoon on the paper's front page showed a door marked with an EU flag slamming shut on a half naked man with a bowler hat and an umbrella, tearing off his Union Jack suit as it closed behind him. An English translation of the editorial, headlined "Please Stay", was published on Berlingske's website. Reading between the lines Pertinently, Denmark has been a reluctant member of the EU since joining in 1973, rejecting the Maastricht Treaty in a 1992 referendum and only saying "yes" the following year after being granted opt-out clauses on the euro, defence, and justice and home affairs. Danish voters also rejected joining the euro in 2000, and proposals to lift some of the country's exemptions on EU justice rules were turned down in a referendum in December last year. Like his British counterpart David Cameron, Danish Prime Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen wants to curb European migrants' access to child benefits, but with exports accounting for just over half of the country's economic output there are few politicians who back leaving the bloc completely. The eurosceptic Danish People's Party, one of the government's main allies in parliament, wants Denmark to obtain further EU opt-outs in case of a Brexit, as it believes Britain would then obtain a "hybrid" agreement with the bloc rather than leave completely. (AFP)

Danish daily urges Britain to 'remain'

In the run upto EU referedum slated for Thursday and likelihood of Brexit, speculations are rife that leaving the European Union would be a shock for the EU and the global economy.&nbsp; 
 
Some analysts warn of a potential &quot;disintegration&quot; of the EU as remaining countries seek to renegotiate their own relationships with Brussels. 
 
Last week, Germany&#39;s Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier stressed, &quot;It would be a shock for the EU that would require mutual assurances that the EU continues to stick together and that a very successful decades-long process of integration doesn&#39;t in the end turn into disintegration.&quot; 
 
Here are some of the possible knock-on effects of a British departure from the European Union, or Brexit: 
 
&lsquo;Cameron wouldn&rsquo;t last&rsquo;: Conservative veteran Kenneth Clarke has warned that Cameron &quot;wouldn&#39;t last 30 seconds&quot; if Britons vote to leave the EU. 
 
The bookmakers&#39; favourite to replace him is believed to be former London mayor Boris Johnson, the &quot;Leave&quot; camp figurehead. 
 
Second referendum in Scotland: Following the British exit from the EU, Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon may launch a second referendum on independence. 
 
This time, Scotland would possibly vote to secede from the United Kingdom, fracturing the UK. Further, Northern Ireland would also be isolated from its EU land neighbour, the Republic of Ireland, and cross-border trade could plunge. 
 
Former British prime ministers John Major and Tony Blair said it would be &quot;difficult if not impossible&quot; to maintain a free-travel area between the neighbours. 
 
The two men, who were key players in bringing an end to sectarian violence in Northern Ireland, also warned that Brexit could put the peace process at risk. 
 
Exit negotiations between London and Brussels: An onset of complicated exit negotiations may begin between London and Brussels, with access to the single market the main bone of contention. 
 
European Commission chief Jean-Claude Juncker has already said Britain would be &quot;a third party, who we won&#39;t be bending over backwards for.&quot; 
 
More so, WTO Director General Roberto Azevedo said the process could take up to 10 years, and that it &quot;could take quite some time before the UK got back to a similar position that it has today,&quot; given its weak negotiating position. 
 
Recession risk? Turmoil in the markets and uncertainty in the city of London financial hub could lead to a 15-20 percent fall in the pound sterling, inflation at five percent, higher interest rates, a hike in the cost of labour, and the growth rate slowing by 1.0 to 1.5 percent, according to HSBC analysts. 
 
Also, observers are of the view that thousands of jobs in the city could be transferred to Frankfurt or Paris, top companies have warned. 
 
The Brexit camp argues that the business world would adapt quickly with Britain remaining a flexible and dynamic economy, helped by new economic partners and selective immigration. 
 
Although most economic institutions predict long-term pain for post-Brexit Britain, research consultancy Capital Economics said that it would &quot;not spell disaster&quot; indefinitely for the country&#39;s valuable financial sector, highlighting Britain&#39;s legal system, language, time-zone and large pool of skilled labour as &quot;intrinsic advantages.&quot; 
 
Drop in Immigration: Immigration from the EU is likely to drop drastically, leading to a shortage of workers in the construction and service industries. 
 
A win for Brexit in the referendum -- seen by many voters as a proxy poll on immigration -- would increase pressure on the government to impose tough caps on new arrivals. Immigration consistently tops polls of the most important issues for British voters. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
&nbsp;

Observers anticipate drop in immigration, recession risk and a possible second Scottish referendum on independence, if Britain exits from EU

In the run upto EU referedum slated for Thursday and likelihood of Brexit, speculations are rife that leaving the European Union would be a shock for the EU and the global economy. Some analysts warn of a potential "disintegration" of the EU as remaining countries seek to renegotiate their own relationships with Brussels. Last week, Germany's Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier stressed, "It would be a shock for the EU that would require mutual assurances that the EU continues to stick together and that a very successful decades-long process of integration doesn't in the end turn into disintegration." Here are some of the possible knock-on effects of a British departure from the European Union, or Brexit: ‘Cameron wouldn’t last’: Conservative veteran Kenneth Clarke has warned that Cameron "wouldn't last 30 seconds" if Britons vote to leave the EU. The bookmakers' favourite to replace him is believed to be former London mayor Boris Johnson, the "Leave" camp figurehead. Second referendum in Scotland: Following the British exit from the EU, Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon may launch a second referendum on independence. This time, Scotland would possibly vote to secede from the United Kingdom, fracturing the UK. Further, Northern Ireland would also be isolated from its EU land neighbour, the Republic of Ireland, and cross-border trade could plunge. Former British prime ministers John Major and Tony Blair said it would be "difficult if not impossible" to maintain a free-travel area between the neighbours. The two men, who were key players in bringing an end to sectarian violence in Northern Ireland, also warned that Brexit could put the peace process at risk. Exit negotiations between London and Brussels: An onset of complicated exit negotiations may begin between London and Brussels, with access to the single market the main bone of contention. European Commission chief Jean-Claude Juncker has already said Britain would be "a third party, who we won't be bending over backwards for." More so, WTO Director General Roberto Azevedo said the process could take up to 10 years, and that it "could take quite some time before the UK got back to a similar position that it has today," given its weak negotiating position. Recession risk? Turmoil in the markets and uncertainty in the city of London financial hub could lead to a 15-20 percent fall in the pound sterling, inflation at five percent, higher interest rates, a hike in the cost of labour, and the growth rate slowing by 1.0 to 1.5 percent, according to HSBC analysts. Also, observers are of the view that thousands of jobs in the city could be transferred to Frankfurt or Paris, top companies have warned. The Brexit camp argues that the business world would adapt quickly with Britain remaining a flexible and dynamic economy, helped by new economic partners and selective immigration. Although most economic institutions predict long-term pain for post-Brexit Britain, research consultancy Capital Economics said that it would "not spell disaster" indefinitely for the country's valuable financial sector, highlighting Britain's legal system, language, time-zone and large pool of skilled labour as "intrinsic advantages." Drop in Immigration: Immigration from the EU is likely to drop drastically, leading to a shortage of workers in the construction and service industries. A win for Brexit in the referendum -- seen by many voters as a proxy poll on immigration -- would increase pressure on the government to impose tough caps on new arrivals. Immigration consistently tops polls of the most important issues for British voters.

Five possible knock-on effects of Brexit?

Eighty per cent of the estimated 800,000 Poles living in Britain want to stay there even if it leaves the EU, while just three per cent want to return home, a poll published Sunday said. 
 
More than half of the Polish migrants surveyed by Poland&#39;s IBRiS pollsters also said they intend to apply for British citizenship.&nbsp; 
 
The study conducted from June 1517 is the largest ever involving Polish migrants in Britain, which could vote to leave the EU in a referendum on Thursday. 
 
A further 10 per cent of Polish migrants said they would move to another EU state if a Brexit meant they would have to leave Britain. 
 
&quot;Almost nobody wants to leave Britain,&quot; IBRiS chief Marcin Duma wrote in a commentary summing up the survey results.&nbsp; 
 
As non-citizens, the vast majority of Poles in Britain are not entitled to vote in Thursday&#39;s referendum. 
 
Seeking a better life, Poles were the largest group of migrants to head to Britain after the EU&#39;s 2004 &#39;Big Bang&#39; eastern expansion. 
 
Unlike other western EU members who kept up employment restrictions, Britain fully opened its labour market to EU newcomers from the east. 
 
The IBRiS survey also found that nearly 80 percent of Polish migrants agreed with reforms pushed through by conservative British Prime Minister David Cameron to limit their child benefits, a hot-button issue in the referendum. 
 
The IBRiS survey results were published on Sunday by the Polish Press Agency and the Polish Onet.pl website.&nbsp; 
(AFP)

80 per of 800,000 Poles living in Britain want to stay even if it leaves the EU, more than half intend to apply for citizenship

Eighty per cent of the estimated 800,000 Poles living in Britain want to stay there even if it leaves the EU, while just three per cent want to return home, a poll published Sunday said. More than half of the Polish migrants surveyed by Poland's IBRiS pollsters also said they intend to apply for British citizenship. The study conducted from June 1517 is the largest ever involving Polish migrants in Britain, which could vote to leave the EU in a referendum on Thursday. A further 10 per cent of Polish migrants said they would move to another EU state if a Brexit meant they would have to leave Britain. "Almost nobody wants to leave Britain," IBRiS chief Marcin Duma wrote in a commentary summing up the survey results. As non-citizens, the vast majority of Poles in Britain are not entitled to vote in Thursday's referendum. Seeking a better life, Poles were the largest group of migrants to head to Britain after the EU's 2004 'Big Bang' eastern expansion. Unlike other western EU members who kept up employment restrictions, Britain fully opened its labour market to EU newcomers from the east. The IBRiS survey also found that nearly 80 percent of Polish migrants agreed with reforms pushed through by conservative British Prime Minister David Cameron to limit their child benefits, a hot-button issue in the referendum. The IBRiS survey results were published on Sunday by the Polish Press Agency and the Polish Onet.pl website. (AFP)

Poles want to stay in UK regardless of 'Brexit': Polish survey

<div style="text-align: justify;">The campaign to keep Britain in the European Union regained its lead in two opinion polls published on Saturday, giving a boost to Prime Minister David Cameron who is battling to avoid a historic &quot;Leave&quot; vote in Thursday&#39;s referendum. 
 
A third poll also showed a change in momentum in favour of the &quot;Remain&quot; camp and Cameron got the backing of a leading newspaper when the right-leaning Mail on Sunday urged its readers to vote to remain in the EU. 
 
&quot;We are now in the final week of the referendum campaign and the swing back towards the status quo appears to be in full force,&quot; Anthony Wells, a director with polling firm, YouGov, said. 
 
Financial markets around the world are on edge ahead of the June 23 referendum. Recent polls showing the &quot;Leave&quot; camp in the lead have weakened Sterling and helped wipe billions of Pounds off stock markets as investors worried not only about the hit to Britain&#39;s economy and its trading partners, but also about the implications of a so-called Brexit for the EU&#39;s future. 
 
A YouGov poll for the Sunday Times newspaper showed support for Britain staying in the EU had restored a narrow 44-43 per cent lead over the &quot;Leave&quot; campaign. 
 
That poll was based on interviews conducted on Thursday and Friday, but the Sunday Times said the shift did not reflect the fatal attack on a British lawmaker on Thursday which led to the suspension of referendum campaigning. 
 
Instead, the bounce in support for &quot;Remain&quot; was more a reflection of growing concerns among voters about the economic impact of a so-called Brexit, it said. 
 
Cameron and his finance minister, George Osborne, have tried repeatedly to focus voters on the economic risks of leaving the EU&#39;s single market, pointing to forecasts of a hit from the International Monetary Fund, the Bank of England and most private economists. 
 
Campaigning&nbsp;set&nbsp;to&nbsp;resume 
 
Another YouGov poll reported on Saturday but based on surveys conducted on Wednesday and Thursday showed the lead of the &quot;Leave&quot; campaign had narrowed to two points from as wide as seven points less than a week ago. 
 
A third poll on Saturday, by polling firm Survation, gave the &quot;Remain&quot; campaign a three-point lead, reversing a similar lead for &quot;Leave&quot; in a Survation poll published as recently as on Thursday. 
 
A fourth poll, by Opinium, showed the two camp were running neck and neck with 44 per cent support each. That poll was conducted between Tuesday and Friday. 
 
While Cameron got support from the Mail on Sunday&#39;s backing of the &quot;Remain&quot; campaign, its rival The Sunday Times, which sells around half the number of copies as the Mail on Sunday, said it was backing the &quot;Leave&quot; campaign. 
 
The Sunday Times urged voters to vote to leave the EU as a way to press for deeper reform which might make the bloc more acceptable for Britain to actually remain in after a second referendum, an idea floated by &quot;Leave&quot; campaigner Boris Johnson. 
 
But Cameron told the newspaper that there would no second chance to decide Britain&#39;s role in Europe. &quot;This is an irreversible decision with very bad consequences for the British economy,&quot; he said in an interview. 
 
Campaigning was due to resume today&nbsp;after a suspension lasting more than two days following the fatal attack on lawmaker Jo Cox, a member of the opposition Labour Party and a strong supporter of Britain staying in the EU. 
 
The man charged with her murder, Thomas Mair, gave his name as &quot;death to traitors, freedom for Britain&quot; when he appeared in court on Saturday. 
(Reuters)</div>

Cameron is fighting for Britain's stay with EU and believes the "irreversible decision" will have bad consequences for the British economy

The campaign to keep Britain in the European Union regained its lead in two opinion polls published on Saturday, giving a boost to Prime Minister David Cameron who is battling to avoid a historic "Leave" vote in Thursday's referendum. A third poll also showed a change in momentum in favour of the "Remain" camp and Cameron got the backing of a leading newspaper when the right-leaning Mail on Sunday urged its readers to vote to remain in the EU. "We are now in the final week of the referendum campaign and the swing back towards the status quo appears to be in full force," Anthony Wells, a director with polling firm, YouGov, said. Financial markets around the world are on edge ahead of the June 23 referendum. Recent polls showing the "Leave" camp in the lead have weakened Sterling and helped wipe billions of Pounds off stock markets as investors worried not only about the hit to Britain's economy and its trading partners, but also about the implications of a so-called Brexit for the EU's future. A YouGov poll for the Sunday Times newspaper showed support for Britain staying in the EU had restored a narrow 44-43 per cent lead over the "Leave" campaign. That poll was based on interviews conducted on Thursday and Friday, but the Sunday Times said the shift did not reflect the fatal attack on a British lawmaker on Thursday which led to the suspension of referendum campaigning. Instead, the bounce in support for "Remain" was more a reflection of growing concerns among voters about the economic impact of a so-called Brexit, it said. Cameron and his finance minister, George Osborne, have tried repeatedly to focus voters on the economic risks of leaving the EU's single market, pointing to forecasts of a hit from the International Monetary Fund, the Bank of England and most private economists. Campaigning set to resume Another YouGov poll reported on Saturday but based on surveys conducted on Wednesday and Thursday showed the lead of the "Leave" campaign had narrowed to two points from as wide as seven points less than a week ago. A third poll on Saturday, by polling firm Survation, gave the "Remain" campaign a three-point lead, reversing a similar lead for "Leave" in a Survation poll published as recently as on Thursday. A fourth poll, by Opinium, showed the two camp were running neck and neck with 44 per cent support each. That poll was conducted between Tuesday and Friday. While Cameron got support from the Mail on Sunday's backing of the "Remain" campaign, its rival The Sunday Times, which sells around half the number of copies as the Mail on Sunday, said it was backing the "Leave" campaign. The Sunday Times urged voters to vote to leave the EU as a way to press for deeper reform which might make the bloc more acceptable for Britain to actually remain in after a second referendum, an idea floated by "Leave" campaigner Boris Johnson. But Cameron told the newspaper that there would no second chance to decide Britain's role in Europe. "This is an irreversible decision with very bad consequences for the British economy," he said in an interview. Campaigning was due to resume today after a suspension lasting more than two days following the fatal attack on lawmaker Jo Cox, a member of the opposition Labour Party and a strong supporter of Britain staying in the EU. The man charged with her murder, Thomas Mair, gave his name as "death to traitors, freedom for Britain" when he appeared in court on Saturday. (Reuters)

'Remain' campaign gets lead in UK opinion polls

<div style="text-align: justify;">Reeling from the murder of Labour MP Jo Cox, the EU referendum campaign&nbsp;resumed on Sunday, with just four days to go until the critical vote that will shape Britain&#39;s future. 
 
The Remain and Leave camps suspended campaign&nbsp;for three days after the killing of Cox on Thursday. A 52-year-old man has appeared in court charged with her murder. 
 
The polls too close to call, leaders were to hit the television studios on Sunday to begin their final push for votes. 
 
Prime Minister David Cameron, who wants Britain to stay in the European Union, said the country was facing an &quot;an existential choice&quot; from which there would be &quot;no turning back&quot;. 
 
Meanwhile Britain&#39;s Sunday newspapers picked sides in their final editions before the referendum. 
 
The Mail on Sunday and The Observer gave their support to the Remain camp, while The Sunday Times and The Sunday Telegraph broadsheets backed quitting the EU. 
 
Resuming the campaign, Cameron said the British economy &quot;hangs in the balance&quot;, with trade and investment set to suffer in the event of a Leave vote and a &quot;probable recession&quot; that would leave the UK &quot;permanently poorer&quot;. 
 
&quot;If you&#39;re not sure, don&#39;t take the risk of leaving. If you don&#39;t know, don&#39;t go,&quot; he wrote in The Sunday Telegraph. 
 
&quot;If we were to leave and it quickly turned out to be a big mistake, there wouldn&#39;t be a way of changing our minds and having another go. This is it.&quot; 
 
Cameron, finance minister George Osborne and opposition Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, from the Remain camp, were all set for major TV appearances on Sunday. 
 
Meanwhile Nigel Farage, leader of the UK Independence Party, was set to do the same for the Leave camp. 
 
Remain poll rise after murder 
 
The What UK Thinks website&#39;s average of the last six polls, conducted between June 10 and Saturday, put the Remain and Leave camps absolutely level on 50-50, excluding undecided voters. 
 
The Leave camp had been a few percentage points ahead in recent polling, but fresh surveys showing a rise in support for remaining brought the average neck-and-neck. 
 
They included the first carried out since Cox&#39;s murder: a Survation poll on Friday and Saturday that put the Remain on 45 per cent and Leave on 42 per cent. 
 
The results were the reverse on Survation&#39;s Thursday poll, which had Leave ahead by 45 to 42. 
 
Labour MP Cox had campaigned for Britain to stay in the EU. 
 
She was shot and stabbed in the street in what police called a &quot;targeted&quot; daylight attack in her constituency. 
 
Cox&#39;s alleged killer Thomas Mair said &quot;Death to traitors, freedom for Britain&quot; when asked to give his name at Westminster Magistrates Court in London on Saturday. 
 
He was remanded in custody until his next court appearance on Monday at England&#39;s central criminal court, and a psychiatric report has been requested. 
 
Cox, 41, is survived by her husband Brendan and their children Lejla, five, and three-year-old Cuillin. 
 
The murder, the first of a sitting British member of parliament since 1990, sent shockwaves around the world, drawing tributes from leaders including US President Barack Obama. 
 
A fund created in Cox&#39;s memory by her friends and family has raised more than $820,000&nbsp;for charities close to her heart. 
 
Weekly newspapers split 
 
In making their decisions, Britain&#39;s Sunday newspapers tried to sway their readers in how to vote. 
 
The Mail On Sunday warned it was &quot;not the time to risk the peace and prosperity&quot; of the UK. 
 
&quot;Our deepest desires must somehow be moderated to suit the increasingly tough reality of a competitive world,&quot; the tabloid said. 
 
&quot;Those who would have you believe in the plucky Little England of the past are selling a dangerous illusion.&quot; 
 
The Observer said: &quot;For an international, liberal and open Britain, we need to be part of the EU.&quot; 
 
The choice was between &quot;going it alone&quot; or a &quot;messy, imperfect collective&quot;, but &quot;outside the EU, our role in the world would be diminished.&quot; 
 
The Sunday Telegraph, meanwhile, backed Brexit, declaring that the EU &quot;belongs to the past&quot;. 
 
&quot;The Leave campaign has articulated an ambitious vision for Britain as an independent nation, once again free to make its own decisions,&quot; it said. 
 
The Sunday Times said &quot;Yes, we must be prepared for difficulties, but we should hold our nerve&quot; in voting Leave. 
 
&quot;This vote may be the only opportunity we shall ever have to call a halt to the onward march of the centralising European project. 
 
&quot;We can help our friends face a better future.&quot; 
(AFP)</div>

Sunday newspapers picked sides in their final editions before the referendum. 'Plucky Little England' no longer the way ahead, said The Mail

Reeling from the murder of Labour MP Jo Cox, the EU referendum campaign resumed on Sunday, with just four days to go until the critical vote that will shape Britain's future. The Remain and Leave camps suspended campaign for three days after the killing of Cox on Thursday. A 52-year-old man has appeared in court charged with her murder. The polls too close to call, leaders were to hit the television studios on Sunday to begin their final push for votes. Prime Minister David Cameron, who wants Britain to stay in the European Union, said the country was facing an "an existential choice" from which there would be "no turning back". Meanwhile Britain's Sunday newspapers picked sides in their final editions before the referendum. The Mail on Sunday and The Observer gave their support to the Remain camp, while The Sunday Times and The Sunday Telegraph broadsheets backed quitting the EU. Resuming the campaign, Cameron said the British economy "hangs in the balance", with trade and investment set to suffer in the event of a Leave vote and a "probable recession" that would leave the UK "permanently poorer". "If you're not sure, don't take the risk of leaving. If you don't know, don't go," he wrote in The Sunday Telegraph. "If we were to leave and it quickly turned out to be a big mistake, there wouldn't be a way of changing our minds and having another go. This is it." Cameron, finance minister George Osborne and opposition Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, from the Remain camp, were all set for major TV appearances on Sunday. Meanwhile Nigel Farage, leader of the UK Independence Party, was set to do the same for the Leave camp. Remain poll rise after murder The What UK Thinks website's average of the last six polls, conducted between June 10 and Saturday, put the Remain and Leave camps absolutely level on 50-50, excluding undecided voters. The Leave camp had been a few percentage points ahead in recent polling, but fresh surveys showing a rise in support for remaining brought the average neck-and-neck. They included the first carried out since Cox's murder: a Survation poll on Friday and Saturday that put the Remain on 45 per cent and Leave on 42 per cent. The results were the reverse on Survation's Thursday poll, which had Leave ahead by 45 to 42. Labour MP Cox had campaigned for Britain to stay in the EU. She was shot and stabbed in the street in what police called a "targeted" daylight attack in her constituency. Cox's alleged killer Thomas Mair said "Death to traitors, freedom for Britain" when asked to give his name at Westminster Magistrates Court in London on Saturday. He was remanded in custody until his next court appearance on Monday at England's central criminal court, and a psychiatric report has been requested. Cox, 41, is survived by her husband Brendan and their children Lejla, five, and three-year-old Cuillin. The murder, the first of a sitting British member of parliament since 1990, sent shockwaves around the world, drawing tributes from leaders including US President Barack Obama. A fund created in Cox's memory by her friends and family has raised more than $820,000 for charities close to her heart. Weekly newspapers split In making their decisions, Britain's Sunday newspapers tried to sway their readers in how to vote. The Mail On Sunday warned it was "not the time to risk the peace and prosperity" of the UK. "Our deepest desires must somehow be moderated to suit the increasingly tough reality of a competitive world," the tabloid said. "Those who would have you believe in the plucky Little England of the past are selling a dangerous illusion." The Observer said: "For an international, liberal and open Britain, we need to be part of the EU." The choice was between "going it alone" or a "messy, imperfect collective", but "outside the EU, our role in the world would be diminished." The Sunday Telegraph, meanwhile, backed Brexit, declaring that the EU "belongs to the past". "The Leave campaign has articulated an ambitious vision for Britain as an independent nation, once again free to make its own decisions," it said. The Sunday Times said "Yes, we must be prepared for difficulties, but we should hold our nerve" in voting Leave. "This vote may be the only opportunity we shall ever have to call a halt to the onward march of the centralising European project. "We can help our friends face a better future." (AFP)

'If you don't know, don't go,' Cameron says as Brexit campaign resumes

The IMF has warned Brexit could deal the British economy a &quot;negative and substantial&quot; blow as Vladimir Putin suggested David Cameron was trying to &quot;blackmail&quot; Europe with the EU referendum. 
 
Meanwhile The Times newspaper came out&nbsp;Saturday&nbsp;in favour of Britain staying in the European Union, five days ahead of the vote on whether the UK should stay in the bloc or leave. 
 
The pound rallied as investors leaned towards a Remain outcome from&nbsp;Thursday&#39;s&nbsp;closely-contested referendum. 
 
IMF warns of contagion&nbsp; 
 
With less than a week until the referendum, the International Monetary Fund warned that a so-called Brexit would harm the British economy while &quot;contagion effects&quot; could hit markets worldwide. 
 
In the worst-case scenario, the UK economy would sink into recession next year and overall economic output would be 5.6 per cent lower than otherwise forecast by 2019, with unemployment rising back above six per cent, it said today. 
 
&quot;While there is much uncertainty about the precise economic effects of an exit from the EU, they are likely negative and substantial,&quot; the Washington-based global crisis lender revealed in its annual British economic check-up. 
 
&quot;An exit would precipitate a protracted period of heightened uncertainty that could weigh on confidence and investment and increase financial market volatility.&quot; 
 
In addition, &quot;contagion effects could result in spillovers to regional and global markets, although the primary impact would be felt domestically&quot;. 
 
While in a &quot;limited impact&quot; scenario the IMF said the economy would only lose 1.4 per cent from the current outlook by 2019, the report gave one of the starkest pictures yet of the impact of Brexit. 
 
Putin wades in&nbsp; 
 
Meanwhile Russian President Vladimir Putin suggested British Prime Minister David Cameron had called the referendum to &quot;blackmail&quot; and &quot;scare&quot; Europe. 
 
&quot;Why has he set up this referendum? To blackmail Europe? Or to scare it? What is the purpose if he himself is against Britain leaving the EU,&quot; Putin said today during a meeting with representatives of news agencies. 
 
&quot;Some experts say a Brexit will be to the detriment of Europe. But others say that the EU will be more stable,&quot; Putin said, pointing to the example of British fishermen. 
 
&quot;They explain how hard it is to live with the restrictions on fishing. But there are advantages in other sectors.&nbsp;If you consider all these things, it&#39;s very complicated to choose,&quot; he added. 
 
The What UK Thinks average of the last six opinion polls puts the Remain camp on 52 per cent to 48 per cent for the Leave campaign, excluding undecided voters. 
 
Times&#39; &#39;pragmatic&#39; Remain case 
&nbsp; 
The Times swung behind the Remain camp&nbsp;on Saturday, in opposition to its stablemate The Sun, Britain&#39;s biggest-selling newspaper, which is backing a Leave vote. 
 
&quot;The best outcome of next week&#39;s referendum would be a new alliance of sovereign EU nations dedicated to free trade and reform, led by Britain,&quot; it said in a 2,000-word editorial. 
 
The Times said voting to stay was a &quot;pragmatic rather than enthusiastic choice&quot;. 
 
&quot;Brexit is unquestionably economically riskier than a vote to remain,&quot; the daily said. 
 
&quot;On balance we believe Britain would be better off leading a renewed drive for reform within the EU rather than starting afresh outside it.&quot; 
 
The pound rallied&nbsp;Friday&nbsp;as investors swung their bets towards Britain voting to stay in the EU, in part due to the three-day suspension of campaigning over Cox&#39;s murder. 
 
&quot;The shocking news was seen, at least on the margin, as hurting public sentiment toward the Brexit move,&quot; said Omer Esiner of Commonwealth Foreign Exchange. 
 
Long-running fears of a pro-Brexit vote had been hammering the pound, and they were heightened in recent weeks as the &quot;Leave&quot; campaign pulled ahead in the polls. 
 
The pound surged about one per cent against the dollar to $1.4348. It was up 0.5 per cent against the euro at 78.62 pence. 
 
Meanwhile French National Front leader Marine Le Pen, enthused by the British referendum, addressed a 2,000-strong Vienna rally of far-right European &quot;patriots&quot;. 
 
The elites of Europe &quot;are scared that the United Kingdom is regaining its liberty, its freedom to trade with whom it pleases,&quot; she said. 
(AFP)

'While there is much uncertainty about the precise economic effects of an exit from the EU, they are likely negative and substantial'

The IMF has warned Brexit could deal the British economy a "negative and substantial" blow as Vladimir Putin suggested David Cameron was trying to "blackmail" Europe with the EU referendum. Meanwhile The Times newspaper came out Saturday in favour of Britain staying in the European Union, five days ahead of the vote on whether the UK should stay in the bloc or leave. The pound rallied as investors leaned towards a Remain outcome from Thursday's closely-contested referendum. IMF warns of contagion With less than a week until the referendum, the International Monetary Fund warned that a so-called Brexit would harm the British economy while "contagion effects" could hit markets worldwide. In the worst-case scenario, the UK economy would sink into recession next year and overall economic output would be 5.6 per cent lower than otherwise forecast by 2019, with unemployment rising back above six per cent, it said today. "While there is much uncertainty about the precise economic effects of an exit from the EU, they are likely negative and substantial," the Washington-based global crisis lender revealed in its annual British economic check-up. "An exit would precipitate a protracted period of heightened uncertainty that could weigh on confidence and investment and increase financial market volatility." In addition, "contagion effects could result in spillovers to regional and global markets, although the primary impact would be felt domestically". While in a "limited impact" scenario the IMF said the economy would only lose 1.4 per cent from the current outlook by 2019, the report gave one of the starkest pictures yet of the impact of Brexit. Putin wades in Meanwhile Russian President Vladimir Putin suggested British Prime Minister David Cameron had called the referendum to "blackmail" and "scare" Europe. "Why has he set up this referendum? To blackmail Europe? Or to scare it? What is the purpose if he himself is against Britain leaving the EU," Putin said today during a meeting with representatives of news agencies. "Some experts say a Brexit will be to the detriment of Europe. But others say that the EU will be more stable," Putin said, pointing to the example of British fishermen. "They explain how hard it is to live with the restrictions on fishing. But there are advantages in other sectors. If you consider all these things, it's very complicated to choose," he added. The What UK Thinks average of the last six opinion polls puts the Remain camp on 52 per cent to 48 per cent for the Leave campaign, excluding undecided voters. Times' 'pragmatic' Remain case The Times swung behind the Remain camp on Saturday, in opposition to its stablemate The Sun, Britain's biggest-selling newspaper, which is backing a Leave vote. "The best outcome of next week's referendum would be a new alliance of sovereign EU nations dedicated to free trade and reform, led by Britain," it said in a 2,000-word editorial. The Times said voting to stay was a "pragmatic rather than enthusiastic choice". "Brexit is unquestionably economically riskier than a vote to remain," the daily said. "On balance we believe Britain would be better off leading a renewed drive for reform within the EU rather than starting afresh outside it." The pound rallied Friday as investors swung their bets towards Britain voting to stay in the EU, in part due to the three-day suspension of campaigning over Cox's murder. "The shocking news was seen, at least on the margin, as hurting public sentiment toward the Brexit move," said Omer Esiner of Commonwealth Foreign Exchange. Long-running fears of a pro-Brexit vote had been hammering the pound, and they were heightened in recent weeks as the "Leave" campaign pulled ahead in the polls. The pound surged about one per cent against the dollar to $1.4348. It was up 0.5 per cent against the euro at 78.62 pence. Meanwhile French National Front leader Marine Le Pen, enthused by the British referendum, addressed a 2,000-strong Vienna rally of far-right European "patriots". The elites of Europe "are scared that the United Kingdom is regaining its liberty, its freedom to trade with whom it pleases," she said. (AFP)

Brexit could harm British economy and hit markets worldwide, IMF warns

British lawmaker Jo Cox&#39;s alleged killer ranted against &quot;traitors&quot; during a brief court appearance on Saturday, as the European Union referendum campaigning was suspended for a third day in tribute to her. 
 
&quot;Death to traitors, freedom for Britain,&quot; 52-year-old Thomas Mair said when asked to give his name at Westminster Magistrates&#39; Court in London after being charged with murder, the Press Association reported. 
 
Both sides in the deeply divisive campaign ahead of a referendum on EU membership on next Thursday have cancelled events amid calls for a less acrimonious political debate. 
 
A member of the opposition Labour Party and former aid worker, Cox was an advocate for refugee rights and immigration and wanted Britain to remain in the European Union. 
 
She was shot and stabbed in the street in a daylight attack on Thursday in her constituency in northern England as she was heading for a meeting with local residents. 
 
Although the motive is undetermined, some politicians and commentators have pointed to the heated referendum debate, where sensitive issues like national identity and immigration have featured prominently. 
 
Prime Minister David Cameron and Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn on Friday brought bouquets to a floral tribute near the scene of the attack in Birstall in Yorkshire. 
 
Cameron spoke out for &quot;tolerance&quot; and against &quot;hatred&quot; in British politics, saying the country was &quot;rightly shocked&quot; at the killing of the 41-year-old mother of two. 
 
The murder, the first of a British member of parliament since 1990, has sent shockwaves around the world. 
 
US President Barack Obama on Friday phoned Cox&#39;s husband Brendan to offer condolences. 
 
&quot;The president noted that the world is a better place because of her selfless service to others, and that there can be no justification for this heinous crime,&quot; the White House said in a statement. 
 
Flowers on the river 
 
Eyewitness Hichem Ben Abdallah, 56, told AFP on Friday that he heard two shots and saw her on the ground. 
 
&quot;Her face was full of blood,&quot; said Ben Abdallah, who campaigned alongside the Labour politician before she was elected to parliament for the first time last year. 
 
&quot;She stood for peace and transparency, fighting corruption, wanted justice for all. I think her flame will carry on,&quot; he said. 
 
&quot;I hope we learn lessons from this,&quot; he added. 
 
A 77-year-old man remains in hospital after being injured trying to help Cox during the attack. 
 
A fund created in Cox&#39;s memory by her friends and family has raised more than $359,000 so far, for charities close to her heart. 
 
The money will support the Royal Voluntary Service which helps combat loneliness in her constituency; the Hope Not Hate anti-extremism group and the White Helmets volunteer search and rescue workers in Syria. 
 
At a vigil in London&#39;s Parliament Square on Friday evening, hundreds of people gathered to lay flowers and pay their respects, holding a minute&#39;s silence. 
 
Cox lived with her husband Brendan and their two children, aged three and five, on a houseboat moored on the River Thames in London, close to the city&#39;s iconic Tower Bridge. 
 
Mourners laid flowers on the roof of the converted barge along with pictures of the slain MP. 
(AFP)

Some politicians and commentators have pointed to the heated referendum debate as a possible motive

British lawmaker Jo Cox's alleged killer ranted against "traitors" during a brief court appearance on Saturday, as the European Union referendum campaigning was suspended for a third day in tribute to her. "Death to traitors, freedom for Britain," 52-year-old Thomas Mair said when asked to give his name at Westminster Magistrates' Court in London after being charged with murder, the Press Association reported. Both sides in the deeply divisive campaign ahead of a referendum on EU membership on next Thursday have cancelled events amid calls for a less acrimonious political debate. A member of the opposition Labour Party and former aid worker, Cox was an advocate for refugee rights and immigration and wanted Britain to remain in the European Union. She was shot and stabbed in the street in a daylight attack on Thursday in her constituency in northern England as she was heading for a meeting with local residents. Although the motive is undetermined, some politicians and commentators have pointed to the heated referendum debate, where sensitive issues like national identity and immigration have featured prominently. Prime Minister David Cameron and Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn on Friday brought bouquets to a floral tribute near the scene of the attack in Birstall in Yorkshire. Cameron spoke out for "tolerance" and against "hatred" in British politics, saying the country was "rightly shocked" at the killing of the 41-year-old mother of two. The murder, the first of a British member of parliament since 1990, has sent shockwaves around the world. US President Barack Obama on Friday phoned Cox's husband Brendan to offer condolences. "The president noted that the world is a better place because of her selfless service to others, and that there can be no justification for this heinous crime," the White House said in a statement. Flowers on the river Eyewitness Hichem Ben Abdallah, 56, told AFP on Friday that he heard two shots and saw her on the ground. "Her face was full of blood," said Ben Abdallah, who campaigned alongside the Labour politician before she was elected to parliament for the first time last year. "She stood for peace and transparency, fighting corruption, wanted justice for all. I think her flame will carry on," he said. "I hope we learn lessons from this," he added. A 77-year-old man remains in hospital after being injured trying to help Cox during the attack. A fund created in Cox's memory by her friends and family has raised more than $359,000 so far, for charities close to her heart. The money will support the Royal Voluntary Service which helps combat loneliness in her constituency; the Hope Not Hate anti-extremism group and the White Helmets volunteer search and rescue workers in Syria. At a vigil in London's Parliament Square on Friday evening, hundreds of people gathered to lay flowers and pay their respects, holding a minute's silence. Cox lived with her husband Brendan and their two children, aged three and five, on a houseboat moored on the River Thames in London, close to the city's iconic Tower Bridge. Mourners laid flowers on the roof of the converted barge along with pictures of the slain MP. (AFP)

British MP murder suspect Thomas Mair appears in court, says 'death to traitors, freedom to Britain'

British lawmaker Jo Cox, who was killed on Thursday, had previously contacted police after receiving &quot;malicious communications&quot; and they had arrested a man in connection with the investigation in March. 
 
Police said that the man they had arrested at that time was not the 52-year-old man who was being held in custody in West Yorkshire following his arrest close to the crime scene. 
 
&quot;Officers received an allegation of malicious communications from Jo Cox MP, and in March 2016 arrested a man in connection with the investigation,&quot; police said. &quot;The man subsequently accepted a police caution.&quot; 
 
Cox, a 41-lawmaker for the opposition Labour Party and a vocal advocate of Britain&#39;s European Union membership, died after she was shot and stabbed repeatedly by a man who witnesses said shouted &quot;Britain first&quot;. 
 
Both sides in Britain&#39;s EU referendum suspended campaigning after the attack. 
(Reuters)

The police arrested a man in March 2016 but he was not the 52-year-old man who was being held in custody in West Yorkshire

British lawmaker Jo Cox, who was killed on Thursday, had previously contacted police after receiving "malicious communications" and they had arrested a man in connection with the investigation in March. Police said that the man they had arrested at that time was not the 52-year-old man who was being held in custody in West Yorkshire following his arrest close to the crime scene. "Officers received an allegation of malicious communications from Jo Cox MP, and in March 2016 arrested a man in connection with the investigation," police said. "The man subsequently accepted a police caution." Cox, a 41-lawmaker for the opposition Labour Party and a vocal advocate of Britain's European Union membership, died after she was shot and stabbed repeatedly by a man who witnesses said shouted "Britain first". Both sides in Britain's EU referendum suspended campaigning after the attack. (Reuters)

Murdered British lawmaker Jo Cox had contacted police over threats

British support for leaving the European Union (EU) in a June 23 referendum has risen, giving the Out campaign a lead of two to four percentage points, according to opinion polls by Taylor Nelson Sofres (TNS), a market research and market information group, and YouGov, an international internet-based market research firm. 
 
A YouGov online poll of 3,495 people for ITV&#39;s Good Morning Britain showed 45 per cent would opt to leave the EU, while 41 per cent would opt to stay. Over 11 per cent of voters were undecided. The poll was carried out from June 1 to June 3. 
 
A TNS online poll of 1,213 people showed 43 per cent would vote to leave, 41 per cent would vote to stay and 16 per cent were undecided. The TNS poll was carried out from May 19 to May 23, &nbsp;but was adjusted for turnout. 
 
Sterling fell one per cent against the dollar to hit a three-week low today, while the cost of hedging against swings over the coming month traded at its highest since early 2009 on growing concerns over whether Britain will stay in the European Union. 
 
Against the dollar, sterling was one per cent lower at $1.4370, having fallen to $1.4352 GBP=D4 in early Asian trading, its lowest in three weeks. The euro was 0.75 per cent higher at 78.95 pence EURGBP=D4. 
 
Sterling fell sharply last Tuesday when both an online and a telephone poll for ICM showed a three-percentage-point lead for the &quot;Leave&quot; campaign.

A YouGov online poll of 3,495 people showed that 45 per cent would opt to leave the European Union, while 41 per cent would opt to stay

British support for leaving the European Union (EU) in a June 23 referendum has risen, giving the Out campaign a lead of two to four percentage points, according to opinion polls by Taylor Nelson Sofres (TNS), a market research and market information group, and YouGov, an international internet-based market research firm. A YouGov online poll of 3,495 people for ITV's Good Morning Britain showed 45 per cent would opt to leave the EU, while 41 per cent would opt to stay. Over 11 per cent of voters were undecided. The poll was carried out from June 1 to June 3. A TNS online poll of 1,213 people showed 43 per cent would vote to leave, 41 per cent would vote to stay and 16 per cent were undecided. The TNS poll was carried out from May 19 to May 23, but was adjusted for turnout. Sterling fell one per cent against the dollar to hit a three-week low today, while the cost of hedging against swings over the coming month traded at its highest since early 2009 on growing concerns over whether Britain will stay in the European Union. Against the dollar, sterling was one per cent lower at $1.4370, having fallen to $1.4352 GBP=D4 in early Asian trading, its lowest in three weeks. The euro was 0.75 per cent higher at 78.95 pence EURGBP=D4. Sterling fell sharply last Tuesday when both an online and a telephone poll for ICM showed a three-percentage-point lead for the "Leave" campaign.

TNS, YouGov polls give Brexit lead of 3 percentage points

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