LONDON--British Prime Minister David Cameron and his eurosceptic opponents made final pitches for wavering voters on Wednesday on the eve of a defining referendum on European Union membership with the outcome still too close to call.
The vote, which echoes the rise of populism elsewhere in Europe and the United States, will shape the continent's future. A victory for "out" could unleash turmoil on financial markets and foreign exchange bureaux reported a surge in demand for foreign currency from Britons wary sterling may fall.
"Quitting Europe is a risk to your family's future because a vote to leave on Thursday means there is no going back on Friday," Cameron said.
Some voters appeared to be heeding his message as three of four polls released on Wednesday showing a move towards staying in the EU. Two still showed a lead for "Leave", while the other two showed a lead for "Remain".
Most pollsters said the result was too close to predict, and would depend on turnout on the day and any late swing among the substantial number of undecided voters. "It's our last chance to sort this out and take back control," said former London mayor Boris Johnson, the main leader of the Leave campaign and favourite with bookmakers to replace Cameron in the event of Brexit.
Polling company ComRes said "Remain" now looked likely to win after it reported a 6 percentage point lead in a survey for the Daily Mail and broadcaster ITV. "The burning question now is whether Remain's win will be of a sufficient margin to settle the issue of EU membership for a generation, as David Cameron put it," ComRes chairman Andrew Hawkins said.
Sterling surged to its highest so far this year against the dollar after the ComRes poll, and online betting market Betfair priced in an 80 percent chance Britain would stay in the EU.
Cameron has promised further reform if Britain stays in the EU, but European Commission chief Jean-Claude Juncker warned there would be no further renegotiation whatever the result on Thursday, after EU leaders reached a deal on a new settlement for Britain in February. French President Francois Hollande said a vote to leave could seriously jeopardise British access to the EU's prized single market. German Chancellor Angela Merkel said she did not want to speculate on what dangers would arise if Britain left, because she wanted it to stay in the Union.
The referendum will take place a week after the murder of pro-EU lawmaker Jo Cox shocked the country, raising questions about the tone of an increasingly bitter four-month campaign. Much of the debate has boiled down to two issues: the economy and immigration.
The City of London financial centre, the International Monetary Fund and the majority of British business leaders back Cameron and his Remain camp's stance that to leave the EU would plunge Britain into recession, costing jobs and raising prices. Supporters of a so-called Brexit have struck a chord with many voters by saying Britain would regain control of immigration if it cut itself loose from a bloc they see as domineering and out of touch.
In what has become an ugly and personal fight, both camps have been accused of using unfounded assertions and scare tactics. Remain campaigners accuse their opponents of resorting to the politics of hate; the Leave camp say their rivals have run a "Project Fear" to scare voters about the economic risks. Both sides hit the road and the airwaves to appeal to the large number of undecided voters who will be decisive, along with the level of turnout.
