Final day of Brexit campaign as polls remain neck and neck
June 22, 2016
Both sides of Britain's in-out EU referendum have been going at full speed in the last day of campaigning. A debate before thousands of viewers saw the two camps trade barbs over migration and the economy.
Image: picture alliance/dpa/A. Rain
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Top leaders in both the "Leave" and "Remain" camps were crisscrossing the UK on Wednesday as polls ahead of the EU referendum remained close. The final push to capture the country's undecided voters will see rival rallies take place within hours of each other in different parts of London.
"Nobody knows what is going to happen," said Prime Minister David Cameron to the Financial Times, one of a series of last-minute interviews in the run-up to Thursday's vote. "I believe it will one way or another be decisive. Britain will not want to go through this again."
Cameron has supported the pro-EU side, which according to the latest estimates had the narrowest possible lead at 51 percent.
Final debate draws huge crowd
Both sides had a chance to present their final arguments in a televised debate on Tuesday evening, which featured current London mayor Sadiq Khan facing off against his predecessor Boris Johnson, who has been one of the loudest voices on the "Leave" campaign.
"You're telling lies and you're scaring people," said Khan in front of the 12,500-seat Wembley Arena. Khan was referencing a leaflet from the "Leave" campaign suggesting EU ascension for Turkey was just around the corner.
"Your campaign has been...Project Hate," said Sadiq Khan of the "Leave" campaigners at the BBC'S live debateImage: picture-alliance/empics/S. Rousseau
"That's scaremongering, Boris, and you should be ashamed... you are using the ruse of Turkey to scare people to vote Leave," said Khan, prompting cheers from the audience.
Johnson for his part relied on the argument that Britain is a sovereign nation that shouldn't take instruction from European bureaucrats.
"They say we have no choice but to bow down to Brussels. We say they are woefully underestimating this country and what it can do," Johnson said.
"If we vote to leave and take control, I believe that this Thursday could be our country's independence day," he added, eliciting a standing ovation.
DW correspondent's analysis of the debate
02:59
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But with the campaign focusing mainly on economic issues and worries about migration, Khan accused the "Leave" side of stirring up hate against immigrants.
London's mayor said that UK voters now face the "most important decision for a generation," urging them to take the "a positive, patriotic choice to remain in the EU."
es/kms (AFP, dpa)
Beyond Brexit: Why we love the British
The UK Parliament has rejected British Prime Minister Theresa May's Brexit deal. If it were up to us, there wouldn't have been a Brexit fuss in the first place. Here are 10 reasons why we don't want to lose the UK.
Image: Getty Images/Stuart C. Wilson/Universal Pictures Home Entertainment
We love the Royals
Queen Elizabeth II is Britain's longest reigning monarch. She has been Queen since 1952 and has come to symbolize continuity and stability, tradition and self-discipline. Walking two steps behind her is usually the love of her life, her husband Prince Philip. This year she turned 93, and he is 98.
Image: Getty Images/AFP/B. Stansall
We love pop music from Britain
The Rolling Stones: Mick Jagger, Charlie Watts, Keith Richards and Ron Wood pose at Havana Airport in Cuba. The veteran British band performed there for the first time on March 24, 2016 — writing music history.
Image: picture alliance/AP Images/R. Espinosa
We love the British capital and its sights
Tower Bridge in the center of London has been one of the city's most famous landmarks since 1894. London is among Europe's most popular travel destinations, drawing more than 30 million tourists each year.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/J. Büttner
We love British writers and the protagonists of their books
The adventures of the young wizard invented by J. K. Rowling have found fans all over the world. This picture shows Harry Potter, played by Daniel Radcliffe, in his second year of training at the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/dpa-Film Warner
We love beautiful British models
Naomi Campbell has been a key face in the international fashion business for almost three decades. Born in London, she was the first black model to be shown on the cover of French edition of Vogue magazine. She was one of the six models of the 1990s to be declared supermodels.
Image: DW
We love British humor
Few people can make us laugh like Rowan Atkinson, alias Mr. Bean, does. The Mr. Bean comedy series was produced from 1989 to 1995 and has a cult following.
Image: Getty Images/Stuart C. Wilson/Universal Pictures Home Entertainment
We love Britain's great gardens and parks
Kew Gardens in southwestern London are one of the world's oldest botanic gardens. The British are famous for their gardening skills and are regarded as experts in cultivating immaculate lawns. Arguably, no other country in Europe has such lovely gardens.
Image: Reuters/T. Melville
We love British style
The focus is not on speed, but on elegance and class. The famous British understatement is also evident in Britain's luxury cars, like the Rolls-Royce. The company was bought by Germans, but it remains a British classic.
Image: imago/Felix Jason
We love their somewhat strange taste
There are certainly other European countries that are more famous for their cuisine. But if the British don't leave us, we'll never complain about their warm beer or lamb with mint sauce again. We promise!
Image: Styko
We love their traditions
The British taught us how enjoyable sightseeing can be. London's double-decker buses are more than a means of transportation. They still characterize the appearance of the British metropolis on the Thames.