LONDON: Millions of Britons voted on Thursday on whether to stay in the EU in a momentous referendum that has polarised the country and could change the face of Europe.

Latest opinion polls put the “Remain” camp narrowly ahead after a close-fought and often vitriolic campaign focused on immigration, the economy and Britain’s very identity.

A record 46.5 million people registered to cast their ballot in the one-in-a-generation referendum being nervously watched across Europe and the world.

European leaders fear a so-called Brexit would trigger the biggest crisis in the 60-year history of a union born out of a determination to forge lasting peace after two world wars.

An Ipsos MORI opinion poll for the London Evening Standard newspaper put “Remain” on 52 per cent and “Leave” on 48 per cent. Other late opinion polls have suggested a narrow lead for “Leave”, but these have been well within the margin of error.

In London and south-east England, many voters braved torrential rains and thunderstorms to have their say, but several polling stations had to be relocated due to flooding.

The referendum asks: “Should the United Kingdom remain a member of the European Union or leave the European Union?” Commentators suggest Brexit could trigger a constitutional crisis in Britain, prompting another Scottish independence referendum and raising tensions in Northern Ireland, where the prospect of a hard border with the Irish Republic has been mooted.

There are also fears it could prompt other EU countries, disillusioned with how Brussels has handed the eurozone and migrant crises, to try to break away.

The hashtag #iVoted was trending on Twitter. On the streets of London, 57-year-old estate manager John Thompson said he was hoping for a “Leave” victory.

Thousands of people also queued to vote in the British overseas territory of Gibraltar, which borders Spain. Gibraltar’s mayor Adolfo Canepa told reporters he was worried about the future if Britain left the EU.

“I know what it was like to live for all those years when the frontier was closed and I wouldn’t like to put my children and grandchildren through that again.”

British newspapers captured the high stakes of voting day. “Independence Day” was the headline of the pro-Brexit The Sun, while its pro-Remain stablemate The Times front page called it a “Day of Reckoning”.

Prime Minister David Cameron, who faces calls to resign in the event of a “Leave” victory, voted early without making any comment. “Churchill didn’t give up on European democracy ... and we shouldn’t walk away,” he said.

Nigel Farage, leader of the anti-EU UK Independence Party, said as he voted that “Leave” had “a really good, strong chance. It’s all about turnout, it’s all about passion, it’s all about who cares enough to go out and vote.”

Published in Dawn, June 24th, 2016