Pound Surges Amid Apparent Support for U.K. to Remain in E.U.
LONDON (TIME) — The pound and global stock markets surged Monday as both opinion polls and betting markets suggested an increase in support for Britain to remain in the European Union in the final crunch week of the vote.
The death of a pro-Europe lawmaker in a gun and knife attack last week may have sapped some of the momentum of campaigners fighting to leave the 28-nation bloc in Thursday’s vote. Nigel Farage, a leading figure in the "leave” camp, accused his opponents of trying to capitalize on Jo Cox’s slaying for political advantage.
Backers of "leave” on Monday also lost the support of a former Conservative Party chair, who switched sides after expressing disgust for a poster depicting a crowd of migrants walking through Europe with a warning in capital letters that said: BREAKING POINT. Sayeeda Warsi said Monday that moderate voices in the "leave” campaign have been drowned out in favor of campaign of xenophobia and hate.
The pound rose 1.8 percent to $1.4619 Monday, rebounding from last week, when it hit its lowest levels since April. In stock markets, the FTSE 100 was up 2.6 percent and other indexes around the world were just a buoyant, with Germany’s DAX 3.1 percent higher.
Opinion polls are now back to even, though the shifts are very small from earlier polls last week leaning to exit
But the shift in opinion was small, and it was unclear precisely what was behind the shift, said respected pollster Ben Page of Ipsos MORI. That said, three out of four polls taken since Cox’s death show a shift to remain.
The death of a pro-Europe lawmaker in a gun and knife attack last week may have sapped some of the momentum of campaigners fighting to leave the 28-nation bloc in Thursday’s vote. Nigel Farage, a leading figure in the "leave” camp, accused his opponents of trying to capitalize on Jo Cox’s slaying for political advantage.
Backers of "leave” on Monday also lost the support of a former Conservative Party chair, who switched sides after expressing disgust for a poster depicting a crowd of migrants walking through Europe with a warning in capital letters that said: BREAKING POINT. Sayeeda Warsi said Monday that moderate voices in the "leave” campaign have been drowned out in favor of campaign of xenophobia and hate.
The pound rose 1.8 percent to $1.4619 Monday, rebounding from last week, when it hit its lowest levels since April. In stock markets, the FTSE 100 was up 2.6 percent and other indexes around the world were just a buoyant, with Germany’s DAX 3.1 percent higher.
Opinion polls are now back to even, though the shifts are very small from earlier polls last week leaning to exit
But the shift in opinion was small, and it was unclear precisely what was behind the shift, said respected pollster Ben Page of Ipsos MORI. That said, three out of four polls taken since Cox’s death show a shift to remain.