♪ >> live from berlin. will they stay or will they go? polls close shortly in the use referent appeared it is a poke changed european history and opinions are deeply divided your. >> i think we are stronger together. >> we had our own to look after. ♪ >> welcome to the program.

britain's future in the european union has come down to these final moments. voters are getting one last chance of the polls to decide whether their country will remain in the eu or leave it. the outcome has enormous implications for both u.k. and europe and that uncertainty is left financial markets on edge for months. we have the view from both london and brussels in just a moment. first, a closer look at what is at stake. reporter: are we in or are we out? after 43 years in european union, britons are deciding today whether or not to remain a part of the eu. a vote to leave will have a huge impact on europe and will be felt around the whole world. a record 46.5 million people have registered to take part. how many actually cast a vote remains to be seen. rain and bad weather has affected large parts of the country. in london, severe flooding

caused delays at polling stations and even forced some to close or relocate. but despite the rain, the election seems to be well attended. the issue has divided the nation. those in favor of a split argued britain has lost control of his lawmaking, especially when it comes to issues such as migration. others disagree. >> i think there are a lot of benefits from being in the european union. i think in order to make decisions alongside other countries we need to be sitting around the same table. >> i believe we should be able to govern ourselves, rules and not be made in brussels and dictated to us. reporter: david cameron has repeatedly warned the economy would suffer greatly if the british left the union and the many jobs would be lost. whether he has been able to convince the nation will probably not be known until the early hours of the morning.

sarah: we have team coverage of the referendum. as we mentioned, the polls are set to close soon. we have any indication yet as to which way this boat might go -- vote might go? >> this is been so fascinating to watch because remain was in the lead slightly for a while, then leave took over and everyone got very nervous that this could actually happen. now we have remain in a slight lead in the just few days. the people who want to stay have had a lead in the polls, but it has been so close that you cannot say with security what is going to happen. it is really a very, very interesting night tonight. sarah: that is causing a lot of nervousness and brussels. i want to talk about what brussels thinks of this referendum because there has been a lot of anger, especially

among the leave camp. even if britain does decide to stay, what does britain make of this, how badly has the anger damaged the relationship with the eu? max: it is not necessarily that anger because the anger is nothing new, it has been around for a while and it is nothing exclusively british. you find that anger in france, germany, the netherlands. i do not think the anger itself will damage the relationship. but you are touching upon a very important point because even if the united kingdom remains part of the european union, and many officials have hinted at this, there will be some rethinking of european union, some are calling for a conclave of the leaders of the european union. try to figure out what holds the student together, tried to figure up what the path is moving forward and how to win back the hearts of the citizens of the eu. sarah: i want to talk about a

more monday topic -- the weather. -- more mundane topic -- the weather. what sort of impact are you seeing that have on the turnout? birgit: the weather is really tragic, it is almost ironic. they had been plagued by this rain which is so typical for england. when i went through central london, the polling station where i could vote -- not in election because i'm not a british citizen -- but i have to say it was a fairly-well-frequent good -- fairly well-frequented. we do not have a official figures yet but the organizers has apparently advised them to

expected turnout of about 80%. the councils in london, it is a very high figure. the last election the turnout was just over 60%. that indicates there is a lot of interest. also we have expected a turnout between 70% and 80%, slightly less than the scottish referendum. it has been talked about so much, it has been on top of the news agenda. i do think a lot of british people will come out even though you have to really want to go out today. sarah: for those who are not familiar with the debate, walk us through briefly. there is a big difference in the use, especially when we break it down based on age, wealth, and region. who is supporting what? birgit: it seems that the really most important factor is education. when you strip away everything else, that is what researchers have found out.

it is people who are educated, who have university degrees, those of the most fervent supporters of the european union. those of a who welcome the unit committees that the union brings economically, they are the people less worried about migration, a downward progression on jobs. and possibly also the people who are most affluent and also then not under so much pressure when it comes to housing. people who are less well-off, they might fear the -- feel the pressure. they might not be able to afford private schools so they think they have less options. they feel the pressure more with social housing. they see that migrants are also on the waiting list for these social housing places, and there are not that many anymore. education and wealth of the most defining factors.

and also the city. the urban centers are more euro- friendly than the countryside is. sarah: how is brussels preparing for this result? what are you going to seek the next day if we were to have a vote in favor of the brexit? max: we have three stages. stage one is a lot of press conferences making sure to get the message across that the eu has the situation under control. stage two is wait for the official notification because the referendum is not an official notification. the british government would have to write the letter. after that come all the legal and political mechanisms kick into motion. article 50 of the lisbon treaty. there will be room for political interpretation -- how exactly they want to lead the

negotiation with the united kingdom. sarah: perhaps the moral of the story is it is not over until it is over. thank you. meantime, the future of prejudice or david cameron is also very much on the line in this referendum. he wants to stay in the eu. he appealed to members of fans with the churchill. but like churchill, cameron may find himself kicked out of office if this boat does not go his way. -- vote does not go his way. reporter: there is a tendency to compare human behavior with that of sheep. we applaud the rogue who breaks away from the pack, but has promised her cameron points out, there's safety in numbers. he has been making that point for reason is remain campaign. cameron has emerged as a passionate defender of britain's eu membership, though he admits

the union has its drawbacks. >> sometimes this organization drives me crazy. what do i sit there and think britain would be better off if we left? re: quitters -- are we quitters? absolutely not. reporter: it was cameron himself who brought on the brexit referendum commence asking people to decide whether to stay or leave it with it. -- leave with all the uncertainties that go with it. >> it is time for the british people to have our say. this type for us to settle this question of our -- are we britain or europe? reporter: cameron has consistently wooed voters to remain. bowing to restructure the eu's bureaucracy. he has thought to change the terms of the u.k. membership

including lower social benefits for migrants. most importantly he is calling for a higher degree of political autonomy, a key demand of the eurosceptic brexit brigade. >> we do not want to have our country bound up in an ever closer political union in europe. we are a proud and independent nation with proud, independent democratic institutions that has served us well over the centuries. reporter: nigel verizon is brexit's high-profile champion pete he and his supporters are rapidly becoming a force to be reckoned with. but the prime minister's own conservative party is sharply divided on the referendum too. cameron warns it is a dangerous the moment. >> we can certainly survive outside the eu. i think the question is how do we thrive, how do we do best? nine out of 10 economists, the

international monetary fund allstate we believe we would suffer a hit to our economy, into jobs -- a hit to jobs. reporter: cameron has made a huge political gamble. if the u.k. turns its back on europe, it will likely turn its back on the prime minister, too. sarah: we want to drill down now on one of the most hotly contested issues in this referendum. that has been immigration. has written ever experienced such a high level of anti-immigrant sentiment? we put that question to a researcher. >> i think it has happened periodically but we have seen is an increased concern over immigration as a result from migration from eastern europe. this featured a lot more in politics and public debate. that has reached fever pitch with the referendum. if you look at britain, since

the 19th century it has seen wave after wave of immigration and it seems to have dealt with this quite well. what is the difference, why all of a sudden has reached a fever pitch? >> i do not think there is a difference. we have had successive waves of hydration and those migrants have moved in and settle down. when you go out and communities in the u.k., you will find migrants and non-migrants getting on pre-well. but what you hear from politicians is something else, it is a political issue. >> the employers -- they really like these people, they want them to come. it seems we are on two different levels here. >> we are. we hear myths about migrants that they are here to take jobs, some things that contradict themselves. yes, employers dimly do need migrants -- definitely do need migrants.

they recognize the need for migration in the u.k. economy. >> depending on what happens tomorrow, there will be a deep division and this issue is hard. do think it can be healed, can it be boiled down, can the fever be cooled? >> i think it might be cooled but it will not go away. it is a political issue. i think the british public think that migration is not a problem for their area. they see it as a big political issue. that political issue is not going to go away but at the same time i think people are getting on in their own communities, getting along with each other. it is a very positive picture on the ground. sarah: that was earlier in london. we are going to get a quick check of some other news because the verdict has come down on the plagiarism case that the entire music industry has watching. a los angeles court has found that led zeppelin did not steal the opening of their iconic it -- hit " stairway to heaven."

robert latta and jimmy page justified in court that they wrote the song alone and the jury agreed with her claim that similarities were not accurate. we will be back in a minute. do not go away.

♪ sarah: welcome back. polls close own in the united kingdom's eu referendum. the outcome is likely to be tight in a poke that could change european history. prime minister david cameron and his wife cast their votes early. his political future is on the line. he may not survive if britain walks out. time for a check of business news. investors certainly think they know what the result of this referendum might be. daniel winter is in our business desk with more in a story. daniel: they are betting on remain.

it was less -- there is less than a hour to go before polling stations closed and what happens next is in the hands of the public. i support to remain has fluctuated, so has the result of britain's pound. you can seat right at the end hear an update as the sentiment -- uptick as the sentiment towards in has strengthened the ground. bookies are confident of fo in vote. investors seem to be putting their faith and remain as well. reporter: it settled back slightly to close almost 1.25% higher. that is a weekly gain of almost 5% of the biggest since december, 2011. volumes were a third below normal levels. >> ultimately there aren't a lot

of people who would been trying to play the markets in the lead up to today and did not necessarily want to be in for this cute risk event we are seeing. we're seeing quite a lot of hesitancy but that comes on the back of a substantial rally throughout the week. reporter: broader european stocks also rally. -- rallied. it seems like european investors are betting on a remain vote in britain's referendum. >> the stock exchange is counting on britain remaining in the eu. all lights are on green. we clearly -- as soon a big part will be lost tomorrow to the expected result. then we will probably see a route of robert taking. -- round of profit taking. reporter: wall street also open

higher for the fourth straight day on thursday. all three major stock industries recording their biggest percentage gains in a month as british polls showed an apparent swing towards a remain vote. u.s. markets are also being bullied by optimistic comments from janet yellen in which she downplayed the chances of a recession in the u.s. this year. daniel: some say brexit would have a global impact. markets there ended the session on a high. what are traders saying when it comes to brexit? jens: traders are pretty so assured that the brexit will not happen, especially in the close of the markets. people over here were also looking at the bookies and that clearly showed that most people do not expect britain to leave.

what is interesting to see is that especially financial stocks did very well because what would happen if all of a sudden we do see the brexit? it would take quite some time to see a real effect on the economy, we would have some turmoil on the financial markets immediately. because nobody really expected, we had banking spots leading the pack. daniel: i want to talk worst case an era. is the u.s. adult insulated from a brexit fallout? jens: certainly not. if you look at it overall, a lot of people do not really understand the concept of the european union. the u.s. economy does not depend that much on trade, it is more the domestic market that matters. that said, we live in a globalized world for sure that would also have an effect on the u.s. economy, not just trade

wise but look at what might happen to european banks. they look a bit shaky. if the brexit were to happen, who knows what will happen to those institutions. that trouble codes -- could spread all over the globe. for sure, it does matter what happens. daniel: thank you for that. farmers could talk about the eu referendum until the cows come home. especially those in northern island. agricultural -- many farmers rely on subsidies from brussels. if the u.k. crashes out of the union, that lifeline will be cut off. reporter: who is the winner? that is the big question at this agricultural show in northern ireland. they had a hard time deciding, and so do northern ireland's farmers who are struggling with

an even bigger question -- whether or not to stay in the eu. he is especially concerned about a subsidies, specifically the single farm payment he recves directly from brussels. >> they are saying we will be able to -- where is the other ones are saying we cannot. reporter: some familiesre split down the middle or the eu referendum. the father of the family says there is no doubt that the industry relies heavily on subsidies to survive. >> i do not believe the subsidies will be as good if we depended just on britain because i do not think britain -- they do not have the same emphasis on farming. reporter: the border to the republic of ireland is another concern. a brexit would spend -- spell an

end to the market. he feels the outcome of the referendum is not really in northern ireland's ahnds. -- hands. >> they do not understand what it is like along the border. they are far away from what is happening appear. they do not have to worry about scrapping around. they do not have an international border in england. they don't. in northern ireland, they do have an international border. reporter: other farmers are willing to accept custom controls if that is what it takes to cut back on regulations and interference from brussels. >> i believe we will be much better off out of your. >> i'm in favor of brexit because i'm not in favor of people i have not voted for telling me what to do. >> too much red tape since the eu was formed.

far too much red tape. reporter: the question of a brexit as proven highly divisive come and they hope the outcome of the vote will not being troubled waters for northern ireland's farmers. daniel: our business correspondentis on the trading farm -- trading floor in london. good evening. i want to focus on currency. what is the latest? how are traders reacting? >> as we heard earlier, is all looking quite jolly at the moment. the pound has it today a six-month high. they came up again at the very end of the session just very recently. the ftse is up more than 1%. everything looks quite good. markets appeared to be quite confident. but as they told me today, all this has to be taken with a pinch of salt.

the activity in the market was very low, trade volumes were very low, that means that even strong -- small transactions can have a bigger effect on the final rate. we are not there yet and we should not read too much into that good performance of the pound today. daniel: how are bankers preparing for the worst? gerhard: you'll not see many dark windows in the city of london tonight. all the banks have extended their overnight teams to watch what is happening to gauge the first results, be ready to actually be necessary. the bank of england is prepared. they are said to have an overnight watch so that should it come to a leave bowl, they can immediately react tomorrow morning and maybe raise interest rates or make any important

decisions. they have also had three extra rounds of funding to provide cash for the banks in case a leave of vote happens and encased at least to a panic and investors withdrawing their money. no british bank should be running out of cash tomorrow, whatever happens daniel: thank you for tracking that for us. now it is back over to sarah. sarah: we're going to get a quick check of other stories. after happy sentry of violence in colombia, the government of the left-wing farc group has signed a cease-fire. the agreement includes a roadmap to demobilize farc's 7000 fighters. more than 200,000 people have died in the colombian civil war since the 1960's. german police have killed the gunman who killed a -- who took hostages in the small town of viernheim.

he barricaded himself inside the building with hostages. no one knows was hurt in the incident. -- no one else was hurt in the incident. more than 200 democrats are demanding votes on measures that include background checks from gun owners following last week's massacre in orlando, florida. you're watching dw news, i'm sarah kelly. thank you very much for tuning in. we'll see you next time. [captioning performed by the national captioning institute, which is responsible for its caption content and accuracy. visit ncicap.org]

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