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Nigel Farage: Whatever happens, we'll win the war over EU | |
(35 minutes later) | |
Nigel Farage has said even if the Leave campaign loses the referendum "we will win this war". | |
The UKIP leader said Eurosceptics had been dismissed as "fringey" and "fruitcakes" in the past but would attract around 50% of votes cast. | |
While Remain might "edge" a win, he said: "The Eurosceptic genie is out of the bottle and will not be put back". | |
Of the EU, he said: "If we do stay part of this union it's doomed - it's finished anyway." | |
The UK voted on Thursday in a referendum on to leave or remain part of the European Union. | |
'Hope and pray' | |
But Mr Farage, who has built his political career on campaigning for the UK to leave the EU, told the Press Association Remain would "edge it", a view which he said was based on some "big polling" done by "the financial markets". | |
He said whoever won, "now it looks like maybe just under half maybe just over half of the country is going to vote for us to leave the EU". | |
He added: "Win or lose this battle, we will win this war." | |
Speaking at a Leave.EU party in central London, he suggested that a late decision to extend to the voter registration deadline by 48 hours - after a computer glitch left some people unable to sign up in the final two hours before the original deadline - might play a part in the result. | |
It later emerged that more than 430,000 people applied to register to vote during the extension - the bulk of which were aged under 45. | It later emerged that more than 430,000 people applied to register to vote during the extension - the bulk of which were aged under 45. |
Party's MP disagrees | |
Mr Farage said: "I hope and pray that my sense of this tonight is wrong and my sense of this ... and no I'm not conceding ... is that the government's registration scheme, getting two million voters on, the 48-hour extension, may be what tips the balance. | |
"I hope I'm wrong. I hope I'm made a fool of .. but either way whether I'm right or wrong, if we do stay part of this union it's doomed - it's finished anyway." | |
Speaking to BBC News about Mr Farage's comments, UKIP's sole MP Douglas Carswell appeared to disagree with his party leader. | |
He said the Leave campaign could "legitimately complain about taxpayer-funded propaganda" by the pro-Remain government but "when it comes to getting people to engage in a referendum, surely that's a good thing". | He said the Leave campaign could "legitimately complain about taxpayer-funded propaganda" by the pro-Remain government but "when it comes to getting people to engage in a referendum, surely that's a good thing". |
Conservative Energy Secretary Amber Rudd, a Remain campaigner, dismissed Mr Farage's suggestion as "ridiculous" while former Lib Dem leader Lord Ashdown said Mr Farage was determined "not to accept the sovereign voice of the British people". | Conservative Energy Secretary Amber Rudd, a Remain campaigner, dismissed Mr Farage's suggestion as "ridiculous" while former Lib Dem leader Lord Ashdown said Mr Farage was determined "not to accept the sovereign voice of the British people". |