The historic referendum on Britain’s EU membership result was going down to the wire as the results were declared.
The Leave campaign has been emboldened by a 61% victory in Sunderland, as well as big victories in several other towns in northern England and Wales.
The value of the pound plummeted after the Sunderland result was announced.
At the half way point of all the declarations in Scotland, every local authority area had backed remain.
The closest count north of the border so far was Moray where Remain won with 24,114 votes to Leave’s 23,992.
Aberdeen voted to remain an EU member by 63,985 to 40,729.
In Glasgow, voters backed Remain by a margin of two to one, with 66.59% in favour of staying in Europe, compared to 33.41% who backed a Brexit.
Prime Minister David Cameron was facing a tense night, with a Leave vote widely expected to spell the end of his premiership.
With no exit polls being conducted by broadcasters, it is likely to be well into the early hours of this morning before a reliable picture emerges of how Britain has voted in what Mr Cameron has described as the most important vote in a lifetime.
And the final result is not expected to be confirmed at the Electoral Commission’s main counting centre in Manchester until breakfast time.
A record number of voters are eligible to take part in the referendum, with the Electoral Commission putting the number at 46,499,537.
Anecdotal evidence from around the country suggests that turn-out has been high in many areas – something widely expected to favour the Remain camp. Fine weather in Scotland heartened Remain campaigners, who are relying on a high turnout north of the border, where voters are thought to be strongly pro-EU.
.@AberdeenCC leader Jenny Liang gives her thoughts on the eve of the Aberdeen results. @pressjournal pic.twitter.com/vnKSAuqeF6
— Kieran Beattie (@KNBeattie) June 23, 2016
But torrential rain and flooding in the South East caused transport disruption which may have prevented some voters from reaching the ballot box in time. Some polling stations were forced to close, and two in Kingston-upon-Thames had to be relocated after becoming inundated.
Leave campaign standard-bearer Boris Johnson had a last-minute dash to vote in north London, due to a delay to his flight from Scotland after attending his daughter’s university graduation ceremony – finally reaching the polling station with less than 25 minutes to spare.
Aberdeen MP @callum_mccaig gives his take on tonight's historic #EUref at the RGU count @pressjournal pic.twitter.com/dTl7RIEFcR
— Kieran Beattie (@KNBeattie) June 23, 2016
Waiting for his plane in Edinburgh, he told reporters that polls had been “very close” but turnout was “good in areas where we need it to be”.
Ukip leader Nigel Farage insisted his side could pull off an historic victory if “soft” Remain voters in the capital stayed home because of the bad weather. Those backing Brexit had the “real conviction and passion” to cast their vote regardless of the conditions, he said.
Prime Minister David Cameron ignored questions as he arrived with wife Samantha to cast their votes at Methodist Hall in Westminster, saying only “Good morning” to the gathered media from across the world.
Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn – who has been accused of campaigning half-heartedly in the Remain cause – said he was “extremely” confident of the outcome, pointing to bookmakers’ odds which have consistently favoured continued EU membership despite fluctuations in the polls.
Pro-Leave Justice Secretary Michael Gove said he was feeling “quite excited“ as he accompanied his wife, Sarah Vine, to a polling station in west London.
The referendum has seen one of the longest, and most personally bitter, campaigns in recent British political memory.
Leave campaigner Douglas Thomson gives his thoughts ahead of the Aberdeen results. @pressjournal pic.twitter.com/SWwJrbE77E
— Kieran Beattie (@KNBeattie) June 23, 2016
Both sides of the campaign have been locked in fierce fighting for months, and things came to a frenetic close on Wednesday as senior politicians criss-crossed across the country to try to sway undecided voters.
The Prime Minister and his Remain colleagues from across the political spectrum have warned of the potentially severe economic consequences of a Brexit vote amid fears of financial market turmoil and another recession.
But Leave campaigners, led by former London mayor Mr Johnson, have urged voters to “take back control” of the country.
Meanwhile, dozens of celebrities have intervened during the course of the campaign to make their feelings known.
Footballer David Beckham, James Bond actor Daniel Craig and Harry Potter author JK Rowling were just three of the high-profile names to back the Remain campaign, while Leave won support from the likes of comedian John Cleese, former cricketer Sir Ian Botham and former England football player Sol Campbell.
