UK PM Johnson heads for victory but poll race tightens
Britain's election race has tightened in the last stretch, according to a top pollster.
Meaning Brexiteering Prime Minister Boris Johnson cannot be sure Thursday's (December 12) vote will deliver a clear victory.
YouGov predicted a Conservative majority of 28 seats, slashing it by more than half compared to two weeks ago.
But possible outcomes still ranged from a Conservative landslide victory to a hung parliament, as party leaders pounded the campaign trail on the last day.
Brexit hangs in the balance.
If Johnson wins, he'll take Britain out of the European Union as soon as the end of January.
His main challenger, opposition Labour's Jeremy Corbyn, promises a new referendum on Brexit and a raft of left-wing policies.
(SOUNDBITE) (English) BRITAIN'S LABOUR PARTY LEADER, JEREMY CORBYN, SAYING:
"I have come here with a message of hope..."
Johnson bulldozed home his 'Get Brexit Done' slogan this week -- there's little subtlety but it resonates with Leave supporters sick of delay.
"Oven-ready" has been another favorite metaphor.
(SOUNDBITE) (English) BRITISH PRIME MINISTER, BORIS JOHNSON, SAYING:
"This is the oven-ready pie. This is the get Brexit done. This is the perfect metaphor for what we're going to do in the run up to Christmas if we can get a working majority."
Sterling fell sharply after the latest forecasts, dropping by more than half a cent against the dollar after hitting a seven-month high earlier in the day.
Skepticism about polling accuracy runs deep in Britain -- as elsewhere -- after a string of failures.
But YouGov is Britain's most-watched survey because it was the only one to accurately call the last election two years ago.
