LONDON — The United Kingdom voted to leave the European Union, according to a BBC forecast based on a partial count of results Friday.
The margin of victory was 52% to 48%.
It is the first departure from the alliance since the EU was formed 43 years ago. It could prompt other member nations to follow the U.K.'s lead and reverse a decades-long drive for European unity.
The outcome sent global markets into a tailspin. It will have far-reaching political implications for the future of the 28-nation bloc as well as the political future of Prime Minister David Cameron.
Nigel Farage, leader of the U.K. Independence Party said that "dawn was breaking on an independent U.K." He is not an official member of the "leave" campaign, but supports an exit from the EU.
The British pound fell to a 31-year low as the "leave" camp appeared on course to win the historic referendum. Dow futures plummeted more than 500 points. Tokyo's Nikkei index fell 8%. London's FTSE index was due to open 7% lower amid a flight to safety.
The British currency initially soared to a 2016 peak of $1.50 amid signs that "remain" was winning the day, but then moved lower with losses accelerating. It fell from $1.50 to below $1.35 as results suggested a strong possibility the U.K. would vote to quit the bloc.
The four-month campaign has been acrimonious. Backers argued that severing ties with the EU is the only way to reduce a flood of migrants and protect the U.K.'s independence from burdensome EU regulation.
Supporters of remaining in the EU, led by Prime Minister David Cameron, said jobs, the economy, national security and the U.K.'s standing on the world stage would be compromised outside the alliance.
