'History in the making' as Swindon's MPs cast their votes in the EU referendum

Arriving at Ellendune Community Centre, South Swindon MP Robert Buckland said: “It’s a big day for everybody and there should be a very high turnout.

“I voted in Parliament to make sure this referendum happened because I thought people should have a say in the future of the country and I’m proud to be taking part in this process today.”

Mr Buckland plans to head down to the Oasis centre for the count later today.

He added: “There has been a lot of interest in this referendum and a steady flow of people have already been reported at polling stations. It’ll be very interesting to see the final result and how people have voted right across our town.”

Meanwhile, over at The Tawny Owl pub in Taw Hill, North Swindon MP Justin Tomlinson was marking his ballot paper.

Mr Tomlinson has not been actively involved in campaigning for either side on the referendum but he has written in his columns for The Adver that his gut instinct has always been to vote Leave.

As he left the polling station this morning, he said: “I’ve voted Leave. This is genuinely history in the making, it’s a once in a lifetime opportunity and it’s vital that residents of all persuasions take the time to come and vote because tomorrow we will wake up and whatever way people have voted is what’s going to happen.

“This isn’t temporary, people need to come and cast their vote.”

Asked what he thought the likely result would be in Swindon and the rest of the UK, Mr Tomlinson said it was difficult to make a definite prediction either way.

“I don’t think anybody can call this,” he said. “Even yesterday, everybody I was talking to would say they had really strong feelings one way or another but they’d still be thinking about it when they went to the polling station.”

Polling stations right across Swindon are open until 10pm tonight and the town’s results are expected to be announced sometime between 1am and 2am.