Britain went to the polls on Thursday to decide the future of Brexit in a snap pre-Christmas election aimed at ending years of political deadlock and bitter divisions over the country’s European Union membership. A windmill, a few pubs and a chip shop have all been hastily turned into polling stations across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland for what is widely seen as Britain’s most important vote in a generation, and its third in less than five years. Johnson, who has said the result is on a “knife edge”, was the first party leader to vote in person, arriving at a central London polling station with his Jack Russell dog, Dilyn.