EU officials are 'expecting' a Brexit

European Union officials are expecting a Brexit despite Brussels bending the rules to try and keep the UK happy, according a high-level source cited by The Telegraph.

The newspaper report says that "one senior EU diplomat who operates at the highest level of European institutions," told it that officials in Brussels are gathering to discuss the high likelihood that Britain will leave the 28-nation bloc.

As a result, EU president Jean-Claude Juncker is allegedly "making daily calls" to all of the European capitals to discuss contingency plans in case of a Brexit.

Here are the key quotes (emphasis ours):

"We have had referendums in Denmark, there is one in Italy in October, all of these are existential crises and concern key issues. This is nothing new. The UK referendum is one of many."

"We wish and pray that it goes well, and that Britain stays, but we are expecting the worst. The likelihood is that things will go wrong, rather than go well. Life will have to go on afterwards."

"Everyone tells us we have given Britain too much, bent the rules too far, they ask us 'how can you still look at yourself in the mirror'; there is an opt-out for ever closer union and a migration benefits brake."

"Ask any lawyer, what we gave Britain was outside the treaties, it's illegal but we did it to help Britain. Britain got a lot and many others hold a grudge for that; we were more than generous."

You can read the Telegraph's full report here.

Britons decide whether the UK should leave or remain in the EU on June 23.

The vast majority of Business Insider readers based in the United Kingdom believe that Britain should vote to leave. Out of 7,018 UK-based people polled, 4,691 said that Britain ought to leave the 28-nation bloc. This is approximately 67%.

Meanwhile, other independent polls show that the momentum behind Leave support is gathering. On Monday, several opinion polls were published that all confirmed Remain's worst nightmare: There is a large probability of a so-called Brexit.

An ICM poll conducted both over the phone and online indicated a six-point lead for Leave (53% to 47%), while YouGov published an online poll of its own that gave Leave a commanding seven-point margin (46% to 39%).