Investing.com - The pound was trading close to seven-year lows against the dollar on Thursday as worries over a possible British exit from the European Union weighed, while the yen remained steady despite fresh falls in oil prices.
GBP/USD was last at 1.3939 after falling 3.2% so far this week amid uncertainty over the outcome of the looming referendum on Britain’s EU membership.
The pair it lows of 1.3877 on Wednesday, the weakest level since March 2009.
Several senior members of Prime Minister David Cameron’s Conservative party, including London Mayor Boris Johnson, have said they will be backing the campaign to leave the EU, in a blow to his plans to remain in the bloc.
Sterling held near a 14-month low against the euro, with EUR/GBP at 0.7914.
The pound was also steady against the yen, with GBP/JPY at 156.08 after falling to a low of 154.7 on Wednesday, the lowest since October 2013.
Elsewhere, the safe haven yen was little changed against the dollar, with USD/JPY at 112.17.
Oil prices slid lower on Thursday after U.S. data showing stockpiles at another record high, but held above Wednesday’s lows, curbing demand for safe haven assets.
The euro was holding above Wednesday’s three-year lows against the yen, with EUR/JPY at 123.48.
The single currency was also little changed against the dollar, with EUR/USD at 1.1008, not far from the three-week trough of 1.0956 set on Wednesday.
In recent sessions the euro has come under pressure amid concerns over the impact of a Brexit on the euro area economy.
The U.S. dollar index, which measures the greenback’s strength against a trade-weighted basket of six major currencies, was steady at 97.58.