SCOTLAND SAYS NO! But clear poll result triggers a constitutional earthquake as Cameron opens door to devolution for the ENGLISH

September 19th, 2014 Royaltygist Foreign, News 0 comments 2

FINAL RESULT: With all 32 council areas in Scotland declared, No secured 55% of the vote with Yes achieving 45%
Total turnout was 84.5% topping 90% in pro-Union areas but dipping to the mid-70s in key Yes working-class areas
Salmond takes to the skies after pulling the plug on a planned appearance at his local count in Aberdeenshire
Clackmannanshire – rated most likely to vote Yes by Credit Suisse – rejected independence in first result of the night
Yes wins in Dundee, Glasgow, North Lanarkshire and West Dunbartonshire, but fell short by 384,935 votes
Allegations of 10 electoral fraud cases in Glasgow as voters ‘turn up to polling station to find they had already voted’
Thousands of Yes campaigners in Glasgow’s George Square wave Saltires and burn flares – but some arrested
David Cameron addressed the nation this morning vowing to introduce ‘English votes for English laws’
The Queen is following events ‘closely’ and will make a statement today in response to the public’s decision
A former St Helens councillor was charged with assault as she campaigned against Scottish independence in Glasgow
Tennis champion Andy Murray rows back from pro-independence tweet, insisting he will still play for Team GB

Alex Salmond today admitted defeat in his battle for Scottish independence, as almost two million people voted to remain in the United Kingdom.

On the worst day of his political life, the First Minister tried to put a brave face on the electorate’s crushing verdict, claiming that it showed only that a majority had decided ‘at this stage’ not to become an independent country.

But with all councils declared, No secured 55 per cent of the vote, a 10-point lead which will trigger speculation about whether Mr Salmond can survive as leader of the Scottish Nationalists.

David Cameron also celebrated the result, and in a dramatic move announced plans to use the offer of more powers to Scotland to introduce ‘English votes for English laws’, strengthening the Tory party’s grip on Westminster.

The pound rose sharply and the FTSE 100 Index is expected to follow suit in a relief rally for markets after Scotland’s rejection of independence.

The Queen has been ‘closely’ monitoring the outcome of the vote, and is expected to issue a public statement welcoming the survival of the 307-year Union later today.

Scroll down for live results map and videos

First Minister Alex Salmond was today forced to admit defeat in his battle for Scottish independence, as 55 per cent of people voted to remain part of the United Kingdom

Speaking outside Downing Street this morning Mr Cameron said Scotland had had its say and it was now time to listen to the ‘millions of voices of England’.

He said it was ‘crucial’ to give England the same powers over tax, spending and welfare as Scotland.

He pledged to make this happen at the same time as devolving powers to Scotland, following his last minute pledge for further devolution during the referendum campaign.

Mr Cameron said: ‘The people of Scotland have spoken. It is a clear result. They have kept our country of four nations together. Like millions of other people, I am delighted.’

He said it was now time for the United Kingdom ‘to come together and to move forward’.

Mr Cameron said: ‘A vital part of that will be a balanced settlement – fair to people in Scotland and importantly to everyone in England, Wales and Northern Ireland as well.’

He added: ‘It is absolutely right that a new and fair settlement for Scotland should be accompanied by a new and fair settlement that applies to all parts of our United Kingdom.

‘We have heard the voice of Scotland – and now the millions of voices of England must also be heard.

‘The question of English votes for English laws – the so-called West Lothian question –requires a decisive answer.

‘So, just as Scotland will vote separately in the Scottish Parliament on their issues of tax, spending and welfare so too England, as well as Wales and Northern Ireland, should be able to vote on these issues and all this must take place in tandem with, and at the same pace as, the settlement for Scotland.’

Scottish separatists were roundly defeated in one of the most extraordinary political battles in British history.

No racked up 2,001,924 with Yes on 1,616,989. It marks a remarkable come back for the Better Together campaign, which was rocked by an opinion poll 10 days ago putting the Yes campaign ahead.

Total turnout was 84.5 per cent – topping 90 per cent in pro-Union areas, but in the key working-class areas where Yes needed big wins, turnout dropped to the mid-70s.

In the early hours, Mr Salmond shunned the cameras to board a private jet from Aberdeen to Edinburgh, contemplating the comprehensive failure of his efforts to destroy the 307-year-old Union.

But in a message posted on Twitter he praised the city of Glasgow, one of the few places to vote in favour of independence, and ‘the people of Scotland for such a incredible support’.

He hoped to triumph in one of the most extraordinary political battles in British history, but the determination of the people of Scotland means the United Kingdom remains in tact, and Mr Salmond faces the grim prospect of being forced out of office.

But if he does plan to fall on his sword, he gave no hint of it during his statement at the Our Dynamic Earth centre in Edinburgh.

Suggesting he thought the issue of Scottish independence could be resurrected, he said: ‘It is important to say that our referendum was an agreed and consented process and Scotland has by a majority decided not at this stage to become an independent country.

‘I accept that verdict of the people and I call on all of Scotland to follow suit in accepting the democratic verdict of the people of Scotland.’

Turnout has topped 90 per cent in pro-Union areas, but in the key working-class areas where Yes needed big wins, turnout dropped to the mid-70s.

Mr Cameron will seek to exploit the result with an early morning television address today, holding out the prospect of Scottish MPs being excluded from voting on English affairs.

A large crowd of Yes supporters gathered in George Square in Glasgow as the polls closed, waving Saltires and burning flares.

But as the result pointed to a No vote, the carnival atmosphere subsided, many drifted home, with the police apprehending a few involved in scuffles.