SCOTLAND REJECT INDEPENDENCE

Scottish voters have rejected independence, deciding to remain part of the United Kingdom after a historic referendum that shook the country to its core. The decision prevented a rupture of a 307-year union with England, bringing a huge sigh of relief to the British political establishment. Scots voted 55 per cent to 45 per cent against independence in a vote that saw an unprecedented turnout.

A majority of voters did not embrace Scottish First Minister Alex Salmond's impassioned plea to launch a new state, choosing instead the security offered by remaining in the United Kingdom. 

"We have chosen unity over division," Alistair Darling, head of the No campaign, said early on Friday in Glasgow. "Today is a momentous day for Scotland and the United Kingdom as a whole."

• Salmond conceded defeat, saying "we know it is a majority for the No campaign," and called on Scots to accept the results of the vote. "This has been a triumph for the democratic process and for participation in politics," he said, insisting that London-based politicians were now expected to honor their promises of giving more powers to Scotland.
• The No campaign won the capital city, Edinburgh, by a margin of 61 per cent to 38 per cent and triumphed by 59 per cent to 41 per cent in Salmond's home city of Aberdeen. The Yes campaign won Glasgow, Scotland's biggest city, but it was not enough.
• Salmond had argued that Scots could go it alone because of its extensive oil reserves and high levels of ingenuity and education. He said Scotland would flourish on its own, free of interference from any London-based government.

Many saw it as a "heads versus hearts" campaign, with cautious older Scots concluding that independence would be too risky financially, while younger ones were enamored with the idea of building their own country.

The result saves British Prime Minister David Cameron from a historic defeat and also helps opposition chief Ed Miliband by keeping his many Labour Party lawmakers in Scotland in place. 

His party would have found it harder to win a national election in 2015 without that support from Scotland.

Source: AP