Cameron and Salmond clash as Scotland count concludes

Scotland is to remain under London rule after voters rejected Thursday’s independence referendum by 55 per cent to 45 per cent.

With all of the 32 constituencies now declared, the Yes side has 1,617,989 votes and the No side 2,001,926. No wins by 55.3% to 44.7% Turnout was close to 90 per cent in some areas.

Speaking as counting was concluding this morning, British prime minister David Cameron warned pro-independence campaigners to cease their activity and claimed the Scottish independence debate had been “settled for a generation”.

He claimed there would be “no re-runs, no disputes” and now was time “for our United Kingdom to come together and to move forward”.

Speaking on the steps of Downing Street, Mr Cameron said promises of Scottish Home Rule made late in the campaign would be kept, but did not say when. Those promises appeared to have a sharp effect on the final outcome, with the ‘Yes’ campaign falling away from an overall majority in the final days.

The strength of the ‘Yes’ campaign had forced the British establishment into a ‘carrot and stick’ approach to Scottish voters, with promises of devolution issued alongside warnings of harsh economic measures against an independent Scotland.

Cameron spoke of complicated legislation and a need for “fairness” for the English, the Welsh and the Northern Irish.

The result was confirmed shortly before 7am when the head of the No campaign, Alistair Darling, said “the silent had spoken”.

An hour earlier, Scottish Nationalist Party leader Alex Salmond appeared on a stage in Edinburgh amid international acclaim for his efforts in advancing Scotland’s cause. He indicated he would continue to campaign for independence. and hinted the Edinburgh assembly might seek another referendum in the years ahead.

He also insisted that the pledges of greater self-government be delivered by the Westminster parliament within months.

“Scotland will expect these to be honoured in rapid course - as a reminder, we have been promised a second reading of a Scotland Bill by March 27th next year,” he said.

“Not just the 1.6 million Scots who voted for independence will demand that timetable is followed but all Scots who participated in this referendum will demand that timetable is followed,” he said.

“Whatever else we can say about this referendum campaign, we have touched sections of the community who have never before been touched by politics, these sections of the community have touched us and touched the political process.

“I don’t think that will ever be allowed to go back to business as usual in politics again.”

In a rallying call, Mr Salmond urged the ‘Yes’ voters to reflect on how far they had come.

“I don’t think any of us, whenever we entered politics, would have thought such a thing to be either credible or possible,” he said.

“Today of all days as we bring Scotland together, let us not dwell on the distance we have fallen short, let us dwell on the distance we have travelled and have confidence the movement is abroad in Scotland that will take this nation forward and we shall go forward as one nation.”

The following is the full count result:

   
   
Council             Electorate  Yes     No


Aberdeen City       175,745     41.39%  58.61%
Aberdeenshire       206,486     39.64%  60.36%
Angus                93,551     43.68%  56.32%
Argyll & Bute        72,002     41.48%  58.52%
Clackmannanshire     39,972     46.20%  53.80%
C. nan Eilean Siar   22,908     46.58%  53.42%
Dumfries/Galloway   122,036     34.33%  65.67%
Dundee City         118,729     57.35%  42.65%
East Ayrshire        99,664     47.22%  52.78%
E. Dunbartonshire    86,836     38.80%  61.20%
East Lothian         81,945     38.28%  61.72%
East Renfrewshire    72,981     36.81%  63.19%
Edinburgh           378,012     38.90%  61.10%
Falkirk             122,457     46.53%  53.47%
Fife                302,165     44.95%  55.05%
Glasgow             486,219     53.49%  46.51%
Highland            190,778     47.08%  52.92%
Inverclyde           62,481     49.92%  50.08%
Midlothian           69,617     43.70%  56.30%
Moray                75,170     42.44%  57.56%
North Ayrshire      113,923     48.99%  51.01%
North Lanarkshire   268,704     51.07%  48.93%
Orkney Islands       17,806     32.80%  67.20%
Perth & Kinross     120,015     39.81%  60.19%
Renfrewshire        134,735     47.19%  52.81%
Scottish Borders     95,533     33.44%  66.56%
Shetland Islands     18,516     36.29%  63.71%
South Ayrshire       94,881     42.13%  57.87%
South Lanarkshire   261,157     45.33%  54.67%
Stirling             69,033     40.23%  59.77%
W. Dunbartonshire    71,109     53.96%  46.04%
West Lothian        138,226     44.82%  55.18%

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