Scotland has voted to remain in the United Kingdom after its people rejected a referendum seeking to grant her autonomous status.
With 30 out of the country’s 32 council areas having declared after Thursday’s vote, the “No” side has an unassailable lead of 1,877,252 votes to 1,512,688.
The winning total needed was 1,852,828. Nationally, the margin of victory is about 55% to 45%.
The vote is the culmination of a two-year campaign. Talks will now begin on devolving more powers to Scotland.
This margin of victory is some three points greater than that anticipated by the final opinion polls.
Glasgow, Scotland’s largest council area and the third largest city in Britain, voted in favour of independence by 194,779 to 169,347, with Dundee, West Dunbartonshire and North Lanarkshire also voting “Yes”.
But Edinburgh, the nation’s capital, rejected independence by 194,638 to 123,927, while Aberdeen City voted “No” by a margin of more than 20,000 votes. There have also been big wins for the pro-UK campaign in many other areas.
Scottish First Minister Alex Salmond, who led the pro-independence “Yes” campaign, is expected to make a statement from his official residence at Bute House in Edinburgh at 10:00 BST (11:00 GMT).
In his first public comment since the results started coming in, Mr Salmond tweeted: “Well done to Glasgow, our Commonwealth city, and to the people of Scotland for such incredible support.”
His deputy, Nicola Sturgeon, conceded defeat with a handful of results still to be declared, saying there was a “real sense of disappointment that we have fallen narrowly short of securing a ‘Yes’ vote”.
She told the BBC the projected result was “a deep personal and political disappointment” but said “the country has been changed forever”.
Ms Sturgeon said she would work with “anyone in any way” to secure more powers for Scotland.
Prime Minister David Cameron said: “I’ve spoken to Alistair Darling (head of the pro-UK Better Together campaign) – and congratulated him on a well-fought campaign.”
Mr Cameron is expected to respond to Scotland’s decision in a live televised address following the final result.
BBC
