Shropshire Star

Scotland votes No to independence

Scotland has voted to stay in the United Kingdom with the No campaign polling 55.3% of the votes and Yes on 44.7%.

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Despite winning a majority of votes in some areas - including the nation's largest city Glasgow - the Yes campaign failed to secure enough support to win the historic referendum.

There were 2,001,926 votes for the No campaign and 1,617,989 votes for Yes, a majority of 383,937.

Shortly after 6.15am Scotland's First Minister Alex Salmond told Yes supporters in Edinburgh: "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."

He called on the main unionist parties to make good on their promises of greater powers being devolved to the Scottish Parliament.

Mr Salmond thanked 1.6 million Scottish voters for voting for independence and said Scotland "shall go forward as one nation".

Speaking outside Downing Street shortly after 7am, Prime Minister David Cameron said: "The people of Scotland have spoken and it is a clear result. They have kept our country of four nations together and like millions of other people I am delighted.

"It was right that we respected the SNP's majority in Holyrood and gave the Scottish people the right to have their say,

"It is time for our United Kingdom to come together and move forward."

Mr Cameron credited both sides of the debate for a "hard fought campaign" and he pledged: "We have delivered on devolution and we will do so in the next parliament. We will ensure that those commitments are honoured in full."

The Queen was also expected to make a statement about the referendum result later today.

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The Prime Minister said that Lord Smith of Kelvin, chairman of the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games, would oversee the process of further devolution and that draft laws on new powers for Scotland would be published by January.

No supporters react to results in the Scottish independence referendum at The Marriott Hotel in Glasgow

Telford MP David Wright says the 'no' vote has opened up a lot of challenges for England.

He said: "We have got to have a debate on England about how devolution impacts on us.

"The 'no' vote opens up a lot of challenges in terms of how we govern England; we either have to change the decision making so that English MPs have a greater say on matters which only impact their constituents or we have to devolve power out to the regions and cities in England.

"Or we could do both. I am very keen to know what people in Telford think.

"The union between England and Scotland has been preserved and I am delighted about that.

"The whole process is that we have to look at the settlement between the countries in the UK.

"The thing is Scotland has been debating this for two years and in England is only just beginning so it may take some time."

Wrekin MP Mark Pritchard said: "I'm delighted about the result and the wider margin than some had predicted.

"I do not think there should be a rush to devolution in other part of the UK

"It needs to be a calm, measured and deliberative process with wide consultation.

"We need to have policies that bring the UK together and not repeat the same mistakes. "

Owen Paterson, MP for North Shropshire, said: "I welcome the clear referendum result, but the chaotic manner in which the no vote was won has undermined the strong and resilient UK on which we all depend.

"It is unacceptable that in the late stages of the campaign an ex-Labour leader was allowed to make rash promises of 'extensive new powers' to the Scottish people with the endorsement of all three UK party leaders, but with no mandate from Parliament.

"It is unfair that Scottish politicians will continue to vote on taxes raised from the English, while voting special tax raising powers to Scotland alone.

"Maintaining the Barnett formula, under which the Scottish receive £1,600 per head more than the English and expecting English taxpayers, who are struggling to make ends meet, to keep footing the bill is unjust.

"Such a lopsided constitutional settlement cannot last; it is already causing real anger across England.

"If not resolved fairly for all the constituent parts of the UK for the long term, it will fall apart.

"The normal autumn routine of party political conferences is not sacrosanct.

"The Prime Minister's promise of English votes for English laws is welcome and Parliament should be recalled next week to discuss this and a wider constitutional settlement."

Ludlow MP Philip Dunne said: "I am delighted that voters in Scotland have decided to stay with us in the United Kingdom.

"This has been a clear and decisive result with over two million voting to keep the Union on a huge turnout.

"Those living in Scotland have had a mammoth debate over the past eighteen months, keenly contested by both sides.

"The outcome now settles the issue that Scotland remains an integral part of the United Kingdom, which is good news for us all.

"I also welcome this morning's announcement by the Prime Minister of a new constitutional settlement to rebalance powers amongst all nations within the United Kingdom.

"He has appointed William Hague to chair a Constitutional Committee to draw up plans on the same timetable as further devolution for Scotland, to empower English MPs to vote on matters affecting England only.

"This is very good news for Shropshire, where many people have complained of the inherent unfairness to England of the devolution settlement created by Labour."

Glyn Davies, MP for Montgomeryshire, said: "I'm very, very pleased about the 'no' vote. I think it was more decisive than all the commentators had expected.

"It's very good news for the UK and I think we've to be very careful now that there's no knee-jerk reaction.

"It actually means nothing for Wales, but it adds to my argument that the Welsh government should be responsible for their own financial accountability. It must be accountable for income tax. That really is the only big change I think.

"I'm opposed to an English parliament because I think that would be devastating for Wales. "For Montgomery, working closely with Westminster is crucial. A lot of our services are delivered in England - hospitals being the most obvious example - and the idea of separating us from these services would be terrible."

Meanwhile, First Minister of Wales Carwyn Jones said Walescould not play second fiddle.

Mr Jones said the union must be rebuilt and called for the "underfunding of Wales by £300 million a year" to be addressed by the UK government.

Prime Minister David Cameron said Wales must have more say in its own affairs.

"He needs to get us all around the table," said Mr Jones at a press conference this morning.

"It's time for our constitution to be put on a coherent footing, no more tinkering at the edges year after year.

"The UK has suffered a serious injury and a sticking plaster will not do.

"Sudden declarations of English votes for English laws is an example of that sticking plaster. "The old union is dead. It's time for a new union."

He added: "We need to start these talks now. The establishment nearly lost the union The people of these nations must now rebuild it".

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