In a historic referendum watched closely by the world, voters in Scotland rejected independence from the United Kingdom, choosing instead to stay in a union that they have been part of since 1707.
To the question “Should Scotland be an independent country?”, 55.4 per cent of voters voted “no”. The referendum saw an unprecedented numbers of voters, including 16- and 17-year-olds for the first time, and Commonwealth, and EU citizens resident in Scotland. Over 84 per cent of eligible voters cast their vote in over 2,600 polling booths across the country, signifying the extent to which the issue had struck a chord with the public.
In the 2011 Scottish parliamentary elections turnout had been just 50.4 per cent. Among the regions that voted pro-independence were the cities of Glasgow and Dundee while nearly two-thirds of Edinburgh’s voters chose to remain in the UK.
The 45 per cent vote in favour of independence represents a significant gain for the Yes campaign in recent months. A year ago just 32 per cent of Scotland’s residents supported independence but a strong push by the various members of the Yes campaign, including the ruling Scottish Nationalist Party, the Scottish Green Party, and the Scottish Socialist Party as well as the Radical Independence Campaign, managed to mobilise support, particularly among young voters disillusioned with Westminster politics, and those in deprived communities across the country.
The Yes campaign also successfully managed to avoid alienating minority communities, with polls by the country’s largest Asian radio station ahead of the referendum suggesting that a majority of its listeners would vote “yes.”
As the results became clear in the early hours of Friday morning, Alex Salmond, the First Minister of Scotland, in his concession speech said that the 1.6 million “yes” votes represented a substantial vote for independence. “I accept the verdict of the people and I call on all of Scotland to follow suit.”
Cameron relieved The result will come as a relief to the British establishment, which has, in recent weeks, been increasingly concerned by the gains made by the Yes campaign, despite attempts by Westminster to portray the Yes campaign as lacking a credible fiscal and economic roadmap for the country.