Scotland has voted to remain as part of the United Kingdom, after 1,914,187 voters said ‘No’, beating the 1,539,920 people who voted ‘Yes’ to independence, in a referendum which began on Thursday morning.Scotland’s First Minister Alex Salmond, who accepted the result, called for unity and the unionist parties to deliver on their pledge of more powers.People in Scotland began voting on Thursday in a referendum on whether the country should become independent or stay part of the United Kingdom.
Voters turned up at polling stations in schools and halls as soon they opened at 0600 GMT, to decide the fate of a 307-year-old union.Following the announcement of the results, Salmond said the referendum and the high turnout had been a “triumph for the democratic process” and promised to keep his pledge in the Edinburgh Agreement which paved the way for the referendum to respect the result and work for the benefit of Scotland and the United Kingdom.
“The unionist parties made vows late in the campaign to devolve more powers to Scotland,” he told supporters, adding that “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 27 next year.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.”
In response, UK Prime Minister said in a tweet, Friday morning, that “Just as Scotland will have more power over their affairs, it follows England, Wales and N Ireland must have a bigger say over theirs”.
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