EDINBURGH
Britain's prime minister has said he is “delighted” with the results of the Scottish referendum, after 54.7 percent of the Scottish electorate voted to stay in the United Kingdom.
“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,” David Cameron said, speaking from Downing Street soon after results were announced Friday morning.
“It is time for our United Kingdom to come together and move forward... There can be no disputes, no re-runs, we have heard the settled will of the Scottish people.”
He said that Scotland had voted for a stronger Scottish parliament, backed by the strength and security of the United Kingdom.
"I want to congratulate the 'No' campaign for that, for showing people that our nations really are Better Together."
In his response to a result that just under two weeks ago looked like it might be going the other way, he paid tribute to "Yes Scotland" for a well-fought campaign.
"And to say to all those who did vote for independence 'we hear you'," he added.
A YouGov poll September 7 put the "Yes" camp on 51 percent and the unionists on 49, causing panic in Westminster - the heart of British politics - and sending policians scrambling north, promising Scots more control over their country if they were to turn their back on independence.
Cameron said Friday that he was appointing Lord Smith of Kelvin, chairman of the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games, to oversee the process of further devolution, adding that draft laws would be published by January 2015.
The question had been “Settled for a generation or, as Alex Salmond said, perhaps a lifetime,” he added.
Asked in an interview last week if he could pledge not to bring back another referendum if the "Yes" campaign did not win Thursday, Scotland's First Minister Alex Salmond told the BBC: "That's my view. My view is this is a once in a generation, perhaps even a once in a lifetime, opportunity for Scotland."
Earlier, Salmond had accepted defeat in an address to supporters in Edinburgh, calling "on all of Scotland to follow suit accepting the democratic verdict of the people of Scotland.”
The “No” campaign won 54.7 percent of the vote to the 45.3 percent of the “Yes” campaign, “No” votes standing at 2,001,926 to 1,617,989 for the independence campaign.
With 4,285,323 people registered to vote - 97 percent of the electorate - turnout stood at 84 percent, a record high in Scotland.
The referendum had threatened a union that has lasted for 307 years.
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