Scottish independence referendum: Scotland votes no - as it happened
This article is more than 9 years old
Rolling coverage of the results of the Scottish independence referendum, with reaction and analysis as Scotland pulls back from leaving the United Kingdom
Some instant analysis from Guardian columnist and leader writer Martin Kettle:
Like the battle of Waterloo, the battle for Scotland was a damn close-run thing. The effects of the no vote are enormous — though not as massive as the consequences of a yes would have been. The vote against independence means, above all, that the 307-year Union survives. It therefore means that the UK remains a G7 economic power and a member of the UN security council. It means Scotland will get more devolution. It means David Cameron will not be forced out. It means any Ed Miliband-led government elected next May has the chance to serve a full term not find itself without a majority in 2016 when the Scots would have left. It means the pollsters got it right, Madrid will sleep a little more easily, and it means the banks will open this morning as usual.
For Scots, the no vote means relief for some, despair for others, both on the grand scale. For those who dreamed that a yes vote would take Scots on a journey to a land of milk, oil and honey, the mood this morning will be grim. Something that thousands of Scots wanted to be wonderful or merely just to witness has disappeared. The anti-climax will be cruel and crushing. For others, the majority, there will be thankfulness above all, but uneasiness too. Yesterday’s vote exposed a Scotland divided down the middle against itself. Healing that hurt will not be easy or quick. It’s time to put away all flags.
The immediate political question now suddenly moves to London. Gordon Brown promised last week that work will start today on drawing up the terms of a new devolution settlement. That may be a promise too far after the red-eyed adrenalin-pumping exhaustion of the past few days. But the deal needs to be on the table by the end of next month. It will not be easy to reconcile all the interests — Scots, English, Welsh, Northern Irish and local. But it is an epochal opportunity. The plan, like the banks, is too big to fail.
Alex Salmond and the SNP are not going anywhere. They will still govern Scotland until 2016. There will be speculation about Salmond’s position and the SNP will need to decide whether to run in 2016 on a second referendum pledge. More immediately, the SNP will have to decide whether to go all-out win to more Westminster seats in the 2015 general election, in order to hold the next government’s feet to the fire over the promised devo-max settlement. Independence campaigners will feel gutted this morning. But they came within a whisker of ending the United Kingdom yesterday. One day, perhaps soon, they will surely be back.
This is what Nicola Sturgeon, Scotland’s deputy first minister, told STV about the result.
I think there are very, very strong messages for the political class in Scotland and messages we need to heed.
This campaign has been a joy to be part of, it’s quite unlike anything I’ve ever been part of in my life before.
If there is not a Yes vote tonight, I am deeply disappointed. As have thousands and thousands of others, I have given my heart and soul to this campaign but what has been amazing are the number of people who have never been involved in politics before, who have never campaigned as part of a political movement before, who have got involved.
We must harness that, we must build on that. It’s one aspect that leads me to say this country will never be the same.
I’m disappointed if we don’t come out of this evening with a Yes vote, I’m not trying to spin my way out of that ... I’ll be deeply disappointed personally as well as politically but I can’t deny the fact I am also exhilarated by this campaign.
Here’s the start of our new Guardian splash. It’s by Severin Carrell, Nick Watt and Libby Brooks.
Scotland stepped back from the brink of ending the 307-year-old union with England and Wales and was on track to remain part of the United Kingdom by a comfortable margin.
With more than half of Scotland’s local authorities having declared including the major cities of Glasgow and Aberdeen, an estimated 55% of voters were expected to reject Alex Salmond’s prospectus for independence.
But the Yes campaign scored a handful of notable successes, succeeding in the largest city of Glasgow by 53% to 47%, winning 54% in West Dunbartonshire and a convincing 57% win in Dundee.
The no camp won victories in their strongholds of East Lothian, Orkney, and Shetland, but also in areas that could have gone to the yes campaign, including Falkirk, Inverclyde, Eilean Siar and Clackmannanshire. Stirling, Renfrewshire, East Renfrewshire, Angus, Dumfries and Galloway and Midlothian also voted no.
Yet that result raises the risk of further turmoil, with Tories in Westminster threatening to revolt against David Cameron’s late and potentially vital vow to quickly increase the Scottish parliament’s powers while protecting its spending.
David Cameron and the Queen will both move to calm tensions when they deliver statements on Friday. The prime minister will seek early on Friday, in the words of one cabinet minister, to “cement in” the No vote by outlining how he will deliver the deepening of Scotland’s devolution settlement, including handing greater powers over tax and welfare, to Holyrood.
The Queen, who has monitored the referendum with interest, will make a written statement on Friday afternoon. It is understood that her remarks will focus on reconciliation.
The prime minister wants to move fast to show that the three main UK party leaders will live up to their commitments made during the referendum campaign to deliver what Gordon Brown called Home Rule within the UK. Ministers believe it is important to move quickly to avoid a repeat of the 1980 referendum in Quebec.
We’re told Salmond is on his way to the Dynamic Earth centre next to Holyrood. Our reporter Josh Halliday is outside. He says there is an invite only SNP event going on where they are watching the count on big screens. Three dozen snappers and cameramen are waiting outside. And Josh.
Sky News is now calling the overall result as a no.
That is not yet because it is mathematically impossible for yes to win. As Michael Thrasher, their elections expert explains, it is because the voting trends effectively make this an impossibility.
‘We were never going to win here,’ said Calum Keir, chair of the local Yes group, at the Kelso count. The Borders area of southern Scotland voted strongly for the union, with 55,553 plumping for no, to just 27,906 yeses. Turnout was 87.4%.
There are three reasons for that, Keir said: ‘One, the physical proximity to the border with England. Two, the political landscape – this is traditionally a strong Tory/Lib dem area. And three, identity. If you look at surveys that have come out there’s a much larger proportion of people here who say they have a strong British, rather than Scottish identity.’
Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire MSP John Lamont, Conservative, said: ‘I am delighted with the strength of support for keeping scotland within the UK in the Borders area. It is looking a very good result for the overall campaign. I am overjoyed that Scotland has reaffirmed its place in the UK.’
South of Scotland list MSP Paul Wheelhouse said: “The result in the Borders was what we expected. But I am overwhelmed by the turnout.”
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