MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency
BBC predicts 54% to 46% win for the NO vote against independence
Glasgow, Scotland's largest council area and the third largest city in Britain, voted in favor of independence by 194,779 to 169,347 
PM Cameron is expected to respond to Scotland's decision in a live televised address following the final result. 
Mr Salmond tweeted: “Well done to Glasgow, our Commonwealth city, and to the people of Scotland for such incredible support.” Scotland will vote to stay in the United Kingdom after rejecting independence, the BBC has predicted. With 26 out of the country's 32 council areas having declared after Thursday's vote, the “No” side has a 54% of the vote, with the “Yes” campaign on 46%.
By 05:15 BST (06:15 GMT), the “No” campaign had more than 1,397,000 votes, with “Yes” on just over 1,176,000. A total of 1,852,828 votes is needed for victory. The vote is the culmination of a two-year campaign.
The BBC is predicting on the basis of votes declared so far by Scotland's local authorities the “No” side will win the referendum with 55% of the vote while “Yes” will secure 45% of the vote.
This margin of victory is some three points greater than that anticipated by the final opinion polls.
Glasgow, Scotland's largest council area and the third largest city in Britain, voted in favor of independence by 194,779 to 169,347, with Dundee, West Dunbartonshire and North Lanarkshire also voting “Yes”.
But Aberdeen City voted “No” by a margin of more than 20,000 votes, while there have also been big wins for the pro-UK campaign in many other areas.
Scottish First Minister Alex Salmond, who led the pro-independence “Yes” campaign, is expected to make a statement from his official residence at Bute House in Edinburgh.
In his first public comment since the results started coming in, Mr Salmond tweeted: “Well done to Glasgow, our Commonwealth city, and to the people of Scotland for such incredible support.”
Prime Minister David Cameron said: ”I've spoken to Alistair Darling (head of the pro-UK Better Together campaign), and congratulated him on a well-fought campaign.“
PM Cameron is expected to respond to Scotland's decision in a live televised address following the final result.
Deputy First Minister Nicola Sturgeon told the BBC the projected result was ”a deep personal and political disappointment“ but said ”the country has been changed forever“.
Ms Sturgeon said she would work with ”anyone in any way” to secure more powers for Scotland. (BBC).
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Read all commentsInteresting the poorest and most Socialist areas voted to leave, whilst those who have something to lose voted to stay.
Sep 19th, 2014 - 06:04 am 0Politics of envy, prepared to risk other people's money.
This result may turn out far more dangerous than predicted.
Sep 19th, 2014 - 06:07 am 0It is clear now that not just Scotland, but other areas of the UK, especially Northern Ireland, and interestingly Northern England, are stirring and intimating that any and all “devolved” powers given to Scotland post-referendum, must also be accorded to them (and Wales).
At the end of the day, what is at the heart of this is budget and taxation powers.
But if London does drastically give up budget and taxation powers and gives it to no less than 3, possibly 4 entities, you are in effect creating a Euro-zone' style situation, where there is a currency union, but four different governments making up a budget.
As we have seen, that has worked disastrously in continental Europe.
It has also worked very poorly in the USA and Argentina, where the central government has had to “bail-out” the provinces or states repeatedly because they fall into debt. In the USA, the entire country in on the hook for California.
In Argentina it is a step further: unlike in the USA, provinces are not required to balance their budgets, which is why they chronically fall into debt, that must then be covered by the federal government.
It is proven that currency unions with no unified budget control is medium and long term deleterious. So why would the UK be considering it is baffling.
The only conclusion is London has promised many such things out of political expediency for today, but not for sound governance in the future.
So Scotland stays British just like the Falkland Islanders.
Sep 19th, 2014 - 06:07 am 0Time for Salmond to fall on his sword and resign I would say.
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