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| Scotland Rejects Independence From Britain in Historic Vote | Scotland Rejects Independence From Britain in Historic Vote |
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| EDINBURGH — Voters in Scotland decisively rejected independence from the United Kingdom in a referendum that had threatened to break up the 307-year union, but also appeared to open the way for a looser, more federal Britain. | EDINBURGH — Voters in Scotland decisively rejected independence from the United Kingdom in a referendum that had threatened to break up the 307-year union, but also appeared to open the way for a looser, more federal Britain. |
| With results tallied by early Friday from all 32 voting districts, the “no” campaign won 55.3 percent of the vote while the pro-independence side won 44.7 percent. The margin was greater than forecast by virtually all pre-election polls. | |
| The outcome was a deep disappointment for the vocal, enthusiastic pro-independence movement led by the Scottish first minister, Alex Salmond, who had seen an opportunity to make a centuries-old nationalist dream a reality and had forced the three main British parties into panicked promises that they would grant substantial new power to the Scottish Parliament. | |
| The decision spared Prime Minister David Cameron of Britain a shattering defeat that would have raised questions about his ability to continue in office and would have diminished his nation’s standing in the world. | The decision spared Prime Minister David Cameron of Britain a shattering defeat that would have raised questions about his ability to continue in office and would have diminished his nation’s standing in the world. |
| Mr. Salmond, while conceding defeat, insisted that the 1.6 million people who voted for independence showed the depth of yearning for the political powers promised to Scotland by British political leaders to stave off disunion. | |
| “Scotland will expect these to be honored in rapid course,” Mr. Salmond said, while promising to work to heal the divisions the referendum created. | “Scotland will expect these to be honored in rapid course,” Mr. Salmond said, while promising to work to heal the divisions the referendum created. |
| The campaign to keep Scotland within the United Kingdom secured just over two million votes, providing what Mr. Cameron took as a mandate for broader changes affecting all four components of the United Kingdom — England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. | The campaign to keep Scotland within the United Kingdom secured just over two million votes, providing what Mr. Cameron took as a mandate for broader changes affecting all four components of the United Kingdom — England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. |
| “The people of Scotland have spoken and it is a clear result,” Mr. Cameron said outside 10 Downing Street in London after Mr. Salmond conceded defeat just after dawn. “They have kept our country of four nations together. As I said during the campaign, it would have broken my heart to see our United Kingdom come to an end.” | |
| Mary Pitcaithly, the chief counting officer for the referendum, said final figures showed the pro-independence camp securing 1,617,989 votes while their opponents took 2,001,926. | Mary Pitcaithly, the chief counting officer for the referendum, said final figures showed the pro-independence camp securing 1,617,989 votes while their opponents took 2,001,926. |
| The campaign had injected a rare fervor and passion into Scottish politics, debated in bars and coffee shops, kitchens and offices, and producing a turnout that exceeded 90 percent in some districts. Across Scotland, 84.6 percent of eligible voters cast ballots in the referendum that had pitted a boisterous enthusiasm for independence against trepidation at the consequences. | |
| But while the outcome was decisive, it brought a sense of new uncertainty over what would follow. | But while the outcome was decisive, it brought a sense of new uncertainty over what would follow. |
| The vote preserved a union molded in 1707, but it left Mr. Cameron facing an angry backlash among some lawmakers in his Conservative Party, angered by the promises of greater Scottish autonomy that he and other party leaders made just days before the vote, when it appeared that the independence campaign might win. Some lawmakers called for similar autonomy for England itself, and even the creation of a separate English parliament. | The vote preserved a union molded in 1707, but it left Mr. Cameron facing an angry backlash among some lawmakers in his Conservative Party, angered by the promises of greater Scottish autonomy that he and other party leaders made just days before the vote, when it appeared that the independence campaign might win. Some lawmakers called for similar autonomy for England itself, and even the creation of a separate English parliament. |
| Addtionally, the outcome headed off the huge economic, political and military imponderables that would have flowed from a vote for independence. But was unlikely to deter Scottish nationalists from trying again, in the future, to attain independence. | |
| The passion of the campaign also left Scots divided, and Mr. Salmond called for reconciliation after a vibrant exercise in democracy that had episodes of harshness and even intimidation. But he seemed to couple his call for unity with a signal that the broader campaign for sovereignty, which he has fought for decades, was not over. | |
| “Today of all days as we bring Scotland together,” Mr. Salmond said, “let us not dwell on the distance we have fallen short, let us dwell on the distance we have travelled and have confidence the movement is abroad in Scotland that will take this nation forward.” | |
| President Obama had made little secret of his desire that the United Kingdom remain intact. Indeed, Britain has long prided itself on a so-called special relationship with the United States, and Britain’s allies had been concerned, among other things, about Mr. Salmond’s vow to evict British nuclear submarine bases from Scotland, threatening London’s role in Western defenses. | President Obama had made little secret of his desire that the United Kingdom remain intact. Indeed, Britain has long prided itself on a so-called special relationship with the United States, and Britain’s allies had been concerned, among other things, about Mr. Salmond’s vow to evict British nuclear submarine bases from Scotland, threatening London’s role in Western defenses. |
| As the result emerged on Friday, both NATO and the European Union said they welcomed the voters’ choice, clearly relieved that the ballot averted the enormous upheaval that would have flowed from secession, potentially setting a precedent across Europe for would-be separatists. | |
| In Madrid, the Spanish Prime Minister, Mariano Rajoy, confronting an independence campaign in Catalonia, called the Scottish vote “the most favourable option for everyone; for themselves, for all of Britain and for the rest of Europe.” | |
| While the campaign had divided business leaders in Britain over the likely economic repercussions of independence, the outcome was welcomed by the Confederation of British Industry, a leading employers’ group. | |
| “This is a momentous day for our United Kingdom and this result will be greeted by a collective sigh of relief across the business community,” said John Cridland, the organization’s director general. | |
| Leaders of Britain’s three main parties, shocked by the strong showing of the independence campaign in recent weeks, had scrambled to offer Scots more devolved powers if they remained part of the United Kingdom. | Leaders of Britain’s three main parties, shocked by the strong showing of the independence campaign in recent weeks, had scrambled to offer Scots more devolved powers if they remained part of the United Kingdom. |
| Mr. Cameron said new laws would be published by January to redeem pledges relating to taxation, public finances and welfare, speaking of a “new and fair settlement” that would affect all four components of the United Kingdom. | |
| “We now have a chance – a great opportunity – to change the way the British people are governed, and change it for the better,” he said. As for the promises of greater powers for Scotland, he said: "We will ensure that they are honored in full.” | “We now have a chance – a great opportunity – to change the way the British people are governed, and change it for the better,” he said. As for the promises of greater powers for Scotland, he said: "We will ensure that they are honored in full.” |
| But he referred specifically to the longstanding and often contentious issue of whether England should have greater parliamentary control over affairs that affect it exclusively. | But he referred specifically to the longstanding and often contentious issue of whether England should have greater parliamentary control over affairs that affect it exclusively. |
| “We have heard the voice of Scotland and now the millions of voices of England must be heard,” Mr. Cameron said. | “We have heard the voice of Scotland and now the millions of voices of England must be heard,” Mr. Cameron said. |
| Before dawn, after a night of counting that showed a steady trend in favor of maintaining the union, Nicola Sturgeon, the deputy leader of the pro-independence Scottish National Party, effectively conceded defeat for the “yes” campaign that had pressed for secession. | Before dawn, after a night of counting that showed a steady trend in favor of maintaining the union, Nicola Sturgeon, the deputy leader of the pro-independence Scottish National Party, effectively conceded defeat for the “yes” campaign that had pressed for secession. |
| “Like thousands of others across the country I’ve put my heart and soul into this campaign and there is a real sense of disappointment that we’ve fallen narrowly short of securing a ‘yes’ vote,” Ms. Sturgeon told BBC television as the votes showed strengthening support for the “no” campaign. | “Like thousands of others across the country I’ve put my heart and soul into this campaign and there is a real sense of disappointment that we’ve fallen narrowly short of securing a ‘yes’ vote,” Ms. Sturgeon told BBC television as the votes showed strengthening support for the “no” campaign. |
| Shortly after Ms. Sturgeon’s comments, Edinburgh, the seat of Scotland’s Parliament, reported a huge gain for the “no” camp, with more than 194,000 voters rejecting independence, compared with almost 124,000 in favor. Glasgow, the largest city in Scotland, had voted in favor of secession by a smaller margin. | Shortly after Ms. Sturgeon’s comments, Edinburgh, the seat of Scotland’s Parliament, reported a huge gain for the “no” camp, with more than 194,000 voters rejecting independence, compared with almost 124,000 in favor. Glasgow, the largest city in Scotland, had voted in favor of secession by a smaller margin. |
| Alistair Darling, who had led the “no” campaign, told supporters that the vote had reaffirmed the bonds underpinning the United Kingdom. “Let them never be broken,” he said, calling the outcome “momentous.” | Alistair Darling, who had led the “no” campaign, told supporters that the vote had reaffirmed the bonds underpinning the United Kingdom. “Let them never be broken,” he said, calling the outcome “momentous.” |
| “We have taken on the arguments and we have won,” he said. | “We have taken on the arguments and we have won,” he said. |