The winners and losers of Scotland’s historic referendum
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Version 0 of 1. Well, the votes are in: Scotland isn't "divorcing" the United Kingdom, and the 300 plus year relationship will continue. Here's a look at the winners and losers after the Scotland referendum. David Cameron
Earlier this week, the British prime minister delivered an emotional speech asking Scots to avoid a "painful divorce" and pleaded, "As you reach your final decision, please don't let anyone tell you that you can't be a proud Scot and a proud Brit … So please, from all of us: vote to stick together. Vote to stay. Vote to save our United Kingdom." Today, he was able to say he was "delighted" by the Scottish results. J.K. Rowling She donated 1 million pounds to the Better Together campaign, an organization aimed to keep Scotland in the United Kingdom. In June, she wrote a note on her Web site explaining her support for the "No" campaign. #indyref Been up all night watching Scotland make history. A huge turnout, a peaceful democratic process: we should be proud. — J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) September 19, 2014 #indyref Been up all night watching Scotland make history. A huge turnout, a peaceful democratic process: we should be proud. — J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) September 19, 2014 The pound Because of doubts over the currency an independent Scotland would use, many investors were rattled over what a "Yes" vote would do to the economy. In fact, AP reports that "uncertainty over the pound was likely a key element in the No campaign’s victory." Spain Catalonia's separatist movement in Spain was encouraged as the campaign for Scotland's independence seemed to surge. After the "no" vote, Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy stated that Scots made the right decision and "avoided the large economic, social, institutional and political consequences that separation would have brought." (Of course, the Scottish vote won't end Catalan separatist sentiment.) Gordon Brown The former British prime minister, a Scot, surged "back to prominence with a dramatic barnstorming campaign in support of the union in the final days before the referendum vote," the Associated Press reported. His efforts were said to revitalize the "No" campaign. Alex Salmond Let's not dwell on the distance we've fallen short - let us dwell on the distance we have travelled — Alex Salmond (@AlexSalmond) September 19, 2014 Let's not dwell on the distance we've fallen short - let us dwell on the distance we have travelled — Alex Salmond (@AlexSalmond) September 19, 2014 The leader of the Scottish independence movement delivered a speech in Edinburgh Friday morning and conceded defeat. Other separatist movements The end of the Scotland independence movement could hurt other separatist movements, but as of now it seems that places like Spain's Catalonia will move forward with its independence efforts, regardless of the United Kingdom's victory. George Square The "rallying point" of the Yes campaign in Glasgow.
And now, the peculiar Scotland-U.K. relationship will continue to evolve.
Related: Scots reject independence measure View Photo Gallery —Voters from across Scotland streamed into polling places Thursday to have their say in a historic referendum that could have created the world’s newest independent nation, while breaking up one of the West’s oldest and most consequential political unions.
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