Phew!
I doubt if there will ever have been a result which will leave not just David Cameron and also Ed Miliband, but also Jean-Claude Junker and Barak Obama, as very relieved men, as the SCottish referendum result.
At the time of writing this I have not heard the final figures as one counting area was still outstanding but it is clear that Scots have voted, on an extremely high turnout of around 85%, to stay within the United Kingdom. The vote was around 55% to 45% - clear enough to put the issue to bed for a generation.
Now the issues which made 45% of Scots want to leave - and which were clearly of concern to many of the majority who voted to stay - must be addressed.
The promises made to Scotland during the campaign must be kept.
The greater self-government promised to Scotland must now be given to all four of the nations of the UK. Preferably without creating another layer of politicians.
It's not going to be easy or simple, and the timetable laid out is going to be challenging. But with good will and reconciliation - something very much needed this morning - it can be done.
At the time of writing this I have not heard the final figures as one counting area was still outstanding but it is clear that Scots have voted, on an extremely high turnout of around 85%, to stay within the United Kingdom. The vote was around 55% to 45% - clear enough to put the issue to bed for a generation.
Now the issues which made 45% of Scots want to leave - and which were clearly of concern to many of the majority who voted to stay - must be addressed.
The promises made to Scotland during the campaign must be kept.
The greater self-government promised to Scotland must now be given to all four of the nations of the UK. Preferably without creating another layer of politicians.
It's not going to be easy or simple, and the timetable laid out is going to be challenging. But with good will and reconciliation - something very much needed this morning - it can be done.
Comments
I would like to avoid a Knee Jerk reaction, however. More power to the wrong people may not in fact be the answer, perhaps a true method of recall by which the public can at last "throw out the rascal" in their own area, would be a worthy way to start
OK, do you want Alex Salmonds version of an independent Scotland? - "well no, not that at all"
Ok then, that settles the question for a generation.
Do you see the problem here?
Slowly but surely the penny is dropping that fundamental changes are necessary to the way we are governed which will give us real democracy. Only then will questions be able to be answered, the power never did belong to any parliament, the power belongs to we the people
It settles that a majority of voters in Scotland do not want the vision of Independence which was on offer.
This does not mean they don't want more control over their own affairs.