Scotland Votes to Remain Part of UK

After major campaigning and debates, Scotland has voted to remain a part of the United Kingdom. "UK safe as Scotland rejects independence" is the headline for the Telegraph, and when the votes were counted from all 32 council areas, the "No" side won with 2,001,926 votes over 1,617,989 for "Yes," according to the BBC.

Prime Minister David Cameron promised that commitments on extra powers for Scotland would be honored "in full" and that Lord Smith of Kelvin, who led Glasgow's staging of the Commonwealth Games, would oversee the process to take forward the commitments, with new powers over tax, spending and welfare to be agreed by November, and draft legislation published by January.

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But while Scotland may not become an independent country, the narrow margin of the vote and the impassioned campaigning from both camps indicates a strong desire for political change within the country. Significantly, Glasgow--Scotland's largest city and the third-largest within the UK--voted in favor of independence.

According to the BBC, Deputy First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said that "there is plainly a huge appetite for change" and that the Scottish National Party has "a significant role in pressing the demands for change." The Telegraph quoted Sturgeon as saying that Scottish citizens "voted no because they believed promise that real change would be forthcoming from Westminster."

The SNP, she added, "will work with anyone to deliver substantial new powers for the Scottish Parliament."