Alex Salmond accepts defeat and presses for new Holyrood powers. David Cameron survives Scotland vote but there are dangers ahead.

De qualquer maneira Os Escoceses ganharam … Afirmaram de forma fantástica o direito à Identidade e à Dignidade ... o direito não apenas à Existência mas à Cabeça Levantada.

Agora, Cameron terá que cumprir as suas promessas feitas em pânico e de joelhos ... suplicando ... Promessas de concessões e mais direitos de Autonomia que provocam reacções já dentro do seu Partido.

OVOODOCORVO

Alex Salmond accepts defeat and presses for new Holyrood powers

First minister says pro-independence vote was 'substantial' and he expects fast delivery of measures for Scottish parliament

Severin Carrell, Scotland correspondent

theguardian.com, Friday 19 September 2014 / http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2014/sep/19/alex-salmond-accepts-scotland-independence-defeat-holyrood-powers

Alex Salmond has put Westminster on notice that Scottish voters expect the UK's main political parties to deliver on their pledge to quickly introduce new powers for Holyrood, after accepting defeat in the referendum.

Thirty months after launching the pro-independence campaign, the first minister of Scotland conceded that his opponents had won the referendum, with the final result expected to put the no vote at 55%.

In a dignified speech to a solemn Scottish National party (SNP) rally in Edinburgh, Salmond said that although the Highland region had yet to declare, "we know that there's going to be a majority for the no campaign. And it is important to say that our referendum was an agreed and consented process and Scotland has, by a majority, decided not at this stage to become an independent country. And I accept that verdict of the people. And I call on all of Scotland to follow suit in accepting the democratic verdict of the people of Scotland."

The leader of the Yes Scotland campaign had understood he was likely to lose before the vote counting began on Thursday night. He cancelled an expected appearance at the count for his own constituency in Aberdeenshire, flying by private jet from Aberdeen to Edinburgh.

He then avoided the national count centre at Ingliston showground, beside Edinburgh airport, and headed instead to the Dynamic Earth science centre, where the SNP had hoped to stage a victory party.

Salmond said he was due to speak to David Cameron shortly after making his speech, signalling immediately that he would press the prime minister to deliver on the latest promise of more powers.

To raucous cheers and applause, Salmond told the rally that 1.6 million people had voted for independence – a "substantial vote". The turnout was one of the highest ever, he said, at 86%. It was a "triumph for democracy" and a vindication of the decision to stage the referendum.

But he issued repeated warnings that he expected quick delivery of the package of new powers promised several times by Cameron, Liberal Democrat leader, Nick Clegg, and Labour leader, Ed Miliband, which had been driven by the "fear and scares of the Westminster establishment" when they saw how quickly backing for independence had surged.

In reference to a signed statement printed on the front page of the Daily Record on Tuesday – a statement likely to have hardened the pro-UK Labour vote – Salmond said: "The unionist parties made vows late in the campaign to devolve more powers to Scotland. Scotland will expect these to be honoured in rapid form."

He said the parties had promised that a Scotland bill containing new tax and welfare powers would have a second reading by 27 March 2015.

"Not just the 1.6 million Scots who voted for independence will demand that the timetable will be followed, but all Scots who participated in this referendum will demand that that timetable is followed," he said.

The first minister said the referendum had empowered hundreds of thousands of Scots who had been marginalised from mainstream politics. "It is something so valuable, it has to be cherished, preserved and built upon."

He said Scottish politics had been revolutionised by the campaign: "I don't think that they will allow business as usual politics again."

O DISCURSO DE ALEX SALMOND, Primeiro Ministro da Escócia.

First Minister On Referendum Outcome

Downloads 19/09/2014 07:29

Scotland First Minister

First Minister Alex Salmond

Dynamic Earth, Edinburgh

Friday September 19, 2014

Thank you Scotland for 1.6 million votes for Scottish independence. Our friends in the Highlands of Scotland are still to speak, so the final results aren’t in but we know that there is going to be a majority for the No campaign.

It’s important to say that our referendum was an agreed and consented process and Scotland has by majority decided not at this stage to become an independent country. I accept that verdict of the people and I call on all of Scotland to follow suit in accepting the democratic verdict of the people of Scotland.

But I think all of us in this campaign say that that 45 per cent, that 1.6 million votes, is a substantial vote for Scottish independence and the future of this country. Let us say something which I hope that unites all campaigns and all Scots. I think the process by which we have made our decision as a nation reflects enormous credit upon Scotland. A turnout of 86 per cent is one of the highest in the democratic world for any election or any referendum in history. This has been a triumph for the democratic process and for participation in politics.

For example, the initiative by which 16 and 17 year olds were able to vote has proved to be a resounding success. I suspect that no one will ever again dispute their right and ability to participate fully and responsibly in democratic elections.

So we now face the consequences of Scotland’s democratic decision. Firstly, Clause 30 of the Edinburgh Agreement is now in operation. On behalf of the Scottish Government I accept the results and I pledge to work constructively in the interest of Scotland and the rest of the United Kingdom.

Secondly, the unionist parties made vows late in the campaign to devolve more powers to Scotland. Scotland will expect these to be honoured in rapid course. Just as a reminder, we have been promised a second reading of a Scotland Bill by the 27th of March next year and not just the 1.6 million Scots who voted for independence will demand that that timetable is followed but all Scots who participated in this referendum will demand that that timetable is followed.

I’ll be speaking to the Prime Minister shortly after this statement but can I return thirdly to the empowerment of so many Scots entering the political process for the very first time. It is something that is so valuable it has to be cherished, preserved and built upon.

I’ve said before many times in this campaign that the most moving things I saw was the queue of people in Dundee two or three weeks ago patiently waiting to register to vote. Most of them for the first time ever deciding to participate in the democratic process. Today in Inverurie I met a 61 year old lady just coming out of the polling station who had never voted before in her life. I met a soldier, a former soldier, who hadn’t voted since he left the army some 24 years ago. And these people were inspired to enter democratic politics by the thought that they could make a difference in building something better for the country.

These are people who all of us as we campaigned have met and been inspired by. And all of us are a part of all of that experience that we have encountered. Whatever else we can say about this referendum campaign, we have touched sections of the community who’ve never before been touched by politics. These sections of the community have touched us and touched the political process. I don’t think that will ever be allowed to go back to business as usual in politics again.

So friends, sometimes it’s best to reflect where we are on a journey. 45 per cent, 1.6 million of our fellow citizens voting for independence, I don’t think that any of us whenever we entered politics would have thought such a thing to be either credible or possible.

Today of all days as we bring Scotland together let us not dwell on the distance we have fallen short. Let us dwell on the distance we have travelled and have confidence that the movement is so broad in Scotland that it will take this nation forward and we shall go forward as one nation. Thank you very much.

David Cameron survives Scotland vote but there are dangers ahead

PM has to ensure SNP cannot push for quick referendum rerun and reassure Tories alarmed by plans to devolve more powers

Nicholas Watt, chief political correspondent

theguardian.com, Friday 19 September 2014 / http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2014/sep/19/david-cameron-survives-scotland-vote-dangers

David Cameron has just survived a brush with political death. Like Margaret Thatcher after the invasion of the Falklands in 1982 and Tony Blair on the eve of the Iraq war vote in 2003, Cameron knew that his premiership was in peril over the Scottish referendum.

The rejection of independence means the prime minister survives. But now he has to negotiate his way round a series of minefields to ensure that the Scottish National party cannot push for an early rerun of the referendum and to reassure Tories who are alarmed that plans to devolve more powers to the Scottish parliament will place English MPs at a disadvantage.

Cameron's decision to make an early announcement on Friday about the package of reforms for the Scottish parliament is designed, in the words of one cabinet minister, to "cement in the no vote".

Ministers want to avoid a repeat of the first referendum on Quebec independence in 1980s when the Canadian federal prime minister, Pierre Trudeau, promised a series of constitutional reforms during the campaign. After an emphatic win in the referendum, Trudeau fell out with Rene Lévesque, the leader of the Québec yes side, over the reforms. In a second referendum, in 1995, Québec came within a whisker of seceding from Canada.

Cameron will therefore make clear that the government will implement the package of reforms he promised to deliver to Scotland in the final days of the referendum in agreement with Ed Miliband and Nick Clegg. A declaration will be made that the Scottish parliament, which could technically be dissolved by a vote at Westminster, will be put on a permanent footing.

But there are dangers ahead. There are differences between and within the main parties over the extent to which tax-raising powers should be devolved to Holyrood. The Tories are prepared to devolve all income tax-raising powers to Edinburgh. Labour, in contrast, is prepared to allow Holyrood to increase income tax by 15p but wants to stipulate that it will not be allowed to cut it below the rate for the rest of the UK.

The new powers for Holyrood are prompting alarm among Tory MPs on two fronts. They are concerned that Edinburgh will be given powers to set taxes while continuing to benefit from the Barnett formula, which guarantees an extra £1,200 per head per year in public spending in Scotland.

Tory MPs will be assured that a clawback mechanism will ensure that any Scottish tax changes will be offset in the "Scottish block grant" from the Treasury. But Labour, which has 41 of Scotland's 59 seats, will be wary of any cuts in Scotland's block grant.

The long-running dilemma of the West Lothian question presents another pitfall. This asks why Scottish MPs should be allowed to vote on English-only issues at Westminster while English MPs have no vote over the same areas in Scotland.

Michael Gove, the Scottish-born Tory chief whip, sought to address the West Lothian question when he spoke of the need to ensure that the interests of English, Welsh and Northern Irish MPs are acknowledged. But banning Scottish MPs from voting on English-only matters would be resisted by many Labour and Liberal Democrat MPs.

Salmond made clear on Friday morning that he expected the commitments by the three parties to be honoured rapidly. "All Scots who participated in this referendum will demand that that timetable is followed," the first minister said.