Edinburgh - Scottish voters have rejected independence from the rest of the United Kingdom, official results showed on Friday, by a margin of almost 10 percentage points.
With 31 out of 32 regions declared, 55.42 percent had voted against going it alone compared to 44.58 percent who wanted Scotland to break the 300-year-old union with England.
Scottish nationalist leader Alex Salmond conceded defeat on Friday and demanded the British government rapidly meet its promise of more powers for Edinburgh.
“Scotland has by a majority decided not at this stage to become an independent country. I accept that verdict of the people,” Salmond told independence supporters in the Scottish capital.
Leaders of Britain's three main parties, shocked by the strong showing of the independence campaign in recent weeks, scrambled to offer Scots more devolved powers if they remained part of the United Kingdom.
“Scotland will expect these to be honoured in rapid course,” Salmond said.
Reuters and AFP