Scottish leader Alex Salmond said he would resign after losing an independence referendum that left the United Kingdom intact, while Queen Elizabeth II called for "mutual respect" among Scots following a divisive campaign. Despite a surge in Scottish nationalist support in the final fortnight of the campaign, the anti-independence "No" camp secured a clear margin of 55.30 percent of the vote against 44.70 percent for the separatist "Yes" side.
Salmond conceded defeat and said he would be stepping down from his post and from the leadership of his Scottish National Party (SNP) in November.
"For me as leader, my time is nearly over. But for Scotland the campaign continues and the dream shall never die," he said at a press conference in Edinburgh. A "Yes" vote would have brought to an abrupt end a union between Scotland and England stretching back to 1707.
But while the UK survived, it could soon look very different. The British government must now deliver on promises made in the heat of the campaign to give more powers over tax, spending and welfare to the devolved government in Edinburgh.
-- While Scotland didn't exactly win their independence, they did win a second look at how their government is being run and who it is being run by.
Its great that even though he didn't win, he recognizes that change will arrive despite his loss.
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