:00:09. > :00:15.at Ten: The people of Scotland have rejected independence by a decisive
:00:16. > :00:22.majority. There was joy and relief for those who'd campaigned to keep
:00:23. > :00:27.Scotland within the United Kingdom. We know that we're proud Scots but
:00:28. > :00:32.we are proud to be British. And we were better together. But dejection
:00:33. > :00:39.and disbelief for those who'd believed that an independent
:00:40. > :00:43.Scotland was within reach. I'm devastated. The sole reason is I
:00:44. > :00:47.wanted more than anything a "Yes" vote. Within hours of the verdict,
:00:48. > :00:50.Alex Salmond announced he'd be stepping down as First Minister and
:00:51. > :01:03.leader of the Scottish National Party. For me as leader, my time is
:01:04. > :01:07.near over. But for Scotland, the campaign continues. And the dream
:01:08. > :01:09.shall never I do. At Westminster, questions are raised about the Prime
:01:10. > :01:19.Minister's suggestion of new devolved powers for the rest of the
:01:20. > :01:24.UK. So now it is time for our United Kingdom to come together and to move
:01:25. > :01:30.forward. A vital part of that will be a balanced settlement, fair to
:01:31. > :01:34.people in Scotland and importantly to everyone in England, Wales and
:01:35. > :01:37.Northern Ireland as well. We'll have details and analysis of the
:01:38. > :01:39.referendum, what it means for Scotland, and the constitutional
:01:40. > :02:15.changes being suggested for the rest of the United Kingdom.
:02:16. > :02:18.Good evening from Edinburgh, where the official result of the
:02:19. > :02:24.referendum on independence was declared earlier today. The people
:02:25. > :02:28.of Scotland voted decisively to remain within the United Kingdom.
:02:29. > :02:31.Within hours, the First Minster, Alex Salmond, announced his decision
:02:32. > :02:34.to resign as David Cameron declared that not only would more more powers
:02:35. > :02:37.be devolved from London to Edinburgh, but changes would also be
:02:38. > :02:44.made to the governance of England, Wales and Northern Ireland. This was
:02:45. > :02:46.the outcome of yesterday's vote. More than 1.6 million backed
:02:47. > :02:52.independence, but more than 2 million objected. It was a 10%
:02:53. > :02:58.margin of victory, wider than most polls predicted on a record turn out
:02:59. > :03:00.of 85%. Tonight, we'll have the latest reaction and analysis and
:03:01. > :03:06.more on the far-reaching constitutional changes planned for
:03:07. > :03:09.the entire UK. But first our political editor Nick Robinson
:03:10. > :03:21.reports on the day Scotland said NO to independence. There's some flash
:03:22. > :03:25.fory in t rep Put away the flags. Stop the campaigning. The great
:03:26. > :03:29.national debate is over. More people carried, more people believed, more
:03:30. > :03:38.voted for independence than ever before. But for now that dream is
:03:39. > :03:41.dead. Scotland has voted no in this referendum on independence. The
:03:42. > :03:45.result in Fyfe has taken the "No" campaign over the line and the
:03:46. > :03:53.official result of this referendum is a no. The final result, 45% yes,
:03:54. > :03:58.55% no was clearer than most had predicted. It produced joy from
:03:59. > :04:04.backers of the union, and despair from those who believed Scotland
:04:05. > :04:08.could do better. This morning, Alex Salmond put a brave face on defeat,
:04:09. > :04:12.accepting what he called the democratic verdict. But this
:04:13. > :04:15.afternoon he called the media to the First Minister's office in Edinburgh
:04:16. > :04:23.and announced that he would soon quit the job. For me as leader, my
:04:24. > :04:28.time is nearly over, but for Scotland, the campaign continues and
:04:29. > :04:32.the dream shall never I do. He warned that David Cameron could
:04:33. > :04:37.renege on the promise to give Scotland greater powers and to do it
:04:38. > :04:44.fast. The real guardians of progress are no longer politicians at
:04:45. > :04:48.Westminster or even at Holyrood. But the energised activism of tens of
:04:49. > :04:52.thousands of people who I predict will refuse to meekly go back into
:04:53. > :04:55.the political shadowoes. We have now the opportunity to hold
:04:56. > :05:00.Westminster's feet to the fire on the vow that they've made to devolve
:05:01. > :05:05.further meaningful power to Scotland. The story of the night was
:05:06. > :05:17.clear, almost from the very first result at half past 1 this morning.
:05:18. > :05:21."No," 19,036. CHEERING.
:05:22. > :05:26.The "No" campaign subdued for so long celebrated as result after
:05:27. > :05:32.result in 28 out of 32 areas had them winning. In Glasgow, Nicola
:05:33. > :05:37.Sturgeon, Alex Salmond's deputy and surely his successor now, knew it
:05:38. > :05:48.was all over. The news from Scotland's biggest city, a
:05:49. > :05:56.consolation prize. "Yes" 194,000. "No," 1 9,347. Not so long ago few
:05:57. > :06:01.would believe they would do this well or come this close. But for
:06:02. > :06:05.Alex Salmond it simply was not close enough. For them, those who had
:06:06. > :06:11.fought for Scotland to remain in the UK, the relief was palpable. You
:06:12. > :06:15.represent the majority of opinion and your voices have been heard.
:06:16. > :06:20.We've taken on the art and we've won. The silent have spoken. Those
:06:21. > :06:24.watching outside Scotland had simply had to hold their breath. The Prime
:06:25. > :06:29.Minister watched for much of the night, aware that a "Yes" vote would
:06:30. > :06:34.destroy not just his country but his reputation. The people of Scotland
:06:35. > :06:40.have spoken and it is a clear result. They've kept our country of
:06:41. > :06:45.Four Nations together. Like millions of other people, I am delighted. The
:06:46. > :06:51.debate was settled for a generation, he said. There could be no disputes,
:06:52. > :06:54.no reruns. Scotland would get more power, but change would go much
:06:55. > :06:58.further than that. Just as the people of Scotland will have more
:06:59. > :07:03.power over their affairs, so it follows that the people of England,
:07:04. > :07:08.Wales and Northern Ireland must have a bigger say over theirs. The rights
:07:09. > :07:13.of these voters need to be respected, preserved and enhanced.
:07:14. > :07:18.The Tory leader revived an old undelivered manifesto promise, to
:07:19. > :07:22.ensure that English laws are made only by English votes. But I have
:07:23. > :07:26.long believed that a crucial part missing from this national
:07:27. > :07:32.discussion is England. We've heard the voice of Scotland and now the
:07:33. > :07:37.millions of voices of England must also be heard. Some will ask, why on
:07:38. > :07:41.earth are politicians talking about constitutional change on the very
:07:42. > :07:45.day when the Scottish people have rejected independence? The answer is
:07:46. > :07:51.clear and it is here in Glasgow. The people of this great city voted by a
:07:52. > :07:57.majority to leave the UK. The anger they feel at the way Westminster
:07:58. > :08:04.currently runs things is felt up and down what remains our united King
:08:05. > :08:07.don. Watching these extraordinary events unfold the Queen has been at
:08:08. > :08:12.her Scottish estate, Balmoral. Tonight in a rare written statement
:08:13. > :08:15.she urged people to unite in their enduring love of Scotland. Knowing
:08:16. > :08:20.the people of Scotland as I do, she wrote, I have no doubt that Scots
:08:21. > :08:24.are able to express strongly-held opinions before coming together
:08:25. > :08:29.again in a spirit of mutual respect and support. She sends simply, my
:08:30. > :08:35.family and I will do all we can to help and support you in this
:08:36. > :08:41.important task. Elizabeth R, Balmoral. Tonight, her kingdom
:08:42. > :08:52.remains united. But an awful lot divides people over how it ought to
:08:53. > :08:56.be run. More than 3.5 million Scots took part in yesterday's referendum.
:08:57. > :09:03.A level of electoral turnout not seen in Britain since 1951. The "No"
:09:04. > :09:06.vote was boosted in more rural parts of Scotland. But the city of
:09:07. > :09:10.Edinburgh also voted strongly against. The "Yes" campaign pointed
:09:11. > :09:16.to notable success in Glasgow. Scotland's biggest city, as we saw
:09:17. > :09:19.in Nick's report. Allan Little, who has followed the entire campaign, a
:09:20. > :09:26.examines the factors that convinced the majority of voters to back the
:09:27. > :09:29.union. Glasgow woke this morning to the news that it had voted yes but
:09:30. > :09:32.the country had not. To too many, the blueprint for independence was
:09:33. > :09:34.incomplete, with too few clear answers on key questions. Edinburgh,
:09:35. > :09:41.home to Scotland's financial services industry, voted 61 to 39 to
:09:42. > :09:45.stay in the UK. This is quite a well-off country, and I think a lot
:09:46. > :09:48.of people felt they had quite a lot to lose. I don't think it is a
:09:49. > :09:52.surprise that parts of the country where people didn't have quite so
:09:53. > :09:55.much to lose would vote yes. 300 years of history and achievement,
:09:56. > :09:58.just bringing people together. We should be coming together rather
:09:59. > :10:01.than breaking apart. Even here though, more than one in three
:10:02. > :10:05.people voted yes. I'm devastated, yes. I've been up all night.
:10:06. > :10:09.Heartbroken, but also inspired, because we know that half the people
:10:10. > :10:13.get it, so that's kind of nice. It is going to be a bit weird though
:10:14. > :10:17.knowing that half the people are scared of change and half are ready
:10:18. > :10:21.to do it. I think overall it's been very, very beneficial to Scotland,
:10:22. > :10:25.despite the fact we didn't win. Although I was a "No" voter, when I
:10:26. > :10:34.heard the results I started crying, relieved but also kind of worried
:10:35. > :10:38.about what happens now. In less prosperous places, more voters
:10:39. > :10:45.favoured independence. Both Dundee and Scotland's biggest city,
:10:46. > :10:49.Glasgow, voted "Yes." Here, Labour voters who crossed to the "Yes" camp
:10:50. > :10:54.in large numbers were decisive. Is it over for them now? Will they
:10:55. > :10:58.return to the Labour fold? I'm devastated. The sole reason is I
:10:59. > :11:04.wanted more than anything a "Yes" vote. A change in Labour's policies
:11:05. > :11:12.that were too close to Tory policies for me. I listened to the SNP's
:11:13. > :11:19.views and promises and so on at the time and decided to change to SNP.
:11:20. > :11:22.After what happened with Tony Blair and stuff I don't think the working
:11:23. > :11:27.class necessarily trust Labour any more. They've obviously gone over to
:11:28. > :11:31.the SNP. They maybe offer a wee bit more hope. In this, the intervention
:11:32. > :11:34.in the last stages of the campaign by a seemingly rejuvenated Gordon
:11:35. > :11:41.Brown may have helped stem the flow of Labour voters to the "Yes" camp.
:11:42. > :11:44.The margin of victory for the union was clear and decisive and beyond
:11:45. > :11:49.dispute. Does that mean job done, that the union is saved? 45% of the
:11:50. > :11:55.population of the country on a high turnout voted to end United Kingdom
:11:56. > :11:58.statehood in Scotland. That would have been unthinkable even 15 years
:11:59. > :12:04.ago when the Scottish Parliament was first set up. We've got to remember
:12:05. > :12:07.that 1.6 million of our fellow citizens voted yesterday to leave
:12:08. > :12:11.the United Kingdom. A majority in Glasgow, a large majority in Dundee.
:12:12. > :12:15.I think the really important thing to do at the moment is to try and
:12:16. > :12:20.understand and then to respond adequately and effectively to the
:12:21. > :12:22.reasons why people voted "Yes". The Anglo-Scottish union has survived
:12:23. > :12:27.the greatest challenge to its existence in 300 years. Scotland has
:12:28. > :12:32.settled the question peacefully and democratically. But the popular
:12:33. > :12:44.challenge to the UK's legitimacy in Scotland has not gone away. Alex
:12:45. > :12:47.Salmond's decision to step down as First Minister and leader of the
:12:48. > :12:52.Scottish National Party will take effect in mid November. Mr Salmond
:12:53. > :12:56.has been a towering figure in Scottish politics for two decades, a
:12:57. > :13:01.period in which he let the transformation of the SNP from a
:13:02. > :13:06.small political force to a party which put independence at the top of
:13:07. > :13:11.the agenda. James Cook reports on the resignation of one of Britain's
:13:12. > :13:15.most charismatic leaders. There's flash fore in this report to. It
:13:16. > :13:19.could have been so different. For weeks the world had been watching
:13:20. > :13:24.Alex Salmond, wondering, would he be Prime Minister of an independent
:13:25. > :13:32.Scotland? It wasn't to be and today in defeat, he faced the cameras. Let
:13:33. > :13:35.us not dwell on the distance we've fallen short. To many people Alex
:13:36. > :13:37.Salmond is the Scottish National Party. He hails from Linlithgow, a
:13:38. > :13:40.traditional Labour stronghold in central Scotland. But his rise, and
:13:41. > :13:47.that of Scottish nationalism, are inextricably linked. Alex Salmond
:13:48. > :13:54.went to Westminster in 1987, a democratic insurgent determined to
:13:55. > :13:57.wrest Scotland from London's grasp. He was already shaking up what had
:13:58. > :14:03.been a rather eccentric party when, three years later, he was elected
:14:04. > :14:07.for his first stint as leader. His gradual approach to the pursuit of
:14:08. > :14:09.independence very nearly paid off. First campaigning for a Scottish
:14:10. > :14:16.Parliament, celebrating alongside his political rivals, when this
:14:17. > :14:19.referendum at least went his way. I think we had better sit up and take
:14:20. > :14:31.notice that something is changing in Scotland. It was. In the end, Alex
:14:32. > :14:35.Salmond served two decade-long stints as SNP leader. The last ten
:14:36. > :14:38.years saw stunning success. He took his party to power at Holyrood and
:14:39. > :14:42.went one better. I heard a rumour. I think we won the election. Winning a
:14:43. > :14:45.second term with a majority most said was impossible. It gave him a
:14:46. > :14:48.mandate to pursue his life's goal, and two years ago he shook hands
:14:49. > :14:59.with the Conservative Prime Minister on an agreement to put his dream to
:15:00. > :15:04.the test. Go Scotland! Alex Salmond has always been a populist
:15:05. > :15:10.politician. But he doesn't appeal to all. Critics say he he can ores
:15:11. > :15:14.opponents, putting off women voters in particular. Tonight though, there
:15:15. > :15:20.was a rare glimpse of a different Alex Salmond. Heading home with his
:15:21. > :15:26.wife after a remarksable week and a remarkable career.
:15:27. > :15:34.Brian Taylor is with me. The end of Mr Salmond's leadership, the end of
:15:35. > :15:41.this momentous referendum campaign. What are your conclusions? Standing
:15:42. > :15:45.beneath Edinburgh Castle reminds me I've covered Scottish politics since
:15:46. > :15:52.before Braveheart was a boy. I remember in 1979 when devolution was
:15:53. > :15:57.almost defeated. On this occasion Alex Salmond is largely responsible,
:15:58. > :16:02.he has matured the SNP, allowed it to grow and made it above all a
:16:03. > :16:10.modern party of Government. The Scots poet talked of the Caledonian,
:16:11. > :16:15.a posh way of saying we Scots are capenable of looking two ways at
:16:16. > :16:20.once. We can gurn or be confident and comparable out. Alex Salmond
:16:21. > :16:25.argued for the latter, to be confident. A good motto for Mr
:16:26. > :16:37.Salmond and for Scotland on this remarkable day.
:16:38. > :16:39.It became clear early this morning, when David Cameron spoke in
:16:40. > :16:42.Downing Street, that the result of this referendum could trigger
:16:43. > :16:44.extensive constitutional change, not just in Scotland but
:16:45. > :16:47.The Prime Minister spoke of new powers for England,
:16:48. > :16:50.But doubts were raised almost immediately about the likelihood
:16:51. > :16:53.of cross-party agreement, and about the ambitious timetable for drafting
:16:54. > :16:55.new proposals, with a general election just eight months away.
:16:56. > :16:57.James Landale reports on possible changes to the constitution,
:16:58. > :17:05.It was a solemn vow by the leaders of the UK's largest parties,
:17:06. > :17:11.a vow to let Scotland decide more of its taxes, welfare and spending.
:17:12. > :17:14.But today the Government promised similar powers to the rest of the UK
:17:15. > :17:16.and fewer powers for Scottish MPs at Westminster.
:17:17. > :17:21.It becomes inconceivable to continue to allow Scottish members to vote
:17:22. > :17:25.on everything that is happening in England when, as you know,
:17:26. > :17:28.English and indeed Scottish members, can't vote on so much
:17:29. > :17:38.The Government hopes to agree its plan for UK-wide devolution
:17:39. > :17:39.by November, publish draft laws in January and
:17:40. > :17:43.introduce the changes after it has been put to voters in the election.
:17:44. > :17:46.Labour say they will also move quickly on devolution to Scotland
:17:47. > :17:49.but they want a national debate on English devolution
:17:50. > :17:51.before holding a constitutional convention in the autumn of next
:17:52. > :17:59.One lesson we know is that we can't do this in a knee jerk,
:18:00. > :18:05.But the most important thing is that it can't be stitched up
:18:06. > :18:09.I don't think people would stand for that.
:18:10. > :18:12.We need to start with people and the change they want to see.
:18:13. > :18:15.Labour see the Government plans to give English MPs a greater say
:18:16. > :18:18.They fear that curbing the powers of Scottish MPs,
:18:19. > :18:22.most of whom are Labour, will make it harder for Ed Miliband as Prime
:18:23. > :18:25.Minister to get his legislation and his budgets through the Commons.
:18:26. > :18:27.So none of this constitutional change is going to come easy.
:18:28. > :18:31.David Cameron does not have the full support of Labour and he also has
:18:32. > :18:34.some trouble in his own ranks, many of whom think that Scotland is
:18:35. > :18:40.Extensive promises have been made to the Scottish people which will
:18:41. > :18:43.assume that Scottish politicians can continue to adjudicate on taxes
:18:44. > :18:45.raised on English taxpayers, and also assume that English taxpayers
:18:46. > :18:48.will continue to shore up the whole settlement with extensive
:18:49. > :18:58.The UKIP leader wrote to all Scottish MPs asking them to stop
:18:59. > :19:03.The English need to be able to vote and debate on their issues alone
:19:04. > :19:08.And if Scottish MPs agree to do that it will be
:19:09. > :19:12.Throughout Westminster there are reminders that this parliament
:19:13. > :19:14.represents all four corners of the UK, including
:19:15. > :19:20.Northern Ireland and Wales, where expectations have now been raised.
:19:21. > :19:21.Scotland has been offered first-class devolution.
:19:22. > :19:24.There is a risk that Wales will get second or
:19:25. > :19:27.even third class devolution and we must make sure that our devolution
:19:28. > :19:32.settlement is as good if not better than what they get in Scotland.
:19:33. > :19:37.Honouring this vow could transform Britain's constitutional settlement.
:19:38. > :19:40.Breaking it could lead to yet another breach of public trust
:19:41. > :19:45.in politics, and already agreement looks hard to find.
:19:46. > :19:51.James Landale, BBC News, Westminster.
:19:52. > :19:53.Some of England's biggest cities, including Birmingham
:19:54. > :19:55.and Manchester, have backed calls for greater devolution
:19:56. > :19:59.Those calls have been echoed in some of the biggest regions,
:20:00. > :20:04.Mark Easton has been exploring the potential impact of devolved
:20:05. > :20:23.The restlessness of the Scottish lion has stirred the Lions of
:20:24. > :20:27.England. Today we have seen Northern English newspapers demanding similar
:20:28. > :20:30.devolution to their Scots neighbours, London's mayor demanding
:20:31. > :20:33.fiscal devolution the big cities, and although the government says it
:20:34. > :20:40.won't happen, popular calls for an English Parliament. All it is is the
:20:41. > :20:45.Scottish being talked about. There should be a voice for the English.
:20:46. > :20:50.We would all like to see development of power and decision-making from
:20:51. > :20:53.London to local regions. I want independence for England but it's
:20:54. > :20:57.not going to happen because we won't get a referendum. It's certainly not
:20:58. > :21:01.easy. The promise that MPs represented at Westminster will only
:21:02. > :21:05.vote on matters affecting their nations risks having rival UK and
:21:06. > :21:09.English governments under the same roof. There is a determination to
:21:10. > :21:12.avoid having a UK Government and an English central government. That is
:21:13. > :21:16.why they are talking devolution, pushing powers down to regions,
:21:17. > :21:22.cities and towns where the power would be, rather than two opposite
:21:23. > :21:25.governments in London. In a field in Leicestershire is the exact spot
:21:26. > :21:29.identified as the middle of England, now the epicentres of a new debate
:21:30. > :21:36.that goes far beyond the Prime Minister's promise of English votes
:21:37. > :21:42.for English laws. Finding agreement on what the change should look like
:21:43. > :21:45.we'll be hard. Since the dark ages, England has set its face against
:21:46. > :21:50.regional government. There has been fierce resistance to almost any
:21:51. > :21:54.reform of administrative boundaries, with some activists removing or
:21:55. > :21:59.relocating offending road signs. In a referendum for a Northeast
:22:00. > :22:02.regional government decade ago, an inflatable white elephant helped
:22:03. > :22:08.convince people resoundingly to vote no to more politicians. But all
:22:09. > :22:12.three major UK parties now talk about empowering cities in England
:22:13. > :22:15.to counteract the dominance of the capital. In Bristol, as in many
:22:16. > :22:20.English cities, you will find a strong sense that London, and what
:22:21. > :22:25.is seen as the Westminster elite, have too much control over people's
:22:26. > :22:30.lives. Demands for devolution are often driven by distrust of national
:22:31. > :22:33.politics and national politicians. That is good in theory, as long as
:22:34. > :22:40.you have the appropriate people in place in the cities who can manage
:22:41. > :22:44.it well. What is the point of a parliament if the different cities
:22:45. > :22:49.have power over themselves? Maybe there is strength in numbers and we
:22:50. > :22:53.should all be together. The search for a new and fair settlement for a
:22:54. > :22:58.United Kingdom looks set to open up ancient divisions.
:22:59. > :23:02.Let's take a moment to look at some of the day's other news stories.
:23:03. > :23:05.French fighter jets have attacked a base belonging to the Islamic State
:23:06. > :23:09.France is the first country to join the United States in military
:23:10. > :23:15.action against the jihadists who control much of Iraq and Syria.
:23:16. > :23:17.The British pharmaceutical company GlaxoSmithKline has been fined
:23:18. > :23:20.a record ?297 million by a Chinese court, after it admitted bribing
:23:21. > :23:23.doctors and health officials in order to win contracts.
:23:24. > :23:26.The court also imposed a suspended prison sentence on
:23:27. > :23:30.Mark Reilly, who used to run the company's China division.
:23:31. > :23:38.The Director of Children's Services in Rotherham, Joyce Thacker,
:23:39. > :23:42.is to leave her post in the wake of the child sex abuse scandal.
:23:43. > :23:44.She'd faced criticism after a report said senior council
:23:45. > :23:47.managers had "underplayed" the scale of the abuse, which involved up to
:23:48. > :23:56.Administrators have announced 628 redundancies at
:23:57. > :24:02.The business, which has a total workforce of more than 5500 went
:24:03. > :24:13.into administration earlier this week after it lost a major contract.
:24:14. > :24:16.The first result last night came from the smallest local authority
:24:17. > :24:19.area of Clackmannanshire, the first of many no votes from the 32
:24:20. > :24:48.counting centres, and the verdict was clear by 5am this morning.
:24:49. > :24:55.It was a wider gap than anything the polls were telling us. Let me show
:24:56. > :25:02.you the map of Scotland after the result. We have coloured in areas
:25:03. > :25:06.where the noes one. The noes in red, and almost the whole of
:25:07. > :25:12.Scotland covered. You can see the four areas where they yes votes were
:25:13. > :25:15.ahead. Glasgow and surrounding, and then Dundee in the north-east. But
:25:16. > :25:21.largely, the map has been coloured red. If we go back to the councils,
:25:22. > :25:27.these are the 32 council areas in which voting was counted, and you
:25:28. > :25:31.can see it is awash with red. So many red councils. Looking for the
:25:32. > :25:37.four green ones. Glasgow, the biggest, went for yes, 53%. So did
:25:38. > :25:43.North Lanarkshire, another big council. But that wasn't enough. The
:25:44. > :25:51.other huge councils going from no. And the first results we had came
:25:52. > :25:54.from the smaller councils. Clackmannanshire, Shetland, Orkney,
:25:55. > :25:59.all coming in early in the evening, all going no. It was quite some time
:26:00. > :26:05.before Dundee city became the first yes. So, after this extraordinary
:26:06. > :26:12.night, I can show you hear a spread of council areas with the noes on
:26:13. > :26:17.this side and the yes is on this side. Again, this just illustrates,
:26:18. > :26:21.you would not call it a whitewash, but it is certainly a very
:26:22. > :26:25.convincing victory to those who argue that Scotland should stay in
:26:26. > :26:33.the United Kingdom. Look at these four councils, the four yeses. Those
:26:34. > :26:37.were the only four yeses of 32 councils. Come down with me and you
:26:38. > :26:41.will see the other councils. You will see the margins, increasing as
:26:42. > :26:46.you come down here, until we get to the councils which voted no most
:26:47. > :26:51.decisively. Scottish Borders, Dumfries and Galloway, for example.
:26:52. > :26:57.Orkney and Shetland, the island councils. Yes, this was convincing,
:26:58. > :27:01.as you can see. In the end, only four council areas went with the
:27:02. > :27:10.arguments of those who said that Scotland should leave the UK.
:27:11. > :27:13.And there's further analysis and a full breakdown of results
:27:14. > :27:15.on the BBC website at bbc.co.uk/scotlanddecides.
:27:16. > :27:17.There's been reaction to the referendum result
:27:18. > :27:23.In a moment we'll hear more views on how the result was received
:27:24. > :27:26.But first Reeta Chakrabarti has been speaking to people in Lincoln
:27:27. > :27:35.about their perspective on the people's verdict in Scotland.
:27:36. > :27:37.Under the majestic towers of the ancient cathedral,
:27:38. > :27:40.the people of Lincoln could only watch events in Scotland.
:27:41. > :27:43.Like the rest of the UK they had no say in the decision, but that
:27:44. > :28:01.I think we are losing something if we split Scotland from the UK.
:28:02. > :28:04.I think it's been done the right way, too,
:28:05. > :28:11.The main response on this English high street is one of relief that
:28:12. > :28:14.Scotland has voted to stay, but people's thoughts are now turning to
:28:15. > :28:18.Something definitely needs to change, I think.
:28:19. > :28:22.We've had the same system for quite a few years and perhaps
:28:23. > :28:29.needed to evolve with the times and the political situation.
:28:30. > :28:31.The cathedral houses one of the few copies of Magna Carta,
:28:32. > :28:36.the 800-year-old document which limited the king's powers.
:28:37. > :28:40.With the transfer of power over tax, spending and welfare about to take
:28:41. > :28:45.place to Scotland, where does that now leave the rest of the UK?
:28:46. > :28:50.I think it's right that the Scots do have devolved powers
:28:51. > :28:53.but I also think it's right that the English and the Welsh
:28:54. > :28:58.I think there's been an unequal balance between Scotland
:28:59. > :29:00.having more powers and getting more money through
:29:01. > :29:04.I think that's unfair and English people deserve the same powers,
:29:05. > :29:11.Many here understand that it's not just Scotland
:29:12. > :29:18.Reeta Chakrabarti, BBC News, Lincoln.
:29:19. > :29:21.This was a campaign fought on the streets and filled with passion.
:29:22. > :29:26.For those who won, joy and jubilation.
:29:27. > :29:33.For those who lost disappointment, heartbreak and despair.
:29:34. > :29:35.I think it's the older generation that have
:29:36. > :29:41.We were in tears when the result came through
:29:42. > :29:45.because it is that big a deal to people in Scotland, to yes voters.
:29:46. > :29:47.Here in Scotland's biggest city, Glasgow,
:29:48. > :29:51.a majority of voters indicated they wanted to leave the union, but still
:29:52. > :29:58.The sentiment here was not reflected in the country as a whole.
:29:59. > :30:03.People at this snack bar were relieved that independence is
:30:04. > :30:08.I love Scotland very much but I don't know if we could manage
:30:09. > :30:12.There was an energetic grassroots campaign
:30:13. > :30:15.for yes, but a quiet majority, like these people in North Berwick,
:30:16. > :30:25.And we've been absolutely fed up for the last two years.
:30:26. > :30:28.I would like to think this is the end of it.
:30:29. > :30:31.We had a chance and the country said no, so as far
:30:32. > :30:37.So Scotland remains as part of the United Kingdom.
:30:38. > :30:40.There is now time for reflecting, reuniting, healing,
:30:41. > :30:54.Our political editor Nick Robinson is here.
:30:55. > :31:02.I think it is fair to say we will be reflecting on what happened here for
:31:03. > :31:07.a very long time. I do think we have ever experienced a day like this,
:31:08. > :31:11.have we? A vote to reject major constitutional change in one country
:31:12. > :31:15.in the UK has triggered a debate about major constitutional change in
:31:16. > :31:19.all the countries of the UK. The man without whom this might not have
:31:20. > :31:23.happened, Alex Salmond, has quit, meaning he won't be here to lead
:31:24. > :31:27.that debate when it kicks off. And the people who were on the street
:31:28. > :31:30.with their flags, chanting and protesting, they lost the vote but
:31:31. > :31:35.there is a sense they might just get a little bit of the change they were
:31:36. > :31:40.actually wanting. Why has this happened? Because when we analyse
:31:41. > :31:43.this vote, it wasn't purely about independence, about self-government
:31:44. > :31:48.and national identity. In many ways it was treated by the electorate
:31:49. > :31:52.here as a referendum on the Westminster establishment, the way
:31:53. > :32:00.power works in the UK today. And many people know, no, as well as yes
:32:01. > :32:02.voters, were deeply unhappy. Those leaders in Westminster sniffed the
:32:03. > :32:07.air and thought, we could easily have lost. If a referendum is held
:32:08. > :32:11.in Cornwall, the Northwest or the north-east, we could lose their,
:32:12. > :32:15.too, hence the promises of change. I think now you will see that a
:32:16. > :32:18.subject which was normally one for political train spotters and nerds,
:32:19. > :32:23.constitutional change, will now be a the centre of politics. David
:32:24. > :32:26.Cameron is posing as the man who will fight for England. There will
:32:27. > :32:28.be people here who will fight for Scotland and in all the other
:32:29. > :32:32.countries, too, it is at the centre of politics again. Thank you.
:32:33. > :32:34.That's all from the team in Edinburgh on the day Scotland's
:32:35. > :32:36.future within the United Kingdom was reaffirmed.
:32:37. > :32:40.In a moment, the news where you are, but we'll leave you with some
:32:41. > :32:51.enduring images of referendum night in Scotland.
:32:52. > :33:12.The BBC's forecast now is that Scotland has voted
:33:13. > :33:27.So now it is time for our United Kingdom to come
:33:28. > :33:38.As leader, my time is nearly over, but for Scotland,
:33:39. > :33:48.the campaign continues and the dream shall never die.