19/09/2014 BBC News at One

The majority of valid votes cast yesterday by the people of Scotland

in response to the referendum question, "Should Scotland be

Scotland says No - voting to remain part of the United Kingdom.

The margin of victory is wider than some had predicted.

David Cameron says he's delighted at the result.

We now have a chance, a great opportunity, to change the way the

British people are governed, and change for the better.

Disappointment in the Yes camp, but Alex Salmond says he accepts

Unionist parties made vows later in the campaign to devolve more powers

to Scotland. Scotland will expect these to be honoured.

Scotland's new powers will be outlined in the new year,

but there are now calls for more devolution in Wales, Northern

As Scotland now looks to the future, we'll have all the reaction to

the referendum result - and what it means for the UK as a whole.

President Hollande announces that French jets have launched

their first air strikes against Islamic State militants in Iraq.

And under pressure from increasing demand -

England's flagship health trusts in deficit for the first time.

The referendum No vote - what will it mean for the capital-

And the Big Issue is given a permanent pitch indoors at

Good afternoon and welcome to the BBC News at One.

The people of Scotland have spoken - and the answer is No.

By a wider margin than many people had predicted, Scotland has voted to

Early this morning, the head of the Yes campaign, Scotland's

First Minister Alex Salmond, conceded defeat - calling on all

David Cameron says the debate is now settled for a generation - but has

promised a new and fair devolution settlement for all parts of the UK.

With all councils now declared, the No campaign took 55% of the

Turnout was a record 84.6% - more than 3.5 million people voted

28 council areas voted No - including here in Edinburgh,

Fife and Alex Salmond's own constituency of Aberdeenshire.

That included Scotland's largest city, Glasgow,

This lunchtime, we'll have all the reaction to the referendum results -

and will discuss the political consequences here in Scotland and in

the rest of the UK, where there are now calls for more power to be given

by Westminster to other parts of the country.

Our first report is from our political correspondent

This is the moment it became official. Scotland had said no to

independence. Yes. The number of votes, 1 million 617900 and 89. No,

the number of votes, 2,001,926. Even before the final result was formally

declared, it had become obvious on Alex Salmond's face. But the

referendum was not just about the politicians. Millions of people had

invested their hopes, dreams, fears and nightmares in a campaign which

had become intense over the past two Magri weeks. It had really lasted

for the past two years. Some were elated, others disappointed, but

Mike -- many quite simply exhausted. Whatever his heartfelt, Alex Salmond

put a brave face on the result when he arrived in the Scottish capital.

Thank you to Scotland for 1.6 million votes for Scottish

independence. But he's told his supporters to reconcile themselves

to defeat. I accept that verdict of the people and I call on all of

Scotland to follow suit and accept the democratic verdict of the people

of Scotland. APPLAUSE

When he became Scotland's first-ever First Minister 15 years ago, the

late Donald Dewar believed the devolved Scottish Parliament would

consign the SNP's ambition to history. Well, it did not quite work

out like that. Four out of ten voters in Scotland have voted for

independence, but senior figures in today's Labour party are stressing a

No vote does not mean no change. The leader of the Better Together

campaign said they had listened to the concerns of those who had not

voted for them. As we celebrate let us also listen. More than 85% of the

Scottish population has voted. People who were disengaged from

politics have turned out in large numbers. And the Prime Minister

promised more devolution for Scotland, Wales and Northern

Ireland, but made clear he felt the question of independence had been

decisively answered. Now the debate has been settled for a generation,

or as Alex Salmond has said, perhaps for a lifetime, so there can be no

dispute, no reruns, we have heard the settled will of the Scottish

people. The first result set the tone of the night. The Yes campaign

had been hoping for success in Clackmannanshire in central

Scotland, but a majority of voters rejected independence. No,

19,000... 19,036. The Yes campaigners were given a boost which

soon became a consolation prize, when most voters in Glasgow,

Scotland's biggest city, opted for an independent Scotland. Yes,

194,000... No, 169,347. They shouted yes, but they have spent the

campaign saying no, and at the Better Together party they weres

there were celebrations when it was clear most voters had embraced the

union and decided to keep the UK United.

As we said, more than 3.5 million people voted -

an unprecedented turnout of just under 85%, the highest

So how are the people of Scotland feeling this morning?

Our Scotland correspondent James Cook has been out and about,

A grey dawn over Edinburgh, a black day for supporters of independence.

They had come here for a victory party, but it never got started.

Instead, results from across the country left them in despair, dismay

and disbelief. Scotland has thrown away a real opportunity here. A

chance in a lifetime and we have thrown it away. I think people have

been scared by the Better Together scares and they have not seen the

opportunity and I don't know when we will get the next chance. This is a

really bad day for Scotland. Through the tears there is anger here as

well, with many blaming the media, in particular the BBC, for the

result. It was always one-sided and how can people possibly make up

their mind if they only get one side of the story? It is disgusting. I am

disgusted with the British state and the media, absolutely disgusted.

Their opponents think the dismay is overdone, suggesting that Scotland

will now have the best of both worlds. More powers for Edinburgh

within the United Kingdom. Delight and relief. I stayed up all night,

at least until three o'clock in the morning, just to watch. It was very

exciting but there are questions to sort out and hopefully we can work

together. Even Alex Salmond is probably secretly happy he's getting

all these powers. A good result. This result has opened wounds which

will take time to heal and while one question has been answered another

remains. What is the settled will of the people in this restless, divided

Scotland? Our assistant political editor

Norman Smith is in Glasgow. Not quite as close result as many

predicted? No, I am in the centre of Glasgow. Glasgow, one of the few

cities to actually vote Yes, but where people are coming to terms

with the scale of last night's really quite decisive defeat. A

defeat brought about, it seems, by the shy noes, the silent majority,

people who did not put up posters or web badges or talk to us

journalists, but who in the privacy of the polling booth finally

expressed their true support for the union, bringing about what is a

defining moment. It was for so long, politics in Scotland has been

dominated by the issue of independence and it has hung over

relations between London and Edinburgh, even soured relations

between the two capitals. Now, all sides accept that is over and maybe

even longer, but if the referendum is over it -- its aftermath could

prove as protracted and difficult. David Cameron will have to live up

to his promise to hand more powers to the Scottish parliament, he has

coupled that with a promise to devolve more powers to the rest of

the UK, and to the same timetable as handing over other powers to

Scotland. What that means is he wants a new deal for England, Wales

and Northern Ireland, by January of next year. That is an

extraordinary, daunting, difficult and potentially divisive process.

So now the focus will be on how the UK government delivers

its promise of more powers for the Scottish parliament.

This morning, David Cameron said the government would follow through on

its pledge - but added that there must be what he called "a new and

fair settlement" for Wales, Northern Ireland and England as well.

Our political correspondent Ben Wright reports.

After an anxious night wake in Westminster, by dawn it was clear,

Scotland will stay in the UK. But something else was clear, politics

here has changed for good. Let's start with England. The question of

whether it is fair for Scotland's MPs to vote on laws that only apply

to England has been discussed, but ducks, four years. This morning the

Prime Minister said it needed to be answered. The question of English

votes for English laws, the so-called West Lothian question,

requires a decisive answer. So just a Scotland will vote separately and

the Scottish Parliament on the issues of tax, spending and welfare,

so to England, as well as Wales and Northern Ireland, should be able to

vote on these issues and all this must take place in tandem with and

at the same pace as the settlement for Scotland. The debate around

England only legislation has simmered for years and it is

controversial territory. What laws would Scotland's MPs be excluded

from? Could a future Labour Prime Minister relying on Scottish MPs get

a complete set of budget measures through the House of Commons? Even

by Britain's standards of constitutional improvisation, this

is being done on the hoof and in a hurry. It means actually that the

next general election will see the English question being one of the

major issues that we have to face and I have long campaigned that

Labour should be ahead of the curve on this and I hope we will be by

long before the next election. This morning, UKIP's leader Nigel Farage

posted letters to Scottish MPs, telling them not to vote on English

issues at Westminster. It is playing catch-up at the last minute. Mr

Cameron is scared of how English view voters will view those promises

made towards the end of the campaign we could get all 59 Scottish MPs

promised between now and the next election not to take part in debates

or votes on English-only issues. The government wants to push more power

down to cities as well, such as Carlisle. I think we should have the

same as Scotland, where you get free prescriptions and everything. Why

not spread that our way? We'd all like to see a development of power

and decision-making to local regions so we can make decisions about local

populations in terms of health and social care needs. Local government

should have a say in the north-east and north-west. What about Wales? It

already has some devolve powers, but the pledge of guaranteed extra

funding for Scotland and more power has prompted calls for further

devolution to Cardiff. Promises have been made to Scotland, far reaching

promises, and there are implications for Wales. Scotland has been offered

first-class devolution. There is a risk that Wales will get second or

even third class devolution and we must make sure that our devolution

settlement is as good if not better than what they get in Scotland. At

Stormont, the First Minister of Northern Ireland said all the

nations of the UK had to be involved in the discussion about new

devolution. The referendum in Scotland is over. The arguments over

how Britain had should be governed have just begun.

A timetable to deliver change was set out by the former

He's argued that all the proposals should be laid out

by the government by the end of October, and draft legislation

Our correspondent Christian Fraser looks at the timetable.

So finally we know - the people of Scotland have rejected

independence, and for the time being all these powers

What it doesn't mean though is a return to the status quo.

In the final weeks of the campaign, Better Together promised substantial

change - and the SNP will certainly hold them to that commitment.

Here are two powers which look set to be further

At the moment the Scottish government can vary the level

of income tax by up to three pence, though it has never used these

And under the 2012 Scotland Act they'll have further scope to adjust

But faced with the threat of independence,

the three main Westminster parties agreed to go even further.

The Tories and the Lib Dems want to give Holyrood complete control

in the setting of personal income tax rates, with negotiations to

We might also see more powers over VAT, on air transport duty,

perhaps also the power to change inheritance tax and capital gains.

What about that other power - over here - social security and benefits.

Labour would like to fully devolve housing benefits policy -

Alex Salmond promised that with independence

the Scottish government would scrap the so-called bedroom tax - and that

may still be the case if the Scottish government can fund it.

Nicola Sturgeon said this morning they want more on welfare,

So it seems likely they will push for more than has

We can show you Gordon Brown's timeline here.

A white paper by the end of November.

Draft legislation appearing here, somewhere near the end of January.

A second reading of the bill before the end of this parliament -

which does look a tight deadline in mind of the dissent now brewing

The clamour on the Tory backbenches is growing for a federal UK,

The beginnings then of what could be a huge constitutional wrangle.

As we've heard, the implications of the No vote

In a moment we'll hear from our correspondents in Wesminster

and Belfast, but first let?s speak to Hywel Griffith in Cardiff.

Give us a sense of what people are saying there. Well, if David Cameron

thought that offered to put Wales at the centre of the debate over a new

UK would find him some friends in the Welsh assembly this morning, he

was wrong. Labour's Carwyn Jones, the First Minister for Wales,

rounded on him, accusing David Cameron of almost sleepwalking into

disaster over Scotland and now potentially doing the same over the

rest of the UK. For two years, Carwyn Jones has been calling UK

constitutional convention. That, it seems, is not going to happen in

some three months. The real problem for Welsh Labour is twofold. First,

they don't have much leverage. This discussion is increasingly going

over the relationship between Scotland and England. Secondly, not

what -- one for the Welsh MPs, the Clywd West problem, because Labour

has 26 MPs in Wales. If you take them out of Westminster, that causes

a headache next May. So the response to that offer from David Cameron,

cool, I have to say. People do want more powers, but they want a proper

seat at the table as well. That is the view in Cardiff.

The big question for Northern Ireland is can it handle any more

devolution, any more power? Government at Stormont is not like

the rest of the United Kingdom, we have a mandatory coalition of five

parties, the two main parties, the DUP, centre-right, and Sinn Fein,

had left, nationalist. They do not agree very much. In fact, the First

Minister and Deputy First Minister are at loggerheads at the moment

over the Clemente should of welfare reform, which has not happened in

Northern Ireland, and it will cost the budget ?84 million this year. --

over the implementation. The question arises as to whether, if

they got further tax raising powers, or if they got the ability to have

more power over their financial affairs, would they be able to

manage that? The 1 thing they agree on is that the devolution of

corporation tax should be devolved, but two quotes, from Peter Robinson,

no point giving the Executive more powers when it cannot control the

powers it has, and Arlene Foster says that there needs to be a huge

dose of reality. Andy Martin, thank you. Vicki Young is at Westminster,

there is going to be pressure as well from the English regions, the

scale of this is quite eye watering. Yes, it is, and it is not clear

whether the slumbering beast of English nationalism really has been

kicked away, as one constitutional expert but it is today, but we have

had a parade of very angry Conservative MPs, angry that they

have not been consulted about what they see as a very generous promise

given to Scotland during the referendum campaign. That is what

David Cameron was trying to address today, saying he would speak to and

listen to the millions of English voters, but member there is still no

agreement across the political parties about what powers needs to

be devolved to Scotland, what English devolution might look like,

or whether Scottish MPs should be banned from voting on English laws

altogether, something that would put Labour in a real bind because they

have the largest number of Scottish MPs. So a long list of promises, not

clear how quickly whether it can be delivered. Thanks very much now.

The pound hit a two-year high against the euro this morning,

and a two-week high against the US dollar,

as Scotland voted against independence.

Meanwhile, the Royal Bank of Scotland,

which had drawn up plans to move its registered head office

to England in the event of a yes vote

says what it had described as a contingency plan

Our business correspondent Simon Jack is in the City.

Simon, we always say the markets hate uncertainty, I suppose they now

have a little more certainty than they did yesterday. Yeah, they have

got a bit of clarity, the markets got the results they wanted, frankly

the 1 they always expected. They saw it as a odds on bed, they had a

scare last week from some opinion polls, but the stock market is up

about 1%. RBS, a big jump in their share price, up 4%, those

contingency plans to move their legal home south of the border can

go in the bin, or at least in the bottom draw for the foreseeable

future. The existential question has been answered, but you can see that

the pound rallied against the euro, but that is wearing off as mine turn

to this new complexity - what do these devolution powers mean? Will

doing business in the UK be more congregated? I would say there is

relief but not euphoria here. -- complicated.

That's it from us in Edinburgh for now.

for more reaction to the No vote in the Scottish referendum.

And that is our top story this lunchtime.

Scotland says no, voting to remain part of the United Kingdom.

And the latest on the hunt for Alice Gross.

Wembley Stadium will host the semis and final of Euro 2020.

And one of the finest collections of old master paintings,

the great gallery at the Wallace Collection opens its doors again.

Forensic officers are still searching the house of the builder

formerly convicted of murdering his wife in Latvia

and now wanted in connection with the disappearance

of 14-year-old Alice Gross in west London.

Arnis Zalkalns was sentenced to seven years in prison

He was last seen a week after Alice Gross vanished.

Our home affairs correspondent Tom Symonds reports.

They've been searching the home of Latvian builder Arnis Zalkalns

He failed to return home two weeks ago.

He left his passport and phone behind.

Police have recovered large objects from the flat

he shared with his partner, including a bike.

He's a suspect because, on the day Alice went missing,

she crossed this bridge in Brentford, West London,

and 15 minutes later so did Arnis Zalkalns,

In 1988, Arnis Zalkalns was jailed for murdering his wife

and, according to reports from Latvia,

with indecently assaulting a 14-year-old girl in 2009.

He regularly cycled to a building job

along the towpaths where Alice went missing.

As a Latvian EU citizen, he currently has the right to work here

Only evidence he poses a serious and present risk

would allow Britain to prevent his entry.

means the investigation has entered a new phase,

but also searching for him across Europe.

French jets have carried out their first strike

against Islamic State militants in Iraq.

says planes attacked an IS depot in north-east Iraq,

and he said there would be more raids in the coming days.

The action follows more than 170 US air strikes against the jihadist

group since mid-August. have recorded a financial deficit

for the first time. including hospitals, mental health

and ambulance services, reported an overall deficit of

?167 million between April and June. The figures highlight

the financial challenges facing the NHS in England as it deals

with rising demand for health care. How worrying is this? Well, Simon,

individual trusts being in deficit is nothing new, but this is the

first time the whole sector for foundation trust has been in deficit

over a three-month period, and to give you some indication, it

recorded a surplus in the same three months last year. Hospital chiefs

say they are dealing with record numbers of patients, and that was in

the summer, never mind winter pressures, more people coming

through A, more need for care, particularly amongst the elderly.

The Government say, well, it is only three months of the, often

efficiency savings come through later in the year. They are urging

Hospital bosses to be more efficient, they say the NHS budget

has increased over this Parliament. As winter approaches, there will be

real concerns over whether this rising demand for care, higher

population and so on, continues, and with the cold winter. We had a mild

winter last day, and if that is not repeated, they could be increasing

pressure in months ahead. Thank you very much. More now on our main

story, the people of Scotland have voted no to independence.

The Queen is expected to release a statement later today

Our royal correspondent Nicholas Witchell is there.

Nick, would it be fair to suggest there must be a degree of relief in

the Royal household today? Yes. I think we can say that without fear

of contradiction. Relief and, of course, this statement this

afternoon, we expect a short statement, I think it is a logical

assumption that now that the decision has been made after a

divisive campaign, the Queen will focus on the fact that Scotland has

made its choice, and she will ask both sides to accept that choice and

to reconcile with each other and to move ahead. And indeed the

overwhelming emotion here, I think privately, is one of relief. The

Queen, I think, privately would have found it very unhappy, had it been

the break-up of the United Kingdom. Balmoral is a moat and secluded,

repeatedly her favourite home, but she is kept in touch with the

closing stages of the campaign. -- is remote. So private relief and a

wish now for reconciliation. Thank you very much, Nicholas Witchell at

Balmoral. Scotland's decision to remain

part of the United Kingdom Our diplomatic correspondent

Bridget Kendall has been gauging international

reaction to the No vote. The United Kingdom

is still united this morning... Intense interest and some relief

at this result. There's deep affection

for Scotland's distinct identity, did not want to see it split

from the United Kingdom, fearing it would fuel separatism

elsewhere and turn the UK

into a weaker partner. But it may be that Britain's global

influence will be eroded anyway. the United Kingdom

is already in decline. The days of the British Empire

may be long gone, like China, India, Russia and Brazil

have grown in strength, medium-sized countries like Britain

have lost clout. And though the UK will still be

a staunch ally of countries like the United States,

new devolved powers for Scotland, and probably constitutional reform

elsewhere, mean the United Kingdom

is going to change. I think there will still be

negative implications, even from the No vote

that we now have. The whole issue about powers for

other parts of the United Kingdom, er, constitutional change,

this will be a huge distraction And in the European Union

there is another uncertainty. If Conservatives win

the next British election, which could take the UK out

of the EU in three years' time? But perhaps there is

one silver lining. While many countries may find it

incomprehensible that Westminster agreed

to let the Scots held a vote, it does show British democracy

is alive and well. It is actually pretty remarkable

that a state can say, we are not going to compel

part of what has been our country that perhaps did not want

to remain part of our country, we are going to allow

the democratic process. To do that you have to be a country

that has enormous confidence As the next step in the UK's journey

to remake itself begins, the rest of the world

will be watching closely. Let's get the thoughts of our

Scotland correspondent James Cook, because you have covered this right

from the beginning, a very long campaign. This margin of 55-45, is

it sufficient to lay the question of independence to rest now? I think

the short answer is, it's depends, it's depends on what happens with

these more powers. You are right, it has been an extraordinary couple of

years, exhilarating, exciting, depressing and divisive, and that

does not depend what side you have been on, people have switched from

emotion to emotion, regardless of their position on the argument. If

you take a broader view, aside from the ins and outs of what Scotland

should look like, this is to a certain extent tapping into a sense

of restlessness about the capitalist, western democratic

model, and that has found expression in this referendum in a way that it

does not normally in a general election or other type of election.

So I think that is interesting, that will not go away. But also this

question of more powers, I mean, crucially, the parties do not agree.

The three Westminster parties do not agree on what these powers should

be. They could not agree with the Union at peril, as it appeared to be

in recent days, so some nationalist worry and fret and stress that they

will not be able to agree at all, and they will be watching very

closely to ensure they do. James Cook, thank you very much. We must,

as we do, take a look at the weather prospects, just trying out in

Edinburgh I think, let's find out what it is like where you are in the

UK. Lively conditions in some areas, you

may have been woken by thunder and lightning, torrential storms

rumbling across southern counties, serious issues in some places. They

extend westwards, through the West Country towards Devon through this

morning. They are now heading further northwards, losing some of

their power but still some sharp showers through parts of Wales, the

Midlands and parts of northern England. By comparison, further

north, much quieter, cloudy for many places, as we saw in Edinburgh, but

some brightness in the Highlands and the Grampians, patchy rain across

the far north-west, another gloomy, misty, cool day along the North Sea

coasts. , showers in northern England, but another clutch of

potentially nasty storms developing through the afternoon across

southern counties. High temperatures, warm afternoon, 24-25

in one or two places. Then interesting again, into the evening

some really lively storms pushing up through parts of southern England,

the Midlands, making their way towards eastern counties. Met offers

warnings are in force, thunder, lightning, alias possible as well.

-- Met Office. We could get down to single figures across the North West

of Scotland. A different day tomorrow, sunshine developing across

Northern Ireland and Scotland, a lovely afternoon to come. Further

south, cloud, remnants of the overnight storms will ease away, a

few more developing across southern counties, not as potent as today.

Still muggy in the South, fresh air arriving from the North. It all

hinges on a cold front, along the eastern coastal counties you have

had days of gloom, haven't you? Mist and low cloud, and as that front

clears southwards, through this weekend, a transformation along the

eastern coastal areas, welcome sunshine at last. That front will

clear through as we go through Saturday and into Sunday, and behind

that high pressure is building again, clean, fresh high, lots of

sunshine, the odd shower for a time in East coastal areas, but most

places dry with light winds, feeling very pleasant. We will lose the high

temperatures across the South, mid-to high teens, feeling very

pleasant indeed. To sum up this weekend, the storms will ease away,

the cloud will lift, hopefully sunshine and fresh as well.

Well, that's it from us here in Edinburgh

on what is an historic day for Scotland and the rest of the UK.

and have chosen to stay in the United Kingdom.

We'll leave you with some of the images from a memorable night.

MUSIC: "In A Big Country" by Big Country

is that Scotland has voted no to independence.

and I call on all of Scotland to follow suit

in accepting the democratic verdict of the people of Scotland.

So there can be no disputes, no reruns.

We have heard the settled will of the Scottish people.