Prime Minister David Cameron yesterday said he had made little progress in talks with Scottish First Minister Alex Salmond over a referendum on independence for Scotland.
Speaking shortly after the face-to-face talks in Edinburgh, Mr Cameron said his “absolute priority” was to preserve the United Kingdom. He said that voters in Scotland should be presented as soon as possible with a “simple, straightforward and legal” question over whether they want to remain in the UK or not. And he held out the prospect of further talks on increased devolution of powers if Scotland votes to remain in the Union.
Mr Cameron described his discussions with Mr Salmond as “construct-ive”, but told the BBC: “On the issue of independence, separating Scotland, leaving the UK, I am afraid there wasn’t much progress. My absolute priority is to keep the United Kingdom together. It has worked for all our countries, it’s made us safer, it’s made us stronger, it’s made us richer, it’s helped us in times of difficulty. We shouldn’t give up this great thing which is our precious United Kingdom.”
Earlier, the Prime Minister used a speech in Edinburgh to set out his defence of more than 300 years of political union between Scotland and England. The referendum result would not be “the end of the road”.
Mr Salmond, the leader of the Scottish National Party (SNP), wants to hold an independence referendum in 2014, and has suggested allowing a second question on the ballot paper specifically asking on greater devolvement of powers.
However, his critics have called this a fall-back in the event of a No vote, and say that it could muddy the waters.
Although he acknowledged that Scotland – and England – could make their ways as independent states, he said he was “convinced” the UK’s best days lay on the road ahead.
Mr Cameron said: “I come here today with one simple message: I hope and wish that Scotland will vote to remain part of the United Kingdom.”
Describing the UK as more than “some sort of deal”, he added: “It’s a precious thing.
“It’s about our history, our values, our shared identity and our joint place in the world ...
“From Waterloo to the Second World War, our servicemen and women have fought and won together ... Your heroes are our heroes.”