Edinburgh: With less than two days to go before Scotland heads to the polls to decide on independence, Scots woke up on Tuesday morning to a signed pledge by the top three political leaders of UK parties that more powers will be devolved to the region.
Prime Minister David Cameron, Deputy PM Nick Clegg and Opposition leader Ed Miliband signed a Daily Record vow to relinquish more powers to Scotland — if a majority of nearly 4.3 million Scots votes ‘no’ in Thursday’s referendum.
Scots are being asked a simple question: “Should Scotland be an independent country?” A ‘yes’ majority would see an end to the 307-year-old union between Scotland and the rest of the United Kingdom. And in the event of a ‘no’ result, the leaders in Westminster are promising more powers to the Scottish parliament in Edinburgh.
First Minister Alex Salmond, leader of the ‘Yes’ campaign, is dismissing the pledge as a political stunt.
“It’s a classic example of how this last minute desperate offer of nothing is not going to dissuade people in Scotland from the huge opportunity of taking Scotland’s future into Scotland’s hands this coming Thursday,” he told BBC Radio Scotland.
“This so-called vow that has been in the Daily Record, I suspect it’s been called a vow because the last time one of these leaders made a pledge and signed the pledge was the Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg when he signed a pledge that he wouldn’t have tuition fees and then promptly put them up to £9,000 (Dh33,000) for English students in England.”
Labour’s Douglas Alexander said the pledge sets out a vision that can unite Scotland.
“What we’re saying today on the front page of the Daily Record is that we can have the best of both worlds,” he said on BBC breakfast television. “We can have a stronger Scottish Parliament but with the strength, stability and security of the United Kingdom.
“My sense is that in the closing days, the final hours of this referendum campaign, that vow that we can have faster, safer, better change is actually a vision around which Scotland can unite.”
The Independent newspaper reported on Tuesday that the UK banks moved millions of banknotes north of the border to cope with any surge in demand by Scots to withdraw cash in the event of a “yes” vote.
Bankers stressed, however, there has been no sign yet of any increase in the amount of withdrawals from deposit accounts or ATMs, adding that there was no need because the Bank of England has pledged to stand behind all accounts for at least 18 months if Scotland voted for independence.
Police Scotland is also expected to have all of its officers on duty and standby for Friday, unsure if the outcome one way or the other would lead to street clashes.
