Scotland's First Minister Alec Salmond reacts as he concedes defeat in the independence referendum at the "Yes" Campaign headquarters in Edinburgh, Scotland
AFP/Edinburgh
Scotland's pro-independence leader Alex Salmond said Friday he would resign after losing a referendum that left the United Kingdom intact but opened a Pandora's box of demands for more autonomy across Britain.
Despite a surge in Scottish nationalist support in the final fortnight of the campaign, the anti-independence "No" camp secured 55.30 percent of the vote against 44.70 percent for the separatist "Yes" side.
After a campaign that fired up break-away movements around the world and stoked political passions across the United Kingdom, turnout was 84.6 percent -- the highest ever for an election in Britain.
"No" campaigners across Scotland cheered, hugged and danced as the results came in the early morning.
British Prime Minister David Cameron said he was "delighted". He declared that the referendum had produced a "clear result", and added: "Now the debate has been settled for a generation."
Scottish First Minister Alex Salmond conceded defeat and said he would be stepping down from his post and from the leadership of his Scottish National Party (SNP) at its conference 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.
Many "Yes" activists had watched the result in tears, although Salmond urged them to take heart from the huge number -- 1.6 million -- who backed independence.
"We lost the referendum vote but Scotland can still carry the political initiative," he said, adding that "the party, parliament and country would benefit from new leadership".
The result reassured investors worried about the economic risks of a break-up and the pound reached a two-year high against the euro while European stock markets rallied.
The CBI lobby group said the result would be greeted by a "collective sigh of relief across the business community", while the Scotch Whisky Association urged "politicians of all parties to work to bring our country together".
