The Scottish Nationalist leader Alex Salmond was greeted with acclaim as he conceded defeat in the Independence referendum, but he was quick to hint this may have only been round one.
“Scotland has, by majority, decided not at this stage to become an independent country. I accept that verdict of the people and I call on all of Scotland to follow suit in accepting the democratic verdict of the people of Scotland,” he said to cheering supporters.
There was real despair at the result in the Yes camp, but Salmond warned London Scots would expect it to rapidly honour its promise for more powers with legislation. This is far from over.
“I think maybe the health service might get actually demolished in the next two, three, four, five years. But like a phoenix from the flames, these things can be rebuilt and I think we might be able to do it better the second time round, possibly,” said one man.
“It shows that still there are a lot of people in Scotland that didn’t want that. It’s not a landslide vote so we think that’s a good thing overall even if it is still no because it’s going to show that we’re not all happy with the way things are,” said one young woman.
And what is true for many Scots is true for many Britons elsewhere. The campaign in the north has raised issues in the south Prime Minister David Cameron appeared to acknowledge on Friday morning, raising the prospect of electoral reform.
