Scotland, rest of UK await day of destiny

News analysis by Hosni Emam LONDON, Sept 17 (KUNA) -- For the first time in a generation Scots are getting to vote Thursday on whether they want to remain part of the United Kingdom or end the 307-year-old union.
Alex Salmond, the leader of the Scottish National party (SNP), cruised to a historic victory in Scotland in the 2011 election.
Scottish independence never figured very prominently in the campaign or in SNP election leaflets, but the scale of his win was so large Westminster felt it needed to respect the result and hold a referendum, commentators said.
In October 2012, Prime Minister David Cameron went up to Edinburgh and signed a deal granting Holyrood, the Scottish parliament, the power to hold the referendum. Since then, Scotland has seen a very long and hotly-contested campaign. It is the climax of everything Salmond has fought for in his political career, they noted. If he fails, the chance for independence during this Thursday's referendum "will be gone for another generation". If he wins, he will go down in history as the man that broke the union and provoked an "acrimonious divorce." Some Scottish politicians argued that Scots outside of Scotland, such as those living in London or the US, should be entitled to vote. There's about 800,000 of them in the UK alone, so they could have proved decisive. But the Scottish Ggovernment said it would increase the complexity of the referendum and might lead some countries or international institutions to question the legitimacy of the vote. The leaders of the three main parties at Westminster have signed a pledge to devolve more powers to Scotland, if Scots reject independence.
The pledge, which appeared on the front of the Scottish Daily Record newspaper, has been signed by the Conservative leader David Cameron, Labour's Ed Miliband and Nick Clegg of the Liberal Democrats. It has three parts and also commits to preserving the Barnett funding formula.
The "Yes" campaign has argued the only guarantee of more powers is a vote for independence. The first part of the agreement promises "extensive new powers" for the Scottish Parliament "delivered by the process and to the timetable agreed" by the three parties. The second says the leaders agree that "the UK exists to ensure opportunity and security for all by sharing our resources equitably".
The third "categorically states" that the final say on funding for the state-run National Health Service will lie with the Scottish Government "because of the continuation of the agreed formula allocation for resources, and the powers of the Scottish Parliament to raise revenue".
The formula is the method used to determine the distribution of public spending around the UK.
The Labour party denied the powers pledge had come too late in the referendum debate.
Campaigning in the last few days before the day of destiny has reached a feverish stage, with the Labour leader Miliband and former Prime Minister Gordon Brown doing their utmost on behalf of "the Better Together". Miliband was saying a vote for independence will be "an irreversible decision" and "a risk to jobs", his aides said.
Meanwhile, speaking on the BBC's Newsnight current affairs programme last night, Cameron said: "I always said right from the start of this campaign, if Scotland voted 'No' to separation, the rest of the United Kingdom would say 'Yes' to further devolution," said Cameron.
"If Scotland wants more devolution - and I think Scotland should have more devolution - you have to answer the prior question 'Do you want to stay in the United Kingdom?' "And of course that wasn't just my view; that was the view of the leaders of other United Kingdom parties who all thought it was important. Let's settle the question of separation and then look at devolution." In the meantime, on the final day of campaigning ahead of the crucial referendum, the "Yes" side will focus on jobs and the National Health Service, while the "No" side will promise change and a "better Britain".
For their part, the Scottish anti-union are again arguing that the independence will allow Scotland's economy to grow, creating jobs and opportunities. (more he.rk