"The unionist parties made vows and Scotland will expect them to be delivered in rapid course."
- Alex Salmond, Scottish National Party leader
During the Thursday independence referendum in Scotland, voters strongly rejected the proposals of Scottish National Party and decided to stay as a part of the United Kingdom. Votes were split as 45% for Yes campaign and 55% against being independent. However, there was a difference in regional preferences, as southern regions, which are closer to England, were more unanimous in staying in the U.K., while northern parts of Scotland preferred leaving the Union. Among cities, Glasgow, the largest city of Scotland by population, supported the case of being independent with 53.5% of votes. Edinburgh residents have chosen the opposite way, as 61.1% voted "No". However, such a strong opposition to independence in Scotland's capital can be explained by large number of non-native Scots, who live there and took part in the referendum, namely around 50% of all electorate of the city.
The Bank of England has previously warned the Scottish Government of possible negative implications of leaving the U.K., including uncertainty over the Pound, as well as jobs and economic development. A number of large Scottish companies, including the Royal Bank of Scotland and Lloyds have recently announced that they would move their headquarters to England in case of the "Yes" vote. On Friday, shares of these banks climbed in value.
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