Stating that his heart would have broken had the referendum gone in favour of creating a separate country of Scotland; British Prime Minister David Cameron said Friday that the clear result in favour of continuing with a "United Kingdom" was delightful news.
In a statement issued today, he said: "The people of Scotland have spoken. It is a clear result. They have kept our country of four nations together. Like millions of other people, I'm delighted. It would have broken my heart to see our United Kingdom come to an end."
Cameron said now was the time to move forward, and the result of the referendum should be seen as a "great opportunity to change the way the British people are governed, and change it for the better."
He further added, "Political leaders on all sides must work together to advance the interests of people in Scotland, as well as those in England, Wales and Northern Ireland."
"Because it is absolutely right that a new and fair settlement for Scotland should be accompanied by a new and fair settlement that applies to all parts of the United Kingdom," he said.
The British Prime Minister said that he was completely in favour of allowing all four parts of the United Kingdom to have a say on key issues affecting them and their future.
"We have heard the voice of Scotland - and now the millions of voices of England must not go ignored. So, just as Scotland will vote separately in the Scottish Parliament on their issues of tax, spending and welfare, so too England, as well as Wales and Northern Ireland, should be able to vote on these issues - and all this must take place in tandem with, and at the same pace as, the settlement for Scotland," Cameron said.
"This referendum has caught the imagination of people across the whole of our United Kingdom. Now, we must look forward, and turn this into the moment when everyone - whichever way they voted - comes together to build a better, brighter future for our entire United Kingdom," he said.
