Scottish officials pan ‘panicking’ UK government

British Prime Minister David Cameron urged Scots not to rip apart a “family of nations” as he battled to reverse a late surge in support for Scottish independence a week from a historic referendum.

Scotland votes on whether to end the 300-year-old union on Thursday next week and recent polls suggest the outcome is on a knife’s edge.

In what Scottish National Party (SNP) First Minister Alex Salmond described as a sign of “panicking,” Cameron and opposition Labour leader Ed Miliband skipped their weekly parliamentary debate in London to hit the campaign trail north of the border.

“I would be heartbroken if this family of nations that we’ve put together and that we’ve done such amazing things together... was torn apart,” Cameron said in Edinburgh.

Newspaper the Scotsman came out against independence in an editorial that covered its front page yesterday, headlined “Scotland’s decision.”

“With the choices before us, the conclusion is that we are better together, that Scotland’s best interests lie not in creating division, but in continuing in the Union and using its strengths to help us continue in our success,” the newspaper wrote. “That is not a view taken because of fear, or lack of confidence, or lack of patriotism.”

The Scotsman is the latest major Scottish newspaper to back the union after the Daily Record tabloid, with the second-highest circulation in Scotland, endorsed the “Better Together” campaign a week ago.

The Sunday Herald is the only Scottish newspaper to support independence, but there was growing press speculation this week that the Scottish Sun, which has the highest circulation in Scotland, could declare its support for independence after critical coverage of the “No” campaign.

A poll out on Wednesday gave the “No” camp a six-point lead.

The Survation/Daily Record poll put “No” on 53 percent and “Yes” on 47 percent, excluding undecideds.

After a poll put the “Yes” camp ahead on Sunday, the three biggest parties at Westminster on Tuesday backed a plan unveiled by former prime minister Gordon Brown for handing more powers to the Scottish government if it stayed in Britain.

The timetable would start the day after a “No” vote in the referendum.

Cameron’s job could be at risk if there is a “Yes” vote, though his campaign appearances have been limited because his Conservative party is unpopular in Scotland.

Acknowledging this, he told voters the referendum was not about giving the “effing Tories... a kick,” but about Scotland’s future.

Salmond accused Cameron of making a “last-gasp, last-ditch” attempt to save the union by coming to the Scottish capital.

“Their visit will backfire,” said Michael Granados, an SNP campaigner attending a rally with Salmond in Edinburgh. “Every time Westminster gets involved in this campaign, the vote swings more and more to the ‘Yes’ side.”

The uncertain political landscape has spooked investors; the pound on Wednesday was still struggling after hitting a 10-month low against the dollar on Monday.

Edinburgh-registered banking group Lloyds said it could relocate its legal seat to England in the event of a “Yes” vote and a Treasury source said that Royal Bank of Scotland was making similar plans.

The Financial Times business newspaper came out against independence in an editorial on Wednesday.

“The union is something precious, not a bauble to be cast aside,” it said.

http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/world/archives/2014/09/12/2003599584

Structure of the Lead：

who:Scotland

when:9/18, 2014

what:Scottish independence referendum

why:Scotland hope to be independence

where:Scotland

how:

Key words:

Prime 總理
reverse 相反的
independence 獨立
vote 投票
parliamentary議會的
conclusion 結論
unveil 公諸於眾