British Prime Minister David Cameron has made an impassioned plea to the people of Scotland to remain as part of the United Kingdom, ahead of a referendum vote on independence on September 18th. He said he would be heartbroken if what he called the family of nations have grown together, were to be torn apart.
On the same day Labour's Ed Miliband and Nick Clegg for the Liberal Democrats also travelled to Scotland to make separate appearances…. all aimed out getting out the No vote…after recent polls put the No and Yes camps neck and neck.
From London, Catherine Drew reports.
IN: "It was a much"
OUT: SOC
DUR: 2:37
SCRIPT:
Millions of people have a stake in the outcome of the Scottish referendum but perhaps none more so than David Cameron,
At a quieter than usual Westminster, Alex Stevenson the political editor for the website, politics.co.uk outlined the possibilities for the British Prime Minister.
INSERT;
"The stakes are huge for David Cameron because if Scotland does vote yes, then he's going to be the Prime Minister, he's going to go down in history as the Prime Minister who was in charge and let this happen."
SCRIPT:
After months of lagging well behind in opinion polls, the Yes campaign to scottish independence surged in recent weeks…so much so that the outcome is now too close to call.
Amid newspaper headlines that spoke of his desperation, David Cameron headed north to plead his case during an appearance in Edinburugh.
INSERT:
"I would be heartbroken if this family of nations that we have put together and that we have done such amazing things together if this family of nations was torn apart.
SCRIPT:
The british prime minister was at pains to highlight that the referendum is not on the popularity of his government.
INSERT:
I think people can feel it is a bit like a general election - that you make a decision and five years later you can make another decision if you are fed up with the effing Tories, give them a kick and then maybe we'll think again. This is totally different to a general election: This a decision about not the next five years it's a decision about the next century. "
SCRIPT:
But the leader of the Yes campaign, Alex Salmond who heads the Scottish National party….. said the appearance of Westminster leaders in scotland did not worry him.
INSERT:
The reaction in the streets and communities in the streets of Scotland sees this as last gasp piece of desperation from the Westminster establishment.
SCRIPT:
And some analysts agree that such a personal visit is a high stakes gamble for the British Prime Minister David Cameron….. Alex Stevenson again from politics.co.uk
INSERT:
"The problem for Cameron, Miliband and Clegg is that the word Westminster is toxic north of the border. It's at the heart of the nationalists case that they want to get away from these politicians, these elitist leaders in far away London and the whole point of the referendum is to get rid of them so it's far from clear that this last dash north by Britain's leaders in Westminster is going to help at all."
SCRIPT:
Experts say if Scotland votes for independence, David Cameron would face an unprecedented constitutional crisis that ministers in London are only beginning to grapple with.
What started off as a small campaign by pro independence scots has now turn into a highly emotional national drama with a great deal at stake. Not only for England. Wales and Northern Ireland but for David Cameron who is now on a personal campaign to save the union.
Catherine Drew, sign off, London