“Alex Salmond is to step down as Scottish first minister after voters rejected independence. He will also resign as leader of the Scottish National Party (SNP), which he has led for a total of 20 years. Scottish voters backed the country staying in the UK by 2,001,926 votes to 1,617,989 in Thursday’s referendum.” – BBC
>Yesterday: MPsETC: Salmond resigns
“A poll released by former Tory donor Lord Ashcroft showed how over-65s comprehensively rejected separatism, with a staggering 73 per cent of them voting No. That more than made up for the fact that 71 per cent of 16 and 17-year-olds – who were allowed to vote in a national ballot for the first time – voted Yes. In a major surprise, the poll also revealed that a majority of men – 53 per cent – backed the Union. As expected, women also rejected independence.” – The Sun(£)
>Yesterday: Lord Ashcroft on Comment: New polling: How Scotland voted, and why
“The Queen has expressed her confidence that the “enduring love of Scotland” that exists in all parts of Britain will help the country come together with “mutual respect” after the divisive independence referendum. Writing from Balmoral, where Her Majesty has closely followed the events of the past 24 hours, she acknowledged the “strong feelings” that exist on both sides of the independence debate, but described them as “the nature of the robust democratic tradition we enjoy in this country”.” – Daily Telegraph
>Yesterday: Mark Fox on Comment: Now, after division, strife and discontent must come healing
“Owen Paterson, the former Environment Secretary, demanded an immediate recall of Parliament. He said: “It is unacceptable that in the late stages of the campaign an ex-Labour leader [Gordon Brown] was allowed to make rash promises of ‘extensive new powers’ to the Scottish people with the endorsement of all three UK party leaders, but with no mandate from Parliament. Such a lopsided constitutional settlement cannot last; it is already causing real anger across England. If not resolved fairly for all the constituent parts of the UK for the long term, it will fall apart.” – The Independent
“Boris Johnson has called for the Barnett Formula to be redesigned – as a way of honouring the “reckless promise” made to Scotland. Reacting to the Referendum result, the London Mayor today said it was a “fantastic day” for Britain. But his description of the last-ditch pledge made by Westminster to convince Scotland to vote ‘No’ will anger Downing Street…. Mr Johnson said: “We can’t just go on with a system that even Joel Barnett himself thinks is outdated. “There’s a good way of honouring this odd promise. Ask Lord Barnett who has disassociated himself from this formula to get on with redesigning it.” – The Sun(£)
“I think one of the striking things during this campaign has been that Conservative voices have been heard as part of the majority in Scotland. I think what we are seeing is a revival, a slow but steady recovery for the Tories in Scotland. Tories are entitled to take a share in the victory.” – Interview The Times(£)
“Labour leader Ed Miliband faced a mutiny from his own MPs last night after hastily rejecting David Cameron’s scheme to introduce ‘English votes for English laws’. He sparked a backlash by refusing to support plans to curb the rights of Scottish MPs along with the transfer of new powers north of the border. Instead he called for an unwieldy ‘constitutional convention’ to consider changes in the wake of the historic independence referendum and which would not report back until the end of next year.” – Daily Mail
>Yesterday: LeftWatch: Last night was a nightmare for Miliband and the Labour Party
“The UKIP leader has suggested an English Parliament could operate within the existing Palace of Westminster, with certain days dedicated to business affecting England. He has written to all 59 Scottish MPs to say to them “in the spirit of finding a fair settlement for the United Kingdom, will you please commit from today not to take part in debates or votes in Westminster on English devolved issues”.” – BBC
>Today: Alistair Burt MP on Comment: Why I’m sticking up for Westminster
>Yesterday: James Wharton MP on Comment: I cannot ignore the threat that devolution poses to my region
“The deputy prime minister said the historic event presented an opportunity for “wholesale” constitutional renewal. Mr Clegg said the “missing bit of the jigsaw” – England – must be addressed, having been governed in “an excessively centralised way” for too long. The Lib Dem leader also called for more devolution to Wales and a strengthening of devolution in Northern Ireland. “We must move towards a situation where the clammy grip of Whitehall and Westminster is released so that communities, families, cities, towns and villages across the United Kingdom feel that they have more say over their own destiny than is currently the case,” Mr Clegg argued.” – BBC
“The neatest solution, I’d have thought, is to devolve power to England’s counties and cities. Not to the artificial regions that John Prescott and the EU favoured: That idiotic scheme was killed off when the North East rejected regional devolution by four to one in a referendum in 2004. But our shires are, in many cases, older than England itself. I don’t see why county and metropolitan authorities shouldn’t also enjoy devo max: Control over taxation, benefits, policing, most transport and planning decisions. Several of them are larger, in population terms, than some US states, and US states have their own criminal justice systems, tax regimes and welfare states. My constituents in Hampshire are no less capable of self-government than their cousins in New Hampshire.” – Daniel Hannan Daily Mail
>Today: Tory Diary: Only the Conservatives can deliver democracy for the English
“Politicians have an escape route from full federalism. They can introduce English votes for English laws and leave, for now, the question of an English executive, arguing that it is unnecessary. This is risky and intellectually unsatisfying, but it is practical and could be done quickly. David Cameron will be tempted by this. He knows that the timetable he is committed to doesn’t leave much choice.” – The Times(£)
“I hope he hasn’t appointed William Hague to take things forward because he wants Mr Hague to preside in a dignified and genial fashion over doing not very much.Because in his statement I do see wriggle-room. Alarm bells should ring at Mr Cameron’s promise that his great work of constitutional reform will proceed “in tandem” with devo max for Scotland. The idea that we could discuss and finalise the shape of a home-rule-style transfer of legislative and executive power to England, Wales and Northern Ireland by next February is for the birds.” – Matthew Parris The Times(£)
“The most that could be achieved before May would be some cross-party agreement about what they would all like to do in the next Parliament. But the next Parliament is the next Parliament. Luckily, we are still enough of a free country that the old Parliament cannot command the new one, which the voters will just have chosen.” – Charles Moore Daily Telegraph
“The chief of Rotherham children’s services finally stepped down yesterday, three weeks after the publication of a damning report into child abuse in the town. Joyce Thacker is the fourth senior official to resign in the wake of the investigation, which found there had been ‘serious failings’ by the council and the police in protecting 1,400 victims of grooming gangs. She had clung on to her £115,000-a-year position despite repeated calls to quit.” – Daily Mail
“Barmy council chiefs banning binmen from collecting rubbish on long driveways have been walloped by Eric Pickles. The Communities Minister claims new rules revealed earlier this week in the Yorkshire Dales were “perverse”. And he urged Health & Safety chief Kevin Myers to tell councils to stop “gold plating” their guidance and use some “common sense”.” – The Sun(£)