Cameron makes plea to Scots

British Prime Minister David Cameron and opposition leader Ed Miliband canceled their usual question-and-answer session in parliament on Wednesday to rush north for an eleventh hour plea to Scotland to remain in the union. Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg also joined the last-minute trip.

In an article in Britain's Daily Mail newspaper, the Conservative Cameron warned that there would "no second chances" for Scotland, and that "we do not want this family of nations to be ripped apart." This is a change of approach for London's pro-union campaign, which until very recently has been largely economic and negative in tone.

Cameron talks directly to Scotland

Speaking in front of a group of union supporters in Edinburgh, Cameron - who has until now been mostly missing from the debate - said that he "would be heartbroken" if Scotland left the United Kingdom. He added that Scots should consider what independence would really mean, outside of frustration with the current Conservative government.

He urged people not to confuse this kind of vote with a normal parliamentary election."If you are fed up with the effing Tories," he said, "give them a kick and then maybe we'll think again. This is totally different to a general election: This is a decision about not the next five years but a decision about the next century."

Cameron further cautioned that in the case of secession, a monetary union would not be forthcoming. Britain will not share the pound. He did however promise that in case Scots voted in favor of remaining with England, more autonomy with regards to income tax and welfare spending would be in the works as soon as January.

Cameron's sudden departure to Scotland follows a weekend poll putting the 'Yes' and 'No' camps in a dead heat, with a slight advantage for 'Yes' to independence. This shift brought Cameron, Miliband, and Clegg, the leaders of Britain's three largest parties, together in a last attempt to sway the narrow margin in favor of the union.

A sign of desperation

Many Scots, however, believe the British politicians' sudden arrival just days before the vote only shows desperation and pressure from their parties rather than a real commitment to preserving unity. Scottish nationalist leader Alex Salmond dismissed the move as counterproductive, saying "if I thought they were coming by bus I'd send the bus fare."

Scotland votes on September 18th. A 'Yes' victory would bring an end to more than 300 years of unity with England. The two nations would need to reach decisions on everything from currency to business interests to symbols of state.

es/kms (AP, AFP, dpa, Reuters)