MOSCOW, September 16 (RIA Novosti) – The leaders of the United Kingdom’s three main political parties, Prime Minister David Cameron of the Conservative Party, Ed Miliband of the Labour Party and Nick Clegg of the Liberal Democrat party, signed a pledge promising more powers to the Scottish Parliament if Scotland votes against independence, according to a letter published in the Daily Record newspaper Tuesday.
“We agree that the Scottish Parliament is permanent and extensive new powers for the Parliament will be delivered by the process and to the timetable agreed and announced by our three parties, starting on 19 September,” the letter said in its first part.
The second part states that "the UK exists to ensure opportunity and security for all by sharing our resources equitably." The third part touches upon funding for the National Health Service (NHS), the British health care system. The final say on NHS is promised to Scotland.
On Monday, former Prime Minister Gordon Brown said new powers for Scotland in the event of a vote against independence would unite rather than divide the country.
Brown also said that three guarantees must be locked in, specifically to guarantee new powers to the Scottish Parliament, fairness to Scotland and the power to spend more on the NHS if needed by the people of Scotland.
The long-standing issue of Scottish independence is to be settled by a referendum on September 18. If the majority of people vote for independence, Scotland will secede from the United Kingdom on March 24, 2016.
