UK party leaders headed to Scotland

The leaders of Britain’s main political parties are headed to Scotland in an attempt to boost the campaign against independence following a recent surge in Yes vote support.

Conservative Prime Minister David Cameron and opposition Labour leader Ed Miliband have agreed to abandon their weekly debate in the House of Commons and travel to Scotland on Wednesday.

“There’s a lot that the political leaders disagree about, but there’s one thing that we all agree about passionately and that is that our United Kingdom is better off if we stay together,” Cameron told reporters, adding, “So tomorrow the right place to be isn’t in Westminster at prime minister’s questions, it’s being in Scotland listening to people, talking to people.”

Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg, the deputy prime minister in the coalition government, is also scheduled to travel to Scotland before the upcoming referendum.

The intervention comes as a YouGov poll presented on September 7 showed support for Scotland’s independence at 51 percent, compared with 49 percent in favor of remaining in the union.

On Monday, former Prime Minister Gordon Brown scrambled to offer Scotland greater autonomy ahead of the upcoming independence referendum, in what is seen as a last-ditch effort to dissuade Scots from voting Yes.

Scottish First Minister Alex Salmond responded to the announcement, saying Brown’s promises are nothing new and show panic among the pro-unionists.

Scotland will hold a national referendum on September 18 to determine the country’s future. The independence referendum could result in Scotland’s breakaway from the United Kingdom after more than 300 years of political union.

SRK/AS/MHB