GLASGOW, Scotland (AP) — It’s a rare display of unity among Britain’s three major political parties.
The leaders of all three parties — including Prime Minister David Cameron — went to Scotland today, to urge voters to reject a proposal for Scotland to break apart from Britain. The referendum will be held next week, and recent polls indicate the two sides are neck-and-neck.
Cameron and the leaders of the Labour Party and the Liberal Democrats pulled out of a weekly House of Commons question session to make the campaign trip to Scotland.
Cameron said Scottish independence would break his heart. It could also be a political setback, as he is likely to face pressure from his Conservative Party to step down if Scots vote to secede.
He has ordered the blue-and-white Scottish flag to be flown over his office at Downing Street until the vote, in a sign of support for Scotland.
But critics noted that his comments today were to an invited audience — and that he didn’t risk speaking before a random group of Scots on the street.
Voters who support independence for Scotland seemed unimpressed by the visits. One man said if they had really cared, the politicians would have visited weeks ago — and not just when the polls indicated they might lose.
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APPHOTO LON812: Britain’s Prime Minister, David Cameron, points whilst speaking during a visit to a financial office in Edinburgh, Wednesday Sept. 10, 2014. Cameron made an impassioned plea to keep Scotland part of the union, saying he would be “heartbroken” if the United Kingdom was torn apart. (AP Photo/PA, Andrew Milligan) UNITED KINGDOM OUT NO SALES NO ARCHIVE (10 Sep 2014)
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APPHOTO LLP102: The Saltire flies on a government building at Whitehall in central London, Wednesday, Sept. 10, 2014. British Prime Minister David Cameron abandoned party politics for pure emotion Wednesday, imploring Scots not to break his heart by voting to become independent from the United Kingdom. Conservative Party chief Cameron, Labour leader Ed Miliband and Liberal Democrat chief Nick Clegg all pulled out of a weekly House of Commons question session in London to make a late campaign dash to Scotland as polls suggest the two sides are neck-and-neck ahead of next week’s independence referendum that could break Scotland’s 307-year union with the kingdom. (AP Photo/Lefteris Pitarakis) (10 Sep 2014)
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