Achmelvich is correct. The Yes campaign lost the vote but the No campaign had already given up trying to win it on the terms they chose to fight it on. Prior to the campaign the various polls showed that of the three options (status-quo; independence; or some form of devomax) the devomax option was the most popular among ordinary Scots. Though not their favoured option the Scottish gvt was willing to have a third devomax question on the ballot paper. It was the unionist parties and the UK gvt who threw this out. The ballot was to be about a straight 'in or out' question. Any idea of further devolution was to be a question for the future and not for the referendum. And remember some were hostile to the idea of further devolution. Ruth Davidson in her leadership campaign for the Tories declared that the Scotland Bill was the line in the sand. There would be no more powers!!

The No campaign expected to win the referendum easily so in the last few weeks when it looked far too close for their comfort it was suddenly declared that there would be more powers. Not a question of if but a question of what and when. The people who took the original Ruth Davidson stance were pushed aside in the panic and were told they were getting no voice on the matter. There would be more powers whether they liked it or not. An aspect of this which seems to have been completely ignored. We are a split household in that I was a Yes whilst my wife was not only a No but actually through her association with the Tories actively worked for Better Together. Her original stance was further devolution shouldn't be on the table because "why should Alex Salmond have a consolation prize?". Didn't think it was the most logical position to take but it was her position never the less. She's forgotten that now and isn't it great all these powers Cameron is going to give us is the position!!!

As to who the long time winners will be. It is hard to say but it could well be just that it has been delayed for a while. Out of a room of 20 people who voted it was only 11-9 to retain the union. Out of said room only one person need be swayed to make it even so despite what some claim about a big victory it was much closer than people expected and it doesn't seem to have done the Nats any harm in the short term. Not only are they well ahead in the polls for Holyrood but they are also even ahead on the voting intentions for Westminster which must be making Labour nervous in the extreme. Their core support, at least in the short term, seems to have mushroomed. I don't know if that stat has been distributed widely throughout the UK?

At the time of the referendum the membership of the SNP was around 25,000 members which equated to just about as many members as the other three main parties combined. Labour have something like 13,000 and the Tories 11,000 though I can tell you the bulk of Tory membership in Scotland is quite elderly. In the several weeks since the vote SNP membership has rocketed without, they admit themselves, them even trying to obtain new members. It now stands officially at over 75,000 and I've seen reports that this does not include a few thousands applications yet to be processed as thousands have been applying every day. People are talking about 100,000 members within a few weeks if it continues! Plus the membership of the Greens has rocketed too.

Whether this is of any long term significance or not only time will tell but it must be a bit of a hollow victory especially for ardent status-quo unionists. They've had their views brushed aside by their unionist partners without getting their say in a referendum on the issue - and now see their polar opposites flourishing rather than skulking away as a beaten movement.