Scottish FM insists using pound if Scotland votes for independence

EDINBURGH - Scottish First Minister Alex Salmond on Tuesday night insisted an independent Scotland could not be prevented from using the pound.

In an interview with Sky TV news, Salmond reiterated his desire to hold on to sterling, saying that the words about "being able to be vetoed from using the pound" actually isn't true and no one can stop Scotland from using the pound.

He noted that it's sensible to hold on to sterling, adding that England is Scotland's biggest trading partner and Scotland is England's second-biggest trading partner after the United States.

"There will be a common sense agreement for a common currency," Salmond said.

On Tuesday, British Prime Minister David Cameron, leader of the Conservative, Labor Party Leader Ed Miliband and Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg, leader of the Liberal Democratic Pary, published a joint vow on the Scottish Daily Record to offer more powers for Scotland starting on Sept 19, if there is a No vote in Thursday's Scottish independence referendum.

"People want to change. A no vote will deliver faster, safer and better change than separation," concluded the vow.

The Yes campaign said that voters would not be fooled into voting to stay in Britain by the promise of greater powers and questioned why they had not been on offer before.

Official figures showed that about 97 percent of those eligible to vote in Scotland signed up to vote in referendum as independence poll is set to be the biggest poll in Scotland's history, with more people registered to vote than ever before.

The total number of people who have registered for the referendum is about 4.29 million, more than for any previous election or referendum in Scotland, according to the vote's "chief counting officer."

In October 2012, Cameron and Salmond signed the Edinburgh Agreement, allowing Scotland to hold an independence referendum in autumn 2014 on the question of "Should Scotland be an independent country?"