British PM vows fight against Scottish vote

British Prime Minister David Cameron pledged Friday the Conservatives would "fight with everything we've got" to keep the United Kingdom together as he told Scotland's First Minister to "stop dithering and start delivering" on the independence referendum. The Prime Minister said the union between the countries had made Britain "one of the world's greatest economic and political success stories". He argued it was Alex Salmond (first minister)- who wants to hold the independence referendum in autumn 2014 - who was a "big road block" to a vote on the country's constitutional future. The Prime Minister used his speech to the Scottish Conservative conference in Troon, Ayrshire, to launch a passionate defence of the Union. But he also used his speech to tell his party that as well as needing to fight for the future of the country, it must also fight to reconnect with Scottish voters. On the subject of the referendum, he was clear that Scots should get a "clear choice" in the ballot: "Yes or No, in or out of the United Kingdom". "Delay creates uncertainty for businesses, investors, families," Cameron said. "People need to know one way or the other," he added. "So my message to the First Minister is this: stop dithering and start delivering. Let's give the Scottish people the chance to make a clear choice about their future," he stressed. Cameron insisted he was eager for the country to "hold the debate, put the question, make the decision". He conceded the Conservatives - who have just one MP in Scotland - were "nowhere near" where they should be north of the border (in Scotland). But he insisted this was not a "fact of life", as he urged party members to "reach out and send out a rallying cry across Scotland". He told them "Enough of the hand-wringing and trying to be all things to all people. Let's be clear about what we stand for - and what we won't put up with." With the debate over Scotland's future taking centre stage, Cameron used much of his speech to defend the Union, which he said was a "partnership for liberty, security, prosperity". "Scotland is better off in Britain," he said. He hit out at Salmond and his Scottish National Party administration's plans for a referendum. The Scottish Government has said it is open to including a third option of enhanced powers for Scottish parliament on the ballot paper. He also told the conference he was "open-minded about the transfer of more powers" to Scotland "as long as those powers are truly about improving the lives of people in Scotland, not just bargaining chips in some endless game of constitutional poker".