British PM Begs Scots: Don't Rip Our 'UK Family' Apart in Independence Vote

London: British Prime Minister David Cameron implored Scots on Wednesday to shun independence to keep the United Kingdom "family" intact as he scrambled to stem a steep rise in secessionist support ahead of the September 18 vote.

In a sign of panic within the British ruling elite, Cameron and opposition leader Ed Miliband scrapped their weekly question-and-answer session to visit Scotland on Wednesday to ask Scots not to ditch their 307-year union with England.

"We do not want this family of nations to be ripped apart," Cameron, 47, said in an opinion piece published in the Daily Mail newspaper. "The United Kingdom is a precious and special country."

But Cameron tempered the emotion with a clear warning: "If the UK breaks apart, it breaks apart forever."

Cameron has until now been largely absent from the debate after conceding that his privileged background and centre-right politics mean he is not the best person to win over Scots, who are usually more left-wing than the English.

But if Scotland votes for independence, Cameron's job will be on the line ahead of a national election planned for May 2015.