The era of big centralised government in Britain was at an end, the British Prime Minister, Mr Tony Blair, declared yesterday as he welcomed the decision of Scottish voters to approve plans for a devolved, tax-levying, Parliament in Edinburgh.
After celebrating the resounding backing for the government's plans, Mr Blair immediately flew to Wales to rally people there to the cause of devolution.
"Now is the time for change, to get a government closer to the people and closer to people's priorities," he said. "Yesterday Scotland spoke. Wales will have its turn next week."
The clear Yes, Yes win north of the border - 74.3 per cent in favour of a parliament and 63.5 per cent in favour of tax-raising powers - is a triumph for Mr Blair and the Scottish Secretary, Mr Donald Dewar. The government hopes the referendum result will boost the campaign for a Welsh assembly.
The Tories, already reeling from the general election result in Scotland (they lost all of their MPs), suffered a further rebuff after allying themselves with the No, No campaign. The Conservative leader, Mr William Hague, conceded defeat.
He said it had been "a sad night" for Scotland and the Union, but vowed his party would battle on in the new Parliament against those who "push for full Scottish independence".
He, too, quickly turned his attention to Wales, where the people of the principality will get the chance to vote for their own Senedd on Thursday, although it will not have any powers to vary tax.
A vote for a Scottish Parliament was widely expected. However, the outcome of the Welsh referendum is far less certain.