Former Prime Minister Gordon Brown is to stand down as an MP at the next general election.
The Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath MP ruled out a Labour peerage, as he made the announcement to constituency activists.
Mr Brown was chancellor from 1997 to 2007 before spending three years in 10 Downing Street.
Labour leader Ed Miliband described Mr Brown as a "towering figure", while David Cameron said he had "given a huge amount" to public life.
Under Mr Brown's leadership, Labour lost power in 2010 after 13 years in government, recording its worst general election result since 1983.
Since then, he has kept a generally low profile, making an intervention in a debate on the phone-hacking scandal and later entering the Scottish independence campaign.
Leaving Westminster
Addressing Labour Party activists in his constituency in Fife, Mr Brown said he was in "no doubt" that stepping down was the right thing to do.
Mr Brown will have served 32 years at Westminster by the time of the general election - Iain Watson takes a look at his career
But he stressed his continuing commitment to the constituency at the meeting of supporters, friends and wife and children.
"We are not leaving Fife. It is London that I am leaving. For the avoidance of doubt, I'm not going back to Westminster nor to House of Lords.
"It is Fife where our home is and where we will be, where our children John and Fraser - who are here tonight - are happily at school."
James Landale, BBC deputy political editor
To his opponents, Gordon Brown was one of the worst prime ministers of the post-war era, a man whose ambition outpaced his ability.
To his supporters, he was a giant of his age, a politician who helped save the global economy and the United Kingdom. He could be brilliant and inspirational. He could be insecure and suspicious.
Above all, he was a complex figure whose character shaped his leadership, from his moral seriousness to his petty rivalries.
Read more of James Landale's analysis here.
Mr Brown told the meeting that although he was standing down next May, "I want to renew my commitment to public service".
"So, in the next few months I will do everything I can to secure the election of my successor here as the Member of Parliament and the election of Ed Miliband as prime minister under a Labour government," he pledged.
He said he would also use the skills he learned "fighting the cause of Scotland in Britain" and to "fight also the cause of Britain in Europe".
"And, although I have no desire to return to frontline politics, if the health service needs an additional champion, if the cause of social justice needs someone else to speak up for it, if the cause of Scotland in Britain needs someone to speak for it, and if I feel I can make a difference, then I will do everything in my power to play my part in securing the election of a Labour government in the Scottish parliament elections in 2016 as well," the MP added.
'My hero'
Mr Brown, who first entered Parliament in 1983, confirmed his intentions in a speech to his constituency Labour Party on Monday evening.
His wife, Sarah, who was at the event, told BBC Scotland it was "quite an emotional day".
"I've known Gordon always as a Member of Parliament and I think most decisions we'd make together as a family or as a couple but actually this one was for him alone. So, yeah, it's the end of this particular era."
Asked what he and the family would do next, she said they had both been working on global education projects and would "combine our efforts" to try to tackle the problem of "58 million children who don't get a single day at school around the world".
Gordon Brown's wife, Sarah, says the couple will continue to work on global education projects
When pressed about criticism of her husband during his career, she said she didn't read "every comment" and stood by past remarks that he was "my hero".
Alastair Campbell, Tony Blair's former director of communications, told BBC Radio 4's Today programme Mr Brown was "one of the political figures of our time".
"At his best to work with he was absolutely brilliant. And equally at other times he could be a nightmare to work with," he said.
"I think sometimes with really great figures there is always a downside and that was the downside... this idea that he was brilliant but he was also impossible."
"You see this in a lot of people there is often this link between hyper achievement and psychological issues. I've got them myself, I've been very open about that," Mr Campbell added.
Mr Campbell described the relationship between Blair and Brown as like Lennon and McCartney and said Mr Blair had come close to sacking Mr Brown.
The former spin doctor worked closely with Mr Brown when he was chancellor.
"I used to go to meetings every single morning. You never knew what mood he'd be in but whatever it was he was worth working with because we did make things happen," Mr Campbell said.
"I always gave him the benefit of the doubt - except when he could be totally nightmarish and then we all lost it."
Charity work
The BBC's assistant political editor Norman Smith said Mr Brown's decision to step down was "not a huge surprise", with the former PM having been a "relatively infrequent visitor to Westminster" since the 2010 general election.
Since resigning as prime minister and Labour leader, Mr Brown has focused on charity work and his role as United Nations special envoy for global education.
Mr Brown told the meeting that he would continue this work from Fife.
He returned to the political spotlight during the latter stages of the Scottish independence referendum campaign with the result in the balance, helping to secure the vote against independence.
Tony Blair and Gordon Brown led the Labour government for 13 years
A key part of his role was setting out a timetable for boosting the Scottish Parliament's powers if voters rejected independence, a timetable which was backed by the leaders of the three main pro-Union parties.
He resigned as prime minister after the 2010 general election
He pledged new powers for Scotland ahead of the referendum on independence
Supporters later urged him to contest the leadership of the Scottish Labour Party but he declined.
Mr Brown said he did not want to announce his intention to step down until he was sure that the promises of further Scottish devolution, made during the referendum campaign, would go ahead.
He had a majority of 23,000 at the last general election.
Treasury decade
As chancellor Mr Brown oversaw a decade of growth, made the Bank of England independent and played a key role in keeping the UK out of the euro.
He took over as prime minister from Mr Blair without a contest in 2007 but his premiership, which suffered when he decided at the last minute against calling a snap election that autumn, was dominated by the financial crisis and bank bailouts as the UK slipped into recession with a soaring deficit.
He saw off frequent rumours of challenges to his leadership by fellow Labour MPs, but his popularity never returned to the levels of his early days as PM.
The low point came during the 2010 election campaign, when he was recorded referring to a voter he had just spoken to in Rochdale, Gillian Duffy, as a "bigoted woman". He later went to Mrs Duffy's house in Rochdale to apologise, saying he was "mortified".
After the 2010 general election, he stayed on as prime minister for five days during negotiations between the parties.
With the Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats poised to form a coalition government, he resigned as prime minister and stepped down as Labour leader.
Mr Cameron said: "Gordon has given a huge amount in terms of public service and his contribution in government and Parliament, and I am sure he will go on contributing to public life even after he has left the House of Commons."
'Uneasy temperament'
Praising his legacy, which Mr Miliband said included the minimum wage and the preservation of the United Kingdom following September's Scottish independence referendum, Mr Miliband said his predecessor as Labour leader "will obviously be missed" but "will carry on serving the Labour Party in other ways".
"Gordon has been a towering political figure for a generation," he said.
"He's been instrumental in many of the Labour government's past achievements like investment in health and education and the minimum wage. He worked with other world leaders to stop the financial crisis becoming a great depression. And even recently he played a really important role in the Scottish referendum making sure there was a no vote."
Ed Miliband described Gordon Brown as a "towering political figure"
Former Labour Cabinet minister Lord Mandelson, a one-time foe of Mr Brown's who was brought back into government by him in 2008, said the ex-PM had been instrumental in salvaging the global financial system in the aftermath of the 2007 banking crash.
Despite having what he described as an "uneasy temperament" and a capacity to "sometimes see conspiracies where none existed", Lord Mandelson said "no-one could take away" his achievements in office.
"The balance of achievements will be very much in Gordon Brown's favour," he told the BBC.
Labour's shadow Scotland secretary Margaret Curran said: "The whole Scottish Labour Party wishes Gordon well and while he will no longer be an MP, he still has a great part to play in Scottish politics and as an international campaigner for education."
Scotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said Gordon Brown had made an "enormous contribution" to Scottish, UK and international politics.
"History will be kind to Alex Salmond for it will credit him with being the architect of the most profound and radical shift in Scotland’s politics since the birth of democracy. In his 20 years at the helm of the Scottish National Party (SNP) – barely a single generation – the party has evolved from being a hit-and-hope party favoured by tartan and heather romanticists to the nation’s natural party of government."
David Cameron has been accused of "gossiping" about the Queen after being filmed sharing details of a private conversation:http://bbc.in/1smH3IS
He said the Queen "purred" when he told her Scotland had voted "No" to independence, adding "I've never heard someone so happy".
Scotland's First Minister Alex Salmond said Mr Cameron should "hang his head in shame".
http://newtalk.tw/news/2014/09/20/51625.html
蘇格蘭續留英國 卡麥隆官邸外談話全文新頭殼newtalk2014.09.20 翁嫆琄/編譯報導
蘇格蘭公投結果昨天出爐，顯示多數蘇格蘭人仍選擇留在聯合王國內，英國首相卡麥隆(David Cameron)19日在公投結果出爐後，也特別在唐寧街10號的首相官邸外發表談話。他強調，蘇格蘭人民已做出選擇，現在是英國該往前看，建設一個更美好未來的時候了，除了承諾會給蘇格蘭議會更多權力，他也表示，英格蘭、威爾斯和北愛爾蘭，也將公平地獲得更多話語權。
以下為卡麥隆的談話全文：
蘇格蘭人民做出了選擇。這是一個清晰的結果。他們選擇繼續一起維持我們由4地區組成的國家。就像其他數百萬人一樣，我非常高興。正如我在活動中所說，如果看到英國走到了盡頭，我的心將會破碎。
我知道，不僅是我們國家的人民，全世界的人民都在分享這份喜悅，這是因為我們在過去所取得的成就，以及我們能夠共同創造的未來。
所以，現在是英國團結起來、共同向前進的時刻。我們將有一個更公平的體系，不但對蘇格蘭人民更公平，重要的是，也將對英格蘭、威爾斯、北愛爾蘭人民同樣公平。
首先，讓我們先記住為什麼我們會有這次的爭論，以及為什麼這樣做是對的。
蘇格蘭國家黨(SNP)於2011年在蘇格蘭獲選，並誓言獨立公投。我們本可以阻止公投，也可以擱置它，但這就像其他重大議題一樣，接受重大的決定才是正確的，而不是躲避它。
我對我們的國家擁有強烈的信任感，我最想要的，就是英國可以團結在一起。
但是我也是民主主義者。而且我們做了正確的事，尊重蘇格蘭國家黨在蘇格蘭議會的多數席位，並且給蘇格蘭人民表達自己意願的權利。
讓我們記住，為什麼提出決定性的問題「yes」或者「no」是對的。因為這個爭論已經存在了一個世代，或者像蕯蒙德(Alex Salmond)所說的，也許是一生。
因此結論無可爭議，也不會重來，我們已經聽到了蘇格蘭人民的堅定願望。
蘇格蘭選出了一個由英國的力量和保障作為支持的蘇格蘭議會，我想恭喜支持團結的人民，因為你們展現出來，我們的國家團結起來會更好。
我也要對支持獨立的人們表示敬意，你們進行了一場很精彩的活動。我要對投票支持獨立的人們說，「我們聽到了你們的聲音」。
我們現在有一個機會，一個很好的機會，來改變英國的管理方式，我們為了更好而改變。
所有黨派的政治領導人現在全部身負重任，我們要一起為蘇格蘭、英格蘭、威爾斯、北愛爾蘭人民的利益而努力，為我們每一個英國公民而努力。
對這些承諾表示懷疑的蘇格蘭人民，請聽我說，我們在本屆政府進行了權力下放，我們還會在下屆議會做同樣的事。
支持維持聯合王國的三黨已聯合做出承諾，會給蘇格蘭議會更多的權力，我們保證兌現承諾。
我今天也宣佈，2014格拉斯哥英聯邦運動會主席史密斯‧凱爾文男爵已經同意監督權力下放的進程，包括在11月前在稅務、支出、福利問題達成一致，並於明年1月公開草案。
跟蘇格蘭人民將會擁有更多自治權一樣，英格蘭、威爾斯和北愛爾蘭的人民也將就他們所關心的事宜有更多話語權。投票者的權益需要被尊重、保護和加強。
在蘇格蘭擁有一個全新的、更公平的體系的同時，英國所有地區都應該有一個全新的、更公平的體系。在威爾斯，也有給威爾斯政府和大會更多權力的提案。我希望威爾斯能夠成為針對「如何讓所有地區對我們國家都滿意」展開討論的核心；而在北愛爾蘭，我們必須努力確保移交的機構有效運轉。
很久以來我一直認為，這場全國範圍的大討論中缺失了一個關鍵部分，那就是英格蘭。我們已經聽到了蘇格蘭的聲音，而現在，數百萬英格蘭人民的聲音也不容忽視。有關英格蘭人民為英格蘭法律投票的問題，即所謂的「西洛錫安問題」，需要得到一個決定性的回答。
所以，正如蘇格蘭將單獨在蘇格蘭議會中就自身的稅務、開支和福利進行投票，英格蘭、以及威爾斯和北愛爾蘭，也應當能夠就這些事務進行投票，所有這些都應當與解決蘇格蘭問題同時、同步進行。
我希望這將能夠在跨黨派的基礎上進行。我已要求William Hague起草這些方案。
我們即將設立一個內閣委員會，而相關的提議也會按這一時間表準備完畢。我希望工黨和其他政黨也將做出貢獻。
同樣重要的是，在如何改善我們國家的管理上，我們獲得更廣泛的公民參與，其中包括如何讓我們的大城市獲得更多的授權，我們將在未來幾天就此做出更多闡述。
此次公投得來不易，它掀起了民眾強烈的熱情，激發了蘇格蘭的政治活力，同時也讓整個英國人民都得以想像獨立公投的樣貌。
它有力地展現了我們古老民主制度的力量與活力，將會為世人所銘記。登記投票的選民人數創下歷史新高，而實際投票人數同樣刷新了紀錄。我們所有人都為此感到驕傲。它提醒我們，我們是何等幸運，能夠以和平和冷靜的方式，通過投票箱來解決這些至關重要的問題。
現在，我們必須向前看，並以此為契機，讓所有人，無論他們曾投票支持哪一方，團結起來，為我們整個英國創建更美好、更光明的未來。
影片為英首相19日的談話。
以下為卡麥隆的談話全文：
蘇格蘭人民做出了選擇。這是一個清晰的結果。他們選擇繼續一起維持我們由4地區組成的國家。就像其他數百萬人一樣，我非常高興。正如我在活動中所說，如果看到英國走到了盡頭，我的心將會破碎。
我知道，不僅是我們國家的人民，全世界的人民都在分享這份喜悅，這是因為我們在過去所取得的成就，以及我們能夠共同創造的未來。
所以，現在是英國團結起來、共同向前進的時刻。我們將有一個更公平的體系，不但對蘇格蘭人民更公平，重要的是，也將對英格蘭、威爾斯、北愛爾蘭人民同樣公平。
首先，讓我們先記住為什麼我們會有這次的爭論，以及為什麼這樣做是對的。
蘇格蘭國家黨(SNP)於2011年在蘇格蘭獲選，並誓言獨立公投。我們本可以阻止公投，也可以擱置它，但這就像其他重大議題一樣，接受重大的決定才是正確的，而不是躲避它。
我對我們的國家擁有強烈的信任感，我最想要的，就是英國可以團結在一起。
但是我也是民主主義者。而且我們做了正確的事，尊重蘇格蘭國家黨在蘇格蘭議會的多數席位，並且給蘇格蘭人民表達自己意願的權利。
讓我們記住，為什麼提出決定性的問題「yes」或者「no」是對的。因為這個爭論已經存在了一個世代，或者像蕯蒙德(Alex Salmond)所說的，也許是一生。
因此結論無可爭議，也不會重來，我們已經聽到了蘇格蘭人民的堅定願望。
蘇格蘭選出了一個由英國的力量和保障作為支持的蘇格蘭議會，我想恭喜支持團結的人民，因為你們展現出來，我們的國家團結起來會更好。
我也要對支持獨立的人們表示敬意，你們進行了一場很精彩的活動。我要對投票支持獨立的人們說，「我們聽到了你們的聲音」。
我們現在有一個機會，一個很好的機會，來改變英國的管理方式，我們為了更好而改變。
所有黨派的政治領導人現在全部身負重任，我們要一起為蘇格蘭、英格蘭、威爾斯、北愛爾蘭人民的利益而努力，為我們每一個英國公民而努力。
對這些承諾表示懷疑的蘇格蘭人民，請聽我說，我們在本屆政府進行了權力下放，我們還會在下屆議會做同樣的事。
支持維持聯合王國的三黨已聯合做出承諾，會給蘇格蘭議會更多的權力，我們保證兌現承諾。
我今天也宣佈，2014格拉斯哥英聯邦運動會主席史密斯‧凱爾文男爵已經同意監督權力下放的進程，包括在11月前在稅務、支出、福利問題達成一致，並於明年1月公開草案。
跟蘇格蘭人民將會擁有更多自治權一樣，英格蘭、威爾斯和北愛爾蘭的人民也將就他們所關心的事宜有更多話語權。投票者的權益需要被尊重、保護和加強。
在蘇格蘭擁有一個全新的、更公平的體系的同時，英國所有地區都應該有一個全新的、更公平的體系。在威爾斯，也有給威爾斯政府和大會更多權力的提案。我希望威爾斯能夠成為針對「如何讓所有地區對我們國家都滿意」展開討論的核心；而在北愛爾蘭，我們必須努力確保移交的機構有效運轉。
很久以來我一直認為，這場全國範圍的大討論中缺失了一個關鍵部分，那就是英格蘭。我們已經聽到了蘇格蘭的聲音，而現在，數百萬英格蘭人民的聲音也不容忽視。有關英格蘭人民為英格蘭法律投票的問題，即所謂的「西洛錫安問題」，需要得到一個決定性的回答。
所以，正如蘇格蘭將單獨在蘇格蘭議會中就自身的稅務、開支和福利進行投票，英格蘭、以及威爾斯和北愛爾蘭，也應當能夠就這些事務進行投票，所有這些都應當與解決蘇格蘭問題同時、同步進行。
我希望這將能夠在跨黨派的基礎上進行。我已要求William Hague起草這些方案。
我們即將設立一個內閣委員會，而相關的提議也會按這一時間表準備完畢。我希望工黨和其他政黨也將做出貢獻。
同樣重要的是，在如何改善我們國家的管理上，我們獲得更廣泛的公民參與，其中包括如何讓我們的大城市獲得更多的授權，我們將在未來幾天就此做出更多闡述。
此次公投得來不易，它掀起了民眾強烈的熱情，激發了蘇格蘭的政治活力，同時也讓整個英國人民都得以想像獨立公投的樣貌。
它有力地展現了我們古老民主制度的力量與活力，將會為世人所銘記。登記投票的選民人數創下歷史新高，而實際投票人數同樣刷新了紀錄。我們所有人都為此感到驕傲。它提醒我們，我們是何等幸運，能夠以和平和冷靜的方式，通過投票箱來解決這些至關重要的問題。
現在，我們必須向前看，並以此為契機，讓所有人，無論他們曾投票支持哪一方，團結起來，為我們整個英國創建更美好、更光明的未來。
影片為英首相19日的談話。
蘇格蘭獨派功敗垂成，但領導獨立陣營的蘇格蘭民族黨黨魁薩門（Alex Salmond）仍是最大贏家。1個月前，獨派民調仍落後統派22個百分點，但薩門藉個人魅力與舌粲蓮花的話術，10天前將民調拉平為五五波，大舉拉抬獨派聲勢。如今雖獨立不成，但也成功迫使英國三大黨承諾，將賦予蘇格蘭更多自治權。
布朗政策獲好評
另一大贏家則是蘇格蘭出身的工黨前首相布朗。布朗執政時不得民心，2010年下台後韜光養晦，但投票前跳出來四處演講，還拋出蘇格蘭可享有稅制與福利制度自決權的時間表，並獲英相卡麥隆背書。公投前夕他的演說振聾發聵備受好評。
在野黨魁慘被噓
英相卡麥隆雖保住國家不分裂，但《太陽報》認為他仍小輸。他太過自信，直到民調翻轉才祭出哀兵政策，但已被保守黨人罵翻，指摘他為何要和薩門達成協議辦公投，如今他還得應付英格蘭人也想提高自治權的聲浪。
工黨黨魁米利班更是此役最大輸家。他在蘇格蘭為反獨陣營造勢，魅力遠不及黨內大老布朗、蘇格蘭統派陣營領袖達林等人，還多次被獨派嗆聲到落荒而逃，十分狼狽。
◎編譯李寧怡
工黨黨魁米利班更是此役最大輸家。他在蘇格蘭為反獨陣營造勢，魅力遠不及黨內大老布朗、蘇格蘭統派陣營領袖達林等人，還多次被獨派嗆聲到落荒而逃，十分狼狽。
◎編譯李寧怡
BBC News - The Alex Salmond story - BBC.com
www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-29219165
'Political conjuror'
So confident was Prime Minister David Cameron - he had seen the polls putting the pro-Union camp 20 points or more ahead - that Salmond did not want a referendum that he took to taunting him from the Conservative Party conference stage to name a date.
When the two men finally sat down to hammer out an agreement on the referendum, many Westminster pundits thought Cameron had outfoxed Salmond by refusing to allow a third question on the ballot paper.
The economic case for independence has always been central to Salmond's pitch
Cameron was confident that the SNP could not win in a straight yes/no contest, so rejected Salmond's demands for a third "devo max" option - more powers for the Scottish Parliament in lieu of full independence - to be added to the ballot paper.
"He [Salmond] may well be forced to hold a referendum knowing that he will lose. The greatest political conjuror of recent times will have run out of tricks," wrote commentator Steve Richards in The Independent.
In the event, Salmond came far closer to winning the referendum than anyone thought possible when it was announced. The Yes campaign's late surge in the polls shocked the Westminster establishment into offering what may amount to a form of "devo max" after all, before a single vote had been cast.
Perhaps the old conjuror has a few tricks left up his sleeve after all.
Salmond called the referendum a once in a lifetime opportunity for the Scottish people. He will soon turn 60 and may not get another shot at it.
That, he suggested, was one reason why he had decided to step down as SNP leader. Twenty years as SNP leader, with a four year break, and seven years as first minister, something that has been "the privilege of my life" was, he said, a "fair spell".
But with characteristic defiance, he said Scotland "could still emerge as the real winner" and suggested his legacy was the tens of thousands of "energised activists" that had been drawn into politics through the Yes campaign, "who I predict will refuse to go meekly back into the political shadows".
He may have departed the stage but, he told the reporters, he would "continue to contribute" and said the dream of Scottish independence "will never die".
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