WESTMINSTER'S political leaders came north from London to plead with Scots not to leave the union.

The Prime Minister made an emotional speech to financial sector staff in Edinburgh, where he said he would be "heartbroken" if Scots voted yes and broke up the UK.

Labour Leader Ed Miliband urged Scots to think not only with their head and heart but appealed for people, particularly Labour supporters, to vote also with their soul for solidarity across the four countries of the UK.

Nick Clegg also crossed the border, speaking in Selkirk with Better Together activists.

The three leaders skipped Prime Minister's Questions in Westminster and said the only important issue was the referendum, which was why they were in Scotland.

The Prime Minister led the charge after approving the Saltire to be flown above Downing Street, and making a speech in Edinburgh he urged people to think of the long-term implications of independence before they vote next week.

Mr Cameron said: "People can feel like it is a General Election, where we can in five years time change it again and if we don't like those 'effing' Tories, give them a kicking."

The Prime Minister urged people to consider the shared history of Britain, and what Scotland and the other countries had achieved together.

He said: "It is important everyone knows if Scotland votes to separate, it votes to separate irreversibly from the institutions we have built together and the currency we created."

Mr Cameron was speaking at the HQ of insurance and pension firm Scottish Widows in the capital.

He spoke of his personal feeling at contemplating the possibility for a yes vote, and said: "I will be heartbroken if the family of nations was torn apart."

Mr Miliband spoke to Labour supporters in Cumbernauld, where he appealed to Labour voters to think of their own values and those of the Labour Party which he said would not be achieved though Scotland separating from the UK.

The Labour leader said: "Our movement was founded on solidarity. That is what it is to be Labour. Scotland's values of fairness, justice and equality have shone through in this campaign.

"To meet these values we have to change our country. From the head, from the heart, from the soul, let's change Britain together. Together we can do that."

Mr Miliband and Mr Cameron both said people in the rest of the UK wanted Scotland to vote no.

Mr Cameron said: " This is absolutely a decision for the Scottish people and theirs alone. But I hope you don't think the rest of the UK doesn't mind what you decide.

"We will respect your decision and I will help make it happen if that is the decision. But we care about it. These islands are our own, the place we live in.

"It not just shared geography but shared history, ending slavery, defeating Hitler, creating the NHS, but it is also about the future. Let's think with the head and the heart in the final days of the campaign."

Mr Miliband said: "People in the rest of the UK want Scotland to stay. I hope we get that message across in the next few days."

Both leaders rejected accusations they were panicking and coming to Scotland at the last minute because polls were showing greater support for a yes vote.

Mr Miliband said he had been engaged in the campaign for months making speeches and urging people to seek change through the UK.

Deputy Prime Minister, Nick Clegg was in the Borders town of Selkirk with Scottish Secretary Alistair Carmichael, and he repeated the theme that the rest of the UK wanted Scotland to stay with the UK.

He said:"I'm an English MP representing an English constituency and I'll be back in Sheffield tomorrow night where I can tell you everybody will be talking about this.

"We don't have a vote in Sheffield but people care about it passionately because they know how important it is and that is why it is right that people, even people like me who don't have a vote, nonetheless come and put our side of the story, which is that we really can have the best of both worlds."