THE referendum result is just one day away and only one thing is certain: that whatever happens, Britain will never be the same again.

If Scots vote ‘Yes’ for independence today, then the howls of anguish and anger will be heard across the world, with potentially devastating consequences, first of all, for the Prime Minister.

There is a growing belief that David Cameron, the leader of the Conservative and Unionist Party, simply cannot survive the death of the union it holds so dear.

Some Tory MPs believe their leader will do “the honourable thing” and throw in the towel, recognising the enormity of his personal defeat in a referendum he agreed to and set the terms for.

Others believe Mr Cameron will be forced out. Just 46 MPs — 15 per cent of the parliamentary party — need to sign their names for a vote of no confidence to be triggered.

By my reckoning, he would be the first Prime Minister to fall because of a single, calamitous event since Neville Chamberlain after the Norway debacle of 1940, underlining just what extraordinary times these are.

The tortuous process of unravelling a 300-year-old union will also begin, which is unlikely to happen by the 2016 SNP deadline and will definitely be nastier than Alex Salmond suggests.

Some wonder whether the resulting divorce settlement will have to be put to the citizens of the remaining Little Britain in a second referendum.

But a ‘No’ vote will also transform Britain in a way no-one imagined in those relaxed, innocent days when a chillaxing Mr Cameron failed to find time to watch the Salmond- Darling debate.

The moment “victory” is won, the clamour for Westminster to finally give up some of its closely-hoarded powers within England, as well as to Scotland, will be unleashed.

Consider the absurdity of the current situation. While Scotland is promised control over most of its income tax revenues, councils in England cannot even set their own council tax.

Also consider the scale of the battle ahead.

While the 2012 Scotland Act allows Edinburgh to borrow an extra £2.2bn every year, English town halls cannot borrow to build badly-needed homes.

Of course, this nonsense cannot last — but it’s not the biggest controversy ahead, given that all the parties at least agree that devolution must happen, in some form.

No, loosening Whitehall’s power grip on the regions looks the easy part next to the bust-up over rewriting Westminster’s rules to reflect the juicy promises made to Scotland in recent days.

It has long been mooted that Scottish (and Welsh MPs) should lose the right to vote on English-only issues to reflect devolution over education, health, etc.

Now, in reward for a ‘No’ vote, devolution is set to go nuclear — new tax-raising, borrowing and welfare powers are promised — and this question will be up in lights.

But what a disaster for Labour. It’s plausible that Ed Miliband will be in No.10 next May, but only because of his Scottish MPs, whereupon he could be unable to pass his Budget.

Whichever road Scotland takes today, it’s going to be a rocky ride.