Scottish independence: Alex Salmond to outline referendum plan
Scottish independence: Alex Salmond outlines referendum question
(about 2 hours later)
Scotland's First Minister Alex Salmond is due to outline his vision for the forthcoming referendum on independence.
Scotland's First Minister Alex Salmond has set out the question he intends to ask voters in a referendum on Scottish independence.
The SNP leader is expected to announce planned legislation on the vote, which he wants to see held in autumn 2014, as part of a public consultation.
The SNP leader said Scots will be asked: "Do you agree that Scotland should be an independent country?" in a ballot which he wants to hold in 2014.
It was thought a draft bill would lay out a single yes/no independence question.
Mr Salmond said the question was "short, straightforward and clear".
But views would also be sought on a second question on more powers for Holyrood, short of independence.
The Electoral Commission has been appointed to regulate the referendum, which is expected to cost about £10m.
Mr Salmond is announcing his proposals in a statement to the Scottish Parliament, before going on to hold a press conference in Edinburgh.
In a statement to MSPs, Mr Salmond said the decision would be the most important made by the people of Scotland in 300 years.
He is expected to describe the consultation document as "historic", and the start of a great debate on Scotland's future allowing people to make a "considered" decision, ahead of a 2014 poll.
For that reason, he said, it was important that the vote should meet "the highest standards of fairness, transparency and propriety".
Meanwhile, Scottish Secretary Michael Moore told BBC Scotland there was a "large body of opinion" that the referendum should be held sooner, rather than later - but Scotland's deputy first minister, Nicola Sturgeon, said the proper process had to be followed.
Mr Salmond told the Scottish parliament: "The people who live in Scotland are the best people to make decisions about Scotland's future.
"The referendum will be held in autumn 2014 on the same terms as any Scottish election, to the same standards and with the same guarantee of fairness. We will decide our future in a vote which is beyond challenge or doubt.
"Our nation is blessed with national resources, bright people and a strong society. We have an independent education system, legal system and NHS. They are respected worldwide. I believe that if we connect the wealth of our land to the well-being of our people, we can create a better country."
The first minister said Scotland was currently limited in what it could do to create jobs, grow the economy and help the vulnerable.
"To achieve this we shouldn't have a constitution that restrains us, but one which frees us to build a better society," he said.
"Under independence, Scotland would take its place as a responsible member of the international community while continuing as a friend and good neighbour to the other nations of these islands, continuing the strong social union which will always bind us together.
"It is our future and our choice."
The public consultation paper - Your Scotland Your Referendum - seeks views on what the ballot paper should say, what spending limits should be set and how the referendum should be managed and regulated.
The first minister said eligibility to vote in the referendum would be determined by residency, telling MSPs: "The people who live and work in Scotland are best placed to decide its future."
However, he said the Scottish government proposed extending the franchise to allow 16 and 17-year-olds to vote.
Mr Salmond said: "It is right that our young people should have the chance to play their part in decisions about their community and their country.
"If a 16-year-old in Scotland can register to join the Army, get married and pay taxes, surely he or she should be able to have a say in this country's constitutional future?
"In our consultation today we are, therefore, seeking views on our proposal to extend the right to vote in this referendum to 16 and 17-year-olds who are eligible to be included on the electoral register."
Westminster ministers have already launched their own consultation on plans for the referendum, but have clashed with the Scottish government over who has the legal power to hold it.
Westminster ministers have already launched their own consultation on plans for the referendum, but have clashed with the Scottish government over who has the legal power to hold it.
Mr Salmond's consultation will put forward a range of options for handling the referendum, rather than arguing the case for independence itself, which may also include the SNP's call to let 16 and 17-year-olds vote and proposals to open polling stations on a Saturday, with the intention of increasing voter turnout.
A Referendum Bill, introduced to parliament early next year, could be passed towards the end of 2013, with the vote itself being held after the European elections in June 2014, and the Commonwealth Games, which are being staged in Glasgow.
A Referendum Bill, introduced to parliament early next year, could be passed towards the end of 2013, with the vote itself being held after the European elections in June 2014, and the Commonwealth Games, which are being staged in Glasgow.
In the meantime, the Holyrood and Westminster governments have become locked in a row over who has the right to hold the referendum.
The Electoral Commissioner for Scotland, John McCormick, said: "We welcome the opportunity to give full and careful consideration to the Scottish government's proposals at this stage.
The UK government said it recognised the SNP's landslide election win last May, and the need for a referendum "made in Scotland", by the Scottish Parliament.
"Our priority is to ensure any referendum is well run, transparent and focused on voters and we will share our experience and expertise in running referendums when we respond to both parliaments and governments on their respective consultations."
'Move on'
The consultation will close on 11 May.
But it also argued that, because constitutional issues were reserved to Westminster, new powers must be devolved to Scotland to ensure the referendum is legally watertight and cannot be challenged in the courts.
Mr Moore told the BBC Radio's Scotland's Good Morning Scotland programme that progress was being made on the issue, adding: "There appears now to be a general agreement that we need to provide the legal powers to the Scottish Parliament so that we can get a referendum that's made in Scotland that's legal, that's fair and decisive."
The Scottish secretary said he was keen to get the process for the referendum dealt with properly, so the country could move on to debating the issue of independence itself.
Calling on the SNP to bring its preferred date forward, Mr Moore said: "This central issue of whether Scotland should stay within the United Kingdom or leave is so fundamental, and the SNP has such a clear position on it, that I don't see why we need to wait the best part of three years to make that decision."
SNP ministers have disagreed in the legal position, and have accused the coalition of trying to dictate the terms of the referendum, such as its time scale and the wording of what appears on the ballot paper.
The Scottish government said it would welcome the extra legal powers, but warned against them coming with "strings attached".
Ms Sturgeon told BBC Scotland that the Scottish government consultation would look at how the referendum should be regulated and conducted.
On calls to hold it sooner, the deputy first minister added: "I think when people see the timeline that we've set out, they will come to the same conclusion that we've come to and that is that autumn 2014 is the right time to have this referendum.
"It's important that we have due process in terms of consultation in terms of taking the legislation through the Scottish Parliament and then having adequate time for the people of Scotland to debate fully the biggest decision they'll take in 300 years."
Scottish ministers have also indicated that they will accept letting the Electoral Commission to oversee the referendum, despite earlier announcing plans to set up a new Scottish watchdog.
The Tories, Liberal Democrats and Labour, who oppose independence, have also called for a "decisive" result with a single question on the ballot paper, rather than adding a second question on further devolution of powers to Holyrood, or "devo max", as it is sometimes known.
'Debating concerns'
Scottish Conservative constitution spokesman David McLetchie, said: "Independence and devolution are two entirely different things.
"Devolution is about Scotland being part of the United Kingdom, with more or less powers for the Scottish Parliament - independence is about the break-up of Britain - and its the independence issue is the one we have to resolve."
Scottish Labour leader Johann Lamont, added: "The people of Scotland deserve a clear, decisive result - that means the SNP reaffirming its commitment to asking a single, unambiguous yes or no question.
"While it may suit the SNP to keep this debate about process, we want this resolved quickly.
"We want to get on to debating the concerns of the Scottish people - such as would we be better off, what currency we would use, and how we would defend ourselves."
Mr Salmond is due to meet Prime Minister David Cameron for talks on the referendum.
