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Scottish independence: Brown sets out more powers timetable Scottish independence: Brown sets out more powers timetable
(34 minutes later)
Former prime minister Gordon Brown has set out a timetable for boosting the Scottish Parliament's powers in the event of a vote against independence. Former prime minister Gordon Brown has set out a timetable for boosting the Scottish Parliament's powers if voters reject independence.
He said plans should be set out by the end of October, and legislation put before Westminster next January. Mr Brown said a "No" vote would be the "starting gun" for Holyrood to be handed greater control over finance, welfare and taxation.
Labour, the Liberal Democrats and Conservatives have all put forward proposals to extend Holyrood's powers. It is understood the three main Westminster parties will formally back Mr Brown's proposals on Tuesday.
But the campaign for independence has dismissed the plans as a "bribe", ahead of the 18 September referendum. The SNP has said the "No" campaign is in a state of "absolute panic".
Mr Brown, said: "The alternative to an irreversible separation is a more powerful Scottish Parliament with a timetable for its delivery. On Sunday, Chancellor George Osborne pledged to set out a "plan of action" on the implementation of new powers.
It came in the wake of a YouGov poll which gave the pro-independence campaign a narrow lead for the first time in the campaign ahead of the referendum on 18 September.
The value of the pound on Monday fell by about 1.3% against the US dollar to a ten-month low of $1.61 in the wake of the poll, while share in some firms with Scottish links also fell.
In other developments:
Downing Street had initially declined to confirm whether the prime minister had been consulted in advance about Mr Brown's plan.
But a source said Mr Brown's timetable "is not a million miles away from our thinking" while another added: "This is in line with the fruits of the cross-party discussions."
Mr Brown will formally unveil his proposals in a speech at the Loanhead Miners Welfare and Social Club in Midlothian later on Monday.
He said work would begin on the new legislation on 19 September, the day after the vote.
He envisions a "command paper" to be published by the present UK government setting out all the proposals for change no later than the end of October.
A white paper would be drawn up in November after a period of consultation, with draft clauses for legislation expected in January.
Analysis: Nick Robinson, BBC political editor
On the morning after the poll before, "Vote No and get something better" summed up George Osborne's message. It's a tried and trusted message which worked in the independence referendum in Quebec when a last minute poll lead for Yes was transformed into a narrow No. It is, though, a message with a difficult history in Scotland.
Thirty five years ago it was precisely what Scots were told when they were voting in a referendum on a much more modest proposal - to create a Scottish Parliament with some devolved powers.
A former prime minister, a Scot and, as it happens, a Tory, Sir Alec Douglas Home urged his countrymen to vote No and get "something better". What they got soon afterwards was 18 years of Margaret Thatcher's government and no devolution at all (until, that is, Labour were re-elected in 1997).
That is just one reason why Osborne's promise of a plan to transfer new powers to Holyrood - covering tax raising, spending and benefits - caused such confusion yesterday. It is why Alex Salmond felt able to attack it as a sign of "panic" on the No side.
The other reason is that the three rival Westminster parties - the Conservatives, Labour and Liberal Democrats - have not agreed a plan for which precise powers to devolve. Each party has published its own set of proposals which overlap in the areas Osborne listed.
Read more from Nick
Mr Brown said: "The alternative to an irreversible separation is a more powerful Scottish Parliament with a timetable for its delivery.
"Quite simply, Scottish voters deserve to know to the fullest extent possible about how new powers as ambitious as possible will be delivered as soon as possible within the UK."Quite simply, Scottish voters deserve to know to the fullest extent possible about how new powers as ambitious as possible will be delivered as soon as possible within the UK.
"And so we are demanding a tight-timetable with tough deadlines and streamlined procedures." "So, we are demanding a tight timetable with tough deadlines and streamlined procedures.
UK Chancellor George Osborne said at the weekend that a "plan of action" would be set out in the next few days to give more tax, spending and welfare powers to Scotland after of a referendum "No" vote. "A No vote on September 18 will not be an end point but the starting gun for action on 19 September, when straight away we will kick off a plan to deliver the enhanced devolution that we want.
And Scotland's main pro-Union parties have already set out which new powers should be transferred from Westminster to Holyrood. "On 19 September we will start bringing into law the new, stronger Scottish Parliament, and to secure the change we want we will work with the other parties.
A Downing St source said Mr Brown's timetable, "is not a million miles away from our thinking", while another added: "This is in line with the fruits of the cross party discussions." Mr Brown said Labour was "taking the initiative" by putting forward the timetable.
Scottish First Minister Alex Salmond said plans to increase the powers of the devolved Edinburgh parliament was a "panicky measure" announced without credibility, because the Yes Scotland campaign for independence was "winning on the ground". Speaking ahead of Mr Brown's announcement, Alistair Darling, the head of the pro-UK Better Together campaign, stressed that no new powers would be put on the table beyond those already announced by the three main Westminster parties earlier this year.
He added: "The additional powers coming to the Scottish Parliament were announced by the party leaders, north and south of the border, some time ago.
"People have said, 'Yes we want to know the timetable and the process' and that is something the government is going to announce this week.
"But remember this, this is a referendum on whether or not we stay on the United Kingdom. It is not a referendum on what further powers we are going to get. We are going to get them anyway, if we stay in the United Kingdom.
Scottish First Minister Alex Salmond said plans to increase the powers of the devolved Edinburgh parliament were a "panicky measure" announced without credibility, because the Yes Scotland campaign for independence was "winning on the ground".
His deputy, Nicola Sturgeon, said all of the momentum was with the Yes campaign, but insisted there was "no sense of our campaign taking anything for granted".
She added: "We saw one very welcome and encouraging poll yesterday putting us ahead, with another poll still showing us as slightly behind.
"We have campaigned on the basis of patient persuasion, often person by person right across the country, that's what we'll continue to do.
"But there is no doubt, as people come to their decisions, after careful consideration, increasing numbers of people are concluding the best way to protect the health service, create jobs and ensure we never get Tory governments we don't vote for is to vote Yes."
What are the No parties offering?
What are the issues of the referendum?
As the people of Scotland weigh up how to vote in the independence referendum, they are asking questions on a range of topics.
But what issues are important? Explore our special Scotland Decides website, where you find more on the economy; energy; pensions; citizenship; relations with the rest of the UK; EU membership; defence and broadcasting.
Elsewhere, Mr Miliband will on Monday thank trade unions at the TUC general dinner in Liverpool for their work on the Better Together campaign.
He will say the unions have signed a joint statement, "declaring that our strength comes from staying together and that separation would damage the rights and conditions of working people".