Scottish independence referendum: Alex Salmond holds out to win his date with destiny

ALEX Salmond looks set to get his way on the timing of a referendum on the future of the United Kingdom as details of a potential deal between Westminster and the Scottish Government began to emerge.

But the price of being able to name autumn 2014 as the preferred date of the poll looks likely to be compromise by the SNP on other key areas.

Sources in Westminster said that while there was room for manoeuvre on timing, other issues such as who runs the poll and what question it will ask were not up for discussion.

The First Minister continued to oppose openly any involvement by Westminster on the running of the referendum yesterday, calling on politicians south of the Border to “butt out” of the debate.

But in a rare show of cross-party unity during Prime Minister’s Questions, David Cameron and Labour leader Ed Miliband joined forces in pledging to fight to keep Scotland in the UK. Mr Cameron said he “passionately” believed in preserving the Union, and taunted the SNP for seeking to delay a ballot, telling MPs: “Let’s have the debate and let’s keep our country together.”

Scotland Secretary Michael Moore called on the Scottish administration to work with the UK government over the coming weeks to agree arrangements for a “clear, legal and decisive” referendum. Mr Cameron’s spokesman indicated that this could involve talks between the Prime Minister and Mr Salmond.

The spokesman said he expected negotiations over the referendum – and the independence battle itself – to involve senior politicians from all sides of the debate, including a number of government ministers.

Mr Salmond yesterday said he was “prepared to talk and be reasonable” and said he had “no objection” to Mr Moore’s proposals for Westminster to help Holyrood stage a referendum, but said there was “plenty of legal authority” for the Scottish Government to mount its own ballot without assistance from south of the Border.

“The objection, of course, is that the Prime Minister has started to put all sorts of London-based strings,” he said. “Our conditions are quite clear: this must be a referendum built and run in Scotland, accountable to the Scottish Parliament. It has to be run fairly and transparently, of course, but we won’t accept unreasonable conditions placed by London on how Scotland should run the poll.”

Mr Salmond’s office confirmed the Scottish Government’s position that 16- and 17-year-olds on the electoral register in Scotland should be “fully entitled to vote” in any referendum. Asked if voters would be offered a third “devo-max” option, a spokesman said: “We’re not for closing down choice.”

The First Minister said the Scottish Government would publish its own proposals on the referendum within ten days. Officials from the UK and Scottish governments were yesterday already holding discussions over the details of how the referendum will be run.

The First Minister’s plans, set for publication in the week beginning 23 January, look set to put Edinburgh on collision course with London. Plans to widen the franchise to include 16 and 17-year-olds, and to offer voters a third “devo-max” option, have been ruled out previously in UK government proposals put forward by Mr Moore. But while the UK government said everything in the consultation paper released on Tuesday was up for discussion, pro-UK sources made it clear that they were unwilling to negotiate over having a single question with an in/out choice.

The pro-UK parties are also adamant they will not back down on insisting that the neutral Electoral Commission must referee the contest and be responsible for the rules on finance and conduct as well as drawing up the question.

While the SNP has said it will fight over Electoral Commission involvement, preferring a Scottish body, senior figures have told The Scotsman that the issue is “not important” and that they are willing to concede on it.

And yesterday Mr Salmond appeared to indicate he is happy for a single question referendum saying his preference was for a “Yes/No question”. Earlier this week his deputy, Nicola Sturgeon, appeared to concede that just one question will be asked.

One area where both sides seemed to be willing to compromise was over whether the vote should be extended to 16- and 17-year-olds. The SNP will push hard for this, while senior sources within Labour suggested the party was willing to back the idea as part of a compromise.

The issue of the date of a referendum had been seen as crucial, with the pro-UK parties wanting to benefit from an Olympic bounce and an election-free year in 2013. But the SNP wants to gain from the 2014 Glasgow Commonwealth Games and last night appeared to be on the verge of getting its way. A senior Labour figure conceded that it would “look churlish” if they tried to move the date forward by just a few months.

Yesterday, Mr Salmond said: “We are prepared to talk. We are prepared to be reasonable and we will have a very reasonable consultation paper published.” He said there was support from outside bodies for his idea of not using the Electoral Commission but a Scottish body instead.

“I thought the STUC statement put the issue quite nicely,” he said. “It said there had to be a commission that was responsible to the Scottish Parliament so that everybody could be satisfied. And when you see our consultation, you will see what our proposals are.”

On the issue of votes for 16- and 17-year-olds, he added: “Well, we will be putting forward our ideas. Let’s ask the Deputy Prime Minister why, 18 months ago [ahead of the referendum on the alternative AV electoral system], he thought that votes for 16- and 17-year-olds were a great idea and now he doesn’t seem to think so.

“As he put it then, if people are old enough to get married and to join the Armed Forces, why shouldn’t they vote? I think that’s something he should address with 16- and 17-year-olds in Scotland.”

The negotiations are happening against a backdrop of an eight-week consultation on the proposal by the UK government to temporarily devolve powers to Holyrood to allow for a “legal referendum”.

It is hoped that at the end of it Westminster will be able to pass an order based on Section 30 of the Scotland Act (1998) to hand over the powers and see off the threat of a legal challenge.

But yesterday Mr Salmond still disputed the need for the order: “We are perfectly prepared to talk about it, but the bottom line is that this is about the sovereignty of the Scottish people.”

It was also suggested last night that Mr Cameron and Mr Miliband might share a platform on the issue of independence when the campaign begins officially.

During PMQs, Mr Cameron said: “Frankly, I am sad we are even having this debate, because I support the United Kingdom so strongly, but we have to respect the fact that Scotland voted for a separatist party.” Mr Miliband said: “We are stronger together and weaker apart.”