Scotland's SNP government has launched its plan for an independence referendum despite the concerted opposition of Labour, the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats and their capacity to defeat it in the Holyrood parliament.
First minister Alex Salmond regards yesterday's publication of a government White Paper outlining all the constitutional options as the start of a process he hopes might see the issue resolved by a notional 2010 target date. He also warned the majority unionist parties that "no change is no longer an option", while declaring himself relaxed about the possibility of a multi-choice referendum in which voters might choose between independence and increased powers for the Scottish parliament, with Scotland remaining in the United Kingdom.
Mr Salmond said the renewed focus "on the next stage of selfgovernment" demanded "the attention of every Scot", claiming that the now "settled will" of the people was that the parliament must "grow in influence and authority".
Mr Salmond accepted he could only secure a referendum - and so get the issue of independence on the ballot paper - if he can win the participation of some of the unionist parties in his proposed "national conversation". He also indicated he would accept the outcome of any referendum, saying: "I believe these are a once-in-a-generation thing."
However, Scottish Conservative leader Annabel Goldie showed some enthusiasm for an early showdown with Mr Salmond, saying it was "time to defeat this draft independence Bill". At the same time Liberal Democrat leader Nicol Stephen indicated the SNP's "obsession" with independence remained "a road-block to consensus" about increased powers.
Yesterday's White Paper set out the draft question that might be put in a referendum inviting voters to decide if the Scottish government should negotiate with the UK government to achieve independence for Scotland. Ms Goldie insisted: "However it is dressed up, and however many bells, whistles and frills are attached, at its core is the SNP's separatist agenda. If Alex Salmond wants a conversation about devolution, then he can join ours. We don't need a White Paper to have a chat."
Mr Stephen said the paper should be withdrawn, while claiming that the SNP was moving toward the Lib Dem position favouring more powers for Holyrood.
"The White Paper is a waste of taxpayers' money. It should be withdrawn. That would allow progress to be made on the campaign to gain more powers."
Labour's deputy leader, Cathy Jamieson, said: "No one should be under any illusion - the White Paper is about breaking up the United Kingdom . . . no matter how you look at it, it is fundamentally about independence."
The paper opens with a quote from Charles Stewart Parnell: "No man has a right to fix the boundary of the march of a nation; no man has a right to say to his country, 'Thus far shalt thou go and no further'."