Scotland's First Minister Alex Salmond has outlined today in Parliament details of a total of 13 bills his government is planning to foster for next year. One of the bills deals with the staging of a referendum which would allow the Scottish Parliament to start negotiations with London about Scotland's independence. The leader of the Scottish National Party (SNP), who promised to hold the plebiscite in 2010 in his electoral campaign before wining elections, has said that "there is consensus for change" on Scotland's constitutional status, and expressed his support for self-determination saying that "until we can use all the economic and financial levers available to every other government in the world, Scotland will always be at a competitive disadvantage", BBC reports.

The pro-independence leader has proposed a multi-option referendum. The ballot paper could include up to 3 different options: whether to give green light or not to the Scottish Parliament to negotiate independence with the British government, or to extend devolution substantially.

The Labour Party, which remains the main opposition party, has expressed its opposition to the bill on the grounds of a lack of parliamentary support. Labour leader Iain Gray also said the plan proposes "a rigged question and a rigged timetable to suit the SNP". The Tories, which are also against the referendum, have said SNP's is a "lone voice representing a minority view".

Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Tavish Scott, who would give support to a significant transfer of powers from Westminster to Holyrood, is also opposed to the referendum. The parties supporting the bill -SNP and the Greens- would then be left without parliamentary backing. Chances of opposition parties shifting their vote could only occur due to a revision of strategy, as they could let the referendum go ahead now that polls are confirming a "no" win. Besides, unionist parties might fear that the blocking of the plebiscite would place the issue of independence as a key subject in 2011 elections.

Further information:

• Scotsman.com: Scottish independence: Salmond sets out plans for referendum
• Reuters: Plan for vote on Scottish independence outlined
• guardia.co.uk: Towards independence

See Scotland profile and the dossier Peoples and nations today: Scotland. for further information.