The Scottish nationalist leader, Alex Salmond, threw down the gauntlet to Labour on Sunday, challenging the party to devise an enhanced devolution plan to put to Scottish voters alongside the independence option in the referendum.
He declared he was confident, though, that Scots would back independence in the referendum due before the next Holyrood elections, in 2016.
"In my heart, in my head, I think Scotland will become an independent country within the European community, with a friendly, co-operative relationship with our partners in these islands," Salmond told the Andrew Marr Show on BBC1. » | Martin Kettle | Sunday, October 23, 2011
