Proposed date for Scottish independence named
Scotland could be independent on 24 March, 2016, if voters back leaving the UK in the independence referendum.
The Deputy First Minister has announced that the date is included in the Scottish government’s White Paper, described as a “blueprint” for independence.
Nicola Sturgeon said it was a “landmark document” which had economic growth, jobs and fairness at its heart. The Scotland Office said naming a date weakened the government’s negotiating position in the event of a yes vote. The Scottish Secretary Alistair Carmichael said the vote posed “a very real danger to the future of the United Kingdom”.