Scottish leader unveils independence poll plans

Scotland's First Minister Alex Salmond on Monday unveiled plans for a referendum next year that he said would be a "historic" chance to vote for independence from the United Kingdom.

Launching the paper spelling out the proposed options for Scotland's future, Salmond said: "The debate in Scottish politics is no longer between change or no change.

"It's about the kind of change we seek, and the right of the people to choose their future in a free and fair referendum.

"This historic document sets out the case for Scottish independence with unprecedented depth and clarity."

The paper, launched on Saint Andrew's Day, Scotland's national day, sets out four options: keeping the status quo; devolving limited further powers from London to Edinburgh; devolving everything apart from foreign affairs and defence policy; and full independence.

Salmond hopes to bring forward proposed legislation early in the new year and hold a referendum in around 12 months' time.

However, he faces strong opposition inside the Edinburgh parliament.

His Scottish National Party -- whose main policy has long been Scottish independence -- forms a minority administration in the parliament.

The three other main parties -- Labour, the Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats -- are unionist parties and oppose the referendum.

Salmond hopes that by including other options, those parties could be tempted to support a plebiscite.

England and Scotland shared the same monarch from 1603 and in 1707, the two kingdoms merged to form the Kingdom of Great Britain, with a single parliament and government.

The current, 129-member Scottish parliament was formed in 1999, with powers devolved from the British parliament over matters such as health and education.