The Scottish government is set to shelve plans for an independence referendum before next year's election.

The bill for a referendum is due to be published, but will not be put to an immediate vote in parliament.

Opposition leaders have described the move as a "humiliating climbdown" for the Scottish government.

However, ministers said the measure would face certain defeat at Holyrood and would instead be a central issue in next May's Scottish elections.

The SNP administration is due to unveil its programme for the final year of the Holyrood session on Wednesday.

The party had pledged to hold a referendum before entering the 2007 election, with a preferred date for the vote of St Andrew's Day on 30 November this year.
'Powerful position'

However, a spokesman for Mr Salmond said: "Tactically, we are deciding whether to introduce a bill to allow the unionist parties to vote it down or rather to publish the bill and concentrate on canvassing public support.

"A new re-elected SNP government will be in a powerful position to secure passage of the referendum, having successfully mobilised the people over the blocking tactics of the unionist parties."

It follows a meeting of party MSPs in Perth last week where opinion on the issue was canvassed.

In response to the rethink, Scottish Labour leader Iain Gray said: "Alex Salmond's bill has turned into a white flag rather than a flagship policy.

"This climb down is a humiliation for him and embarrassment for his government.

"It is the ultimate vanity project to waste millions, publishing a bill on a referendum nobody wants and not even bring it to parliament."

Second question

A Liberal Democrat spokeswoman added: "We welcome the SNP fighting next year's election solely on the grounds of independence.

"Alex Salmond has said that he is now going to do this and this is very welcome territory for us."

Mr Salmond published details of the two-question referendum in February, which would cost about £9.5m, in a draft bill.

The first question would see voters asked if they backed increasing the powers of the Scottish Parliament.

The second question would then ask people if they agreed that "the parliament's powers should also be extended to enable independence to be achieved".

But the proposed bill has been consistently opposed by the Tories, Liberal Democrats and Labour at Holyrood.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-11193304

You'd wanna be sure of your sums with that big an issue, wouldn't ya?

The impact of the financial crisis has meant that the SNP will be forced to make savage cuts will mean that many might look at independence favourably.

If they get independence then the English won't subside them anymore. They'd have to have even bigger cuts then.

Yes but they get the oil revenues as well.

I wish the Scots would vote to sever the umbilical cord.

It would benefit the English tax-payer who see their tax revenues cross the border.

I think they should have a vote and let the Scottish people decide - if the Scots vote against independance then the SNP should STFU and I'd have no problems keeping the United Kingdom united.

Should the Scots vote for independance, however, then I'm equally (tbh, a little bit more) in favour of splitting the union and saving millions of pounds every year.

Assuming Scotland would get 100% of the revenue as they were developed with UK taxpayers money would they get enough money to offset the movement of Faslane et al and what about those billions pumped into keeping the banks afloat plus their share of the national debt!

Scotland would see itself poorer than Greece!!

Imagine if Scotland had been independent when the RBS sh*t hit the fan!

By itself, not a huge issue as the unemployment isn't as high.
Added to the fact they could set themselves up as a tax haven for corporations - the Monaco of the North. What'd be the point in a large firm setting up in London and paying the English taxes when a few hundred miles North might be significantly cheaper?

Plus all that land that they can nationalise from the absentee landlords.

Only from oil north of the boarder.
That revenue source is dropping every year. It'll soon drop below the level of subsidy from westminster.

Yes both bits are true but if the coalition cut the Scottish budget then they will still be better off. Also there could be a substantial claim for the oil taken prior to independence.