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| Parties oppose independence paper | Parties oppose independence paper |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| Opposition leaders in Scotland have joined forces to gang up on the SNP administration's proposals for a ballot on independence. | Opposition leaders in Scotland have joined forces to gang up on the SNP administration's proposals for a ballot on independence. |
| Labour, the Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats said they would block the plans, to be set out in a white paper due to be published on Tuesday. | Labour, the Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats said they would block the plans, to be set out in a white paper due to be published on Tuesday. |
| Creating an independent Scotland is one of the SNP's central aims. | Creating an independent Scotland is one of the SNP's central aims. |
| But the other three parties said the Nationalists were pursuing a failed agenda that would damage Scotland. | But the other three parties said the Nationalists were pursuing a failed agenda that would damage Scotland. |
| Labour, the Tories and the Lib Dems moved to oppose the white paper out a day before it is expected to be published. | Labour, the Tories and the Lib Dems moved to oppose the white paper out a day before it is expected to be published. |
| We will not give succour to those who want to end the Union Opposition parties joint statement class="" href="/1/hi/scotland/6944185.stm">Read the statement in full here | |
| Without their support in the Scottish Parliament, the minority SNP government would struggle to get its plans through. | Without their support in the Scottish Parliament, the minority SNP government would struggle to get its plans through. |
| The three parties, which will now jointly review the devolution settlement, opening the prospect of Holyrood gaining additional powers, stated their concerns in a strongly-worded joint statement. | The three parties, which will now jointly review the devolution settlement, opening the prospect of Holyrood gaining additional powers, stated their concerns in a strongly-worded joint statement. |
| "The SNP is squandering taxpayers' money in pursuit of their own narrow and failed agenda," it said. | "The SNP is squandering taxpayers' money in pursuit of their own narrow and failed agenda," it said. |
| "They have promised to build a consensus around the policies they will bring forward for debate in the Scottish Parliament. But this white paper can only create division and uncertainty which will damage Scotland." | "They have promised to build a consensus around the policies they will bring forward for debate in the Scottish Parliament. But this white paper can only create division and uncertainty which will damage Scotland." |
| The statement continued: "The SNP have spoken about a national conversation but tomorrow's publication is about their nationalist crusade. | The statement continued: "The SNP have spoken about a national conversation but tomorrow's publication is about their nationalist crusade. |
| "We will listen, but we fear this will be less of a conversation than a one-way megaphone. | "We will listen, but we fear this will be less of a conversation than a one-way megaphone. |
| "We are deeply concerned that the proposals to be made by the SNP are only designed to drag the people of Scotland into a constitutional cul-de-sac. | "We are deeply concerned that the proposals to be made by the SNP are only designed to drag the people of Scotland into a constitutional cul-de-sac. |
| "We will not give succour to those who want to end the Union." | "We will not give succour to those who want to end the Union." |