British Prime Minister David Cameron is to go toe to toe with Scottish First Minister Alex Salmond in a bitter battle over the future of the union between England and Scotland.
The Government is to fight what it sees as "outrageous" claims and aggressive moves towards complete self-rule from Salmond in a desperate bid to stop Scotland from "sleepwalking into independence".
Cameron has ordered an aggressive government attack on the Scottish National Party in the hope of raising the alarm in England and Scotland about the prospect of Scotland voting to split from the United Kingdom. He believes the First Minister has had an easy ride and not faced enough questions on how an independent Scotland would stay afloat.
The attack - which will target areas where Salmond is seen to be vulnerable, notably on the economy and welfare - follows widespread unrest among English MPs over enhanced subsidies available to Scotland, which fund services such as university tuition and prescriptions which are not available in England. Labour plans to beef up the position of its leader in Scotland, partly to face down the SNP resurgence. Michael Moore, the Scotland Secretary, has begun telling government departments to shape their pronouncements to spell out the advantages of the union to the Scottish public.
The change in strategy betrays a growing frustration at the heart of Government that Salmond has been allowed to dictate the debate over Scotland's destiny. His enduring popularity has made a vote for independence a real possibility at a referendum promised within the next four years.
