‘Scotland’s future?’

Scottish first minister Alex Salmond unveiled a detailed breakdown of the government’s plan for an independent Scotland, should voters elect to split from the UK following next year’s independence referendum.

The 649-page White Paper, which Mr Salmond described as “a mission statement and a prospectus for the kind of country we should be”, comprises a series of radical policy reforms designed to woo voters ahead of the poll on September 18.

Key policies include 30 hours per week of free childcare for all three and four-year-olds and abolishment of the UK government’s housing benefit reforms. The document also said the government would seek to keep the pound sterling and said an independent Scotland would be welcomed into the EU, but provided no evidence to support these claims, which have been contested by Westminster and Brussels.