The Prime Minister and Scotland’s First Minister will sign an agreement today paving the way for a referendum on Scottish independence in 2014.
Officials from both governments have been locked in negotiations over the last few weeks and both sides say they have achieved what they wanted from these talks and are now ready to move the debate forward.
It is understood plans to extend the referendum vote to Scots youngsters aged 16 and 17 have also been agreed.
It is believed the ballot will be a simple yes/no question “devo max” will not be an option.
Speaking on BBC’s Andrew Marr Show on Sunday, Scottish Secretary Michael Moore said the vote would be the most important political decision in the UK for 300 years.
He added: ”This has to be a straight-forward and fair process, a framework of rules that are accepted by all sides that will allow us to focus on the big issues.”
The SNP Government’s deputy leader, Nicola Sturgeon, said both sides had made compromises, adding: ”The good thing about getting the process issues out of the way … is that we can get on to that substantive debate about why Scotland would be better as an independent country.”
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