Trouble for Gordon Brown as Scots look to go solo

First Minister Alex Salmond insisted 'tectonic plates' were moving in Scotland and that its relationship with the rest of the UK had to change.

But the Government warned the SNP that it was possible for Westminster to take powers back from the Scottish Parliament just as easily as handing it more control.

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The three opposition parties in Scotland - Labour, the Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats - have all joined forces to fight independence.

Despite this, the Prime Minister appears to have bowed to demands for a debate over more powers being devolved to Holyrood, including rights over energy, broadcasting and the freedom to raise taxes.

Any constitutional changes for the Scottish Parliament would also heighten controversy over the role of Scottish MPs at Westminster.

The Prime Minister is facing mounting pressure from the Tories over his reliance on Labour MPs with Scottish seats - such as his own - to force through legislation that applies only in England.

Mr Salmond has insisted he wants voters to be given a referendum on independence by no later than 2010.

Yesterday, he published a White Paper setting out three options for Scotland's future - no change in the current set-up, more powers for Holyrood or full separation.

It also includes the draft wording of the ballot paper for a referendum, which Mr Salmond said would cost about £7million.

But the minority SNP administration at Holyrood, which controls only 47 out of 129 seats, is unlikely to win enough support for the legislation to be passed.

A Daily Mail poll last week also found Scots appear largely hostile to going it alone, with only 31 per cent backing independence.

Last night, experts said it was part of a long-term strategy by Mr Salmond to gain independence in stages and by stealth.

Scottish Secretary Des Browne Browne, whose constituency is in Kilmarnock in Scotland, also warned against allowing 'the cleverness of Alex Salmond and the SNP' to dress up their plans as anything other than 'about breaking up Britain'.

The Scottish Office criticised the White Paper in what appeared to be a coded warning.

It said: "While it is possible to give the Scottish Parliament further powers and the Scottish Ministers functions, it is also possible to add reserved subject matters to the Scotland Act or transfer Scottish Ministers' functions to UK Ministers."

The latest Treasury figures suggest Scottish residents are now receiving £1,500 a year more in state funding than their English counterparts and benefit more from spending on health and transport.

This is because of the controversial Barnett Formula, which gives Scotland more public cash per head than England.

Drawn up in 1978, it determines that for every pound of taxpayers' cash distributed in the UK, 85p goes to England and 10p goes north of the Border.

Because Scotland has a much smaller population, it gives the country a large per- capita advantage.

There has been rising anger among English MPs, and even the formula's architect, Lord Barnett, has called for change.

The figures reveal £8,623 per head was spent on Scotland in 2006/07 - a 5.4pc increase on the previous year.

Meanwhile, in England spending increased by only 4.2pc to £7,121.

It means a total of £1,788 per person is spent on Scottish health - £241 more than in England - and £389 on transport compared to £184 in England.