The SNP's Constitution Minister Mike Russell, himself born in England, has outlined an "inclusive" model of citizenship for a future independent Scotland, to include dual citizenship with the rest of the UK:

"Given Scotland's close ties to the other parts of the British Isles a positive approach to dual citizenship would be essential.

"And given the existence of EU citizenship consideration could also be given to the creation of enhanced citizenship arrangements with the nations of the UK."

Currently people born in Northern Ireland are British citizens on the same basis as people born elsewhere in the United Kingdom, yet people born in Northern Ireland can hold either a British Passport or an Irish Passport, or can hold both if they so choose. According to the Telegraph a similar arrangement has now been 'promised' to the people of Scotland by Alex Salmond.

If Scotland voted for independence (and assuming that a union continued between England, Wales and Northern Ireland), would you be in favour of allowing Scots a "dual citizenship" that gave them voting rights when resident in the UK and permitted them to exercise an entitlement to UK citizenship?

In an address to the Scottish Parliament the First Minister of Scotland, Alex Salmond, has outlined his plans for a referendum on Scotland's constitutional future.

This government was elected with a popular mandate to put the question of Scotland's future to the vote in a referendum.

It is time for the people of Scotland to have their say. Not everyone will agree with our vision for the future, we know that.

But the people of Scotland must be heard. This parliament should not stand in their way - let the people speak.

As the leader of a minority government Salmond knows that he requires the support of the other parties in order to fulfill the SNP's pledge of delivering to the people of Scotland a referendum on independence.

Will the Scottish Parliament kill off the Scottish Government's Referendum Bill and prevent them from holding their flagship vote on independence?

According to the Spectator's Frazer Nelson, "if gossip in the bars of the Commons is any indicator, Tory support for the Union is draining". Frazer questions whether the Tories have the motivation or energy to fight an SNP that is determined to undermine the Union.

Lord Forsyth has suggested that David Cameron could pull the rug from under Alex Salmond's feet by offering Scotland the referendum on independence that Gordon Brown refuses them. In this way the Scots can ratify the Union before Alex Salmond has the chance to exploit the backlash against public spending cuts by a Tory government.

If we win, the first thing David Cameron should do is spirit a bill through parliament to get on with it. Otherwise we will have these bogus games where the nationalists claim Scots would be better off independent and anything difficult is blamed on being in the UK and not having their own powers. Anyone looking at the seriousness of the problems we are in can see that there are some very difficult decisions ahead and the last thing we want here is to have some smart aleck trying to turn it all into constitutional grievances. We should get on with it and put it to the people. If people want to get out of the United Kingdom so be it. Otherwise let’s get on with dealing with the enormous problems.

There has been an inexorable decline in Conservative fortunes in Scotland since 1955 when they won half the popular vote and half the parliamentary seats. Their decision to campaign against devolution and their refusal to participate in the Scottish Constitutional Convention contributed to their failure to win a single Scottish seat in 1997. No longer able to claim to be a true 'Party of the Union' there is now, according to Prof Andrew Gamble, "an influential strand of opinion within the party [that] has begun to question whether holding fast to the Union is any longer in the Conservative interest" [Parliamentary Brief; 15 July, 2008].

In 2010 it is unlikely that the Conservatives will have improved much on their present tally of one Scottish MP. Conscious of the Conservative's Englishness, David Cameron has promised to govern Scots with respect and pledged to do everything "in my power to ensure that the SNP will not be able to split up the UK". But Cameron may need more than just words, because in Scotland Tory promises butter no turnips. The Conservatives need to demonstrate their respect for Scotland.

There may be a Conservative and Unionist advantage to be gained from taking the timing of the referendum on Scottish independence out of the SNP's hands. There may also be advantage to be gained in limiting the referendum question to a straight Yes or No on independence and leaving out any poll on further devolved powers.

If the Conservatives included a promise to hold a referendum on Scottish independence in their manifesto for the next general election, do you think this would: