David Cameron has called for a referendum on Scottish independence  and would favour a referendum "sooner rather than later".
Speaking on the Andrew Marr show the Prime Minister called for "decisiveness" on the proposed referendum and the potential of Scottish independence should be brought to the forefront of the political agenda.
However David Cameron did also make his feelings on Scotland leaving the United Kingdom very clear, Cameron said:
"I strongly support the United Kingdom, I think its one of the most successfully partnerships in the history of the world, I think it would be desperately sad if Scotland chose to leave the united Kingdom and I will do everything I can to  encourage  Scotland to stay in the united kingdom"
Alex Salmond's Scottish National Party (SNP) has previously pointed towards 2014 as the date for such a referendum. Hhowever it is believed that the UK Government will be looking towards bringing that date forward and holding a referendum in the next 18 months.
David Cameron also called for any referendum to be legally binding to ensure that the referendum is not perceived as a token gesture.
Political commentators have speculated that David Cameron's decision to push for an early referendum is due to recent polls which have suggested that the people of Scotland will vote against full independence (even through there has been an increase in support for independence) which, if translated into referendum votes, would mean Scotland will remain in the union for an indeterminable period of time.
Scottish Parliament, from Salisbury Crags by Lee Kindness
Questions towards the extent of political, financial, and military independence have yet to be agreed in the format of the referendum and the PM did not specify the full nature of such a referendum on the Andrew Marr show. So it remains uncertain as to the full intent of the Prime Minister in stirring up the debate on what would ultimately result in a breakup of the United Kingdom.
But Scotland's Deputy First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon has denounced David Cameron's words saying that Scottish independence is a matter for the people of Scotland and the placing of conditions suggests motives from the Prime Minister to interfere with the democratic process in Scotland.
The parting words of former Cabinet Secretary, Â Sir Gus O'Donnell in the Telegraph seem to have added gravitas to speculation on the state of the union. Sir Gus O'Donnell said:
"Over the next few years there will be enormous challenges, such as whether to keep our kingdom united,"
From public service unions to the United Kingdom to the European Union, David Cameron is intent it seems, whether by design or accident, on breaking them all up!
It’s a bizarre storyline, isn’t it?
First Cameron refuses to give us a referendum on Europe despite his promises and manifesto. Then he wades in with a veto on the potential European Treaty amendments designed to shore up the Euro by raising financial transaction taxes. Now he ups the ante on a Scottish Independence vote by trying to bring it forward and make it binding.
So what’s going on?
In a word, politics!
The coalition agreement killed the European referendum, by agreement, which he wasn’t unhappy about.
Had he agreed to a new Treaty there would have been a Tory blood-bath. He couldn’t have got it through Parliament and didn’t want it anyway. Use of the veto was inspired though. In particular it made people like me wake up to the possibility of voting for a strong, no nonsense Conservative PM rather than wasting my vote on the idealism of UKIP.
And Scotland? Cameron does not want to break the Union and he doesn’t want the Scottish people to break it either. If they did though, a big chunk of Labour seats would disappear and he’d no longer need to rely on the Lib Dems to form a Government. What he’d really like though is to beat the Scottish Nationalists who have been the main beneficiaries of the demise of Scottish Conservatives. If a referendum is fought and lost by Alex Salmond, he has no future and his support should evaporate.
It’s all good politics from Cameron.
Mighty fine assessment there Phil!
Well obviously I'm barking mad and these events are unrelated but it seems plausible to me that someone at that level should have a plan at least to increase his seats and power after the next election.