London - Britain's Labour government yesterday unveiled its long-awaited plan to grant partial autonomy to Scotland - if Scotland wants it - with the promise of a "new parliament for the new millennium".
"Our aim is to make government more open, more accessible and more accountable to the people whom we serve and to give the United Kingdom a modern constitution fit for the 21st century," the Scottish Secretary, Mr Donald Dewar, told the House of Commons.
"Entrusting Scotland with control over her own domestic affairs will better allow the people of Scotland to benefit from and contribute to the unity of the
UK," he said of the plan to give Scotland its first parliament in more than 300
years.
Subject to the outcome of a September 11th referendum, he said, the 129-
member parliament would be up and running in time to assume its full responsibilities in January 2000.
But Mr Michael Ancram, constitutional affairs spokesman for the Conservative opposition, branded the government white paper "dangerous, damaging and dishonest".
He claimed it left relations between Scotland and the rest of the UK in a state of flux, which would foster discontent and disillusion and lead to "grave instability and long-term constitutional turmoil". - (AFP)