The First Minister of Scotland today disclosed his party's plans to hold a referendum on breaking up the United Kingdom.

Alex Salmond, leader of the Scottish National Party (SNP), published a White Paper which promised a ballot asking voters whether they want Scotland to be an independent state.

His announcement followed a pledge in the SNP's Holyrood election manifesto to bring forward an independence White Paper, along with a referendum due to be held by 2010.

The ballot would ask voters whether they agree or disagree “that the Scottish Government should negotiate a settlement with the Government of a United Kingdom so that Scotland becomes an independent state”.

Mr Salmond's chances of getting authorisation from the Scottish Parliament to hold the planned ballot look remote, however, as he runs a minority administration which could not force the plans through without support from other parties.

At present, the SNP only has 47 MSPs in Edinburgh's 129-seat Parliament, meaning that a combination of Labour, the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats would be easily able to muster enough support to defeat any referendum proposal that the three Unionist parties all oppose.

In an attempt to placate his opponents today, Mr Salmond told an audience at Napier University that he wanted a "national conversation" which could result in other options being placed on the ballot paper as well.

"We in the Government believe that independence would be the best for our country," Mr Salmond said. "Others support increased devolution, or greater responsibility for taxes and spending, or federalism.

"But whatever the differences between the political parties, the message of the election was obvious - the constitutional position of Scotland must move forward."

He added: "A multi-option referendum requires the alternatives to be as clear as independence or the no-change options already are.

"The opportunity now presents itself for those who want another option in a referendum to define that option and present the case to the Government for inclusion on the ballot paper."

Aside from the Nationalists, only two Green MSPs and Margo MacDonald, the veteran Nationalist and Independent MSP, are likely to back an independence referendum Bill in Parliament, meaning that it is unlikely to be passed.

Angus MacLeod, The Times correspondent in Edinburgh, said that Mr Salmond's Bill might still have hope if the SNP leader was prepared to compromise.

This could see Labour, the Tories and Liberal Democrats agreeing to support Holyrood getting greater powers over taxation from Westminster, instead of full independence.

"The three Unionist parties are prepared to talk about more powers for the Scottish Parliament in areas like tax," he said. "But they have made it clear that they will block a referendum Bill, or any measure which promotes full independence."

Cathy Jamieson, the Scottish Labour Party deputy leader, made it clear again today that the party did not support independence.

"The people of Scotland don’t want it, nor do we," she said. "No one should be under any illusion - today’s White Paper is about breaking up the UK, not making Scotland better."

Annabel Goldie, the leader of the Scottish Conservatives, added: "However it is dressed up, and however many bells, whistles and frills are attached, at its core is the SNP’s separatist agenda."

And Nicol Stephen, the leader of the Scottish Liberal Democrats, added that the document was a "waste of taxpayers’ money" and should be withdrawn. He added: "The SNP obsession with independence is a road-block to consensus."

Despite rejecting any question of independence, however, the three parties agreed to enter into Mr Salmond's "conversation" to find alternative ways forward.

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