ALEX SALMOND has been dealt a blow by Sir Tom Farmer, one of his party's biggest donors, who has said he does not think Scotland is ready for independence.

The founder of the Kwik-Fit empire, who donated £100,000 to the Scottish National party ahead of last year's election, said such radical constitutional change would take at least two generations to achieve.

He accused the first minister of trying to rush the issue, by proposing to introduce a referendum bill during this parliamentary term, saying he should instead concentrate on issues, such as health and education, that were more immediately relevant to voters.

His comments will be seen as a setback for Salmond, who is riding high in the opinion polls as he celebrates a year in power this weekend.

A TNS System Three poll published yesterday put SNP popularity at a record high, with a 14% lead over Labour. This would translate into 15 more seats in a Holyrood election, just three short of an overall majority for the party.

In an interview with The Sunday Times, the first minister said he was enjoying his role and that he intended to remain in power for the next decade. Salmond has pledged to table a referendum bill at the Scottish parliament in 2010, offering people a vote on the constitutional future of the country.

But Farmer said that the Scottish government's priority should be to lift the poorest in society out of poverty before rearranging the United Kingdom. The self-made multi-millionaire - ranked 38th in the Scottish Sunday Times Rich List with a personal fortune of £130m - said that Scots are dismayed by constant arguments over independence.

Writing in today's edition of The Sunday Times, he said: “I don't think we should be talking about referendums at this time. For me, quite simply, the question of more power coming to Scotland is almost inevitable. But change should happen at a pace that we can cope with.

“So I would say to Alex Salmond: what's your hurry? Prove yourself. Don't make independence the be-all and end-all. Let's make improving the quality of life for our people the aim of our Scottish government.”

Farmer added: “I have no desire to see separatism in its true form. I don't think many people want to be outside the UK altogether.

“If you asked people if they wanted Scotland to be looking after its own affairs and have a higher degree of independence, but still have a close relationship with England, Wales and Northern Ireland, then the answer would be yes.

“For now, our new government should be about improving the quality of life for everybody, and in particular the most needy, in this country.”

His comments were welcomed by Annabel Goldie, leader of the the Scottish Conservatives, who said: “This is a refreshing and helpful call from someone who is significant in Scottish life. His analysis of the priorities for Scotland is spot on.”

Salmond said that the next three years of parliament would be more dramatic than the first.

“You ain't seen anything yet in terms of transforming Scotland,” he said. “This is not just about a government getting plaudits and popularity and launching individual initiatives, it's not even just about the SNP proceeding to its constitutional objective on an independent Scotland, this is about changing the nature and style of governance in Scotland.

“We are prepared to measure ourselves against the best, not against the mediocre.”

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