By Steve Bargeton, political editor

SCOTLAND WILL have the chance to vote for independence in a referendum before the next Holyrood elections in 2011.

In a sensational move, Labour MSPs at Holyrood yesterday reversed their policy and decided not to oppose any referendum bill.

The move came after a U-turn by Labour leader Wendy Alexander at the weekend on the subject of a referendum in which she challenged the SNP Government to “bring it on.”

Last night the SNP was sticking to its plan to hold a referendum on independence in 2010.

However Ms Alexander threw down the gauntlet to the nationalists saying it was time to “put up or shut up” at a press conference at Holyrood.

She warned First Minister Alex Salmond that if he did not bring forward a bill for an early referendum, she did not rule out bringing forward her own bill.

Ms Alexander said she had decided it was time to answer a question that had been asked for more than three decades.

“Scotland should get a chance to resolve this issue which has been around for 30 years,” she said.

“I think Scotland should have the right to choose. Let’s have the key issue decided, the issue that brought them into politics.

“Why will the SNP not bring these proposals to parliament?

“Is the SNP running scared?”

Asked if she would bring forward her own referendum bill if the SNP stuck to its plans for a referendum towards the end of 2010, Ms Alexander said, “That is certainly one of the options.”

She also made it clear that she preferred a “straight choice” of a yes or no on whether Scotland should become independent.

Ms Alexander also challenged the Scottish Tories and the Lib Dems, who joined Labour in the commission under Kenneth Calman looking at devolution, to reconsider their opposition to a referendum “to end the uncertainty.”

Despite the astonishing volte-face by Scottish Labour, there was no sign yesterday that the Scottish ministers were planning to alter their plans for a 2010 referendum.

Deputy First Minister Nicola Sturgeon described Ms Alexander’s call for a quick referendum as a “panic reaction by a party that’s plummeting at the polls.”

“If Wendy Alexander really does now support an independence referendum, clearly I and the SNP welcome her very warmly indeed,” she said.

“But we have to inject a note of caution here, Wendy Alexander’s behaviour is erratic in the extreme.

“It’s only a few weeks ago she said she was implacably opposed to a referendum, she’s just set up a constitutional commission that expressly excludes the option of independence.

“So, who knows what her position will be this time next week, let alone in six months’ time.”

During yesterday’s press conference Ms Alexander was at pains not to say whether she had discussed the policy change with Prime Minister Gordon Brown or whether he had agreed to it.

The Courier understands the idea of Labour changing its stance on a referendum has been discussed by the two, but not recently.

The official reaction from Downing Street yesterday was cool.

“The position taken by the leader of the (Scottish) Labour Party is a matter for her,” said the Prime Minister’s official spokesman.

“The Prime Minister has always been confident of the strength of the argument in favour of the Union and believes a referendum on Scottish independence would be defeated.”

The Scottish Tories reacted with fury.

“This is a reckless political gamble which has betrayed the best interests of Scotland,” said leader Annabel Goldie.

“Wendy Alexander is dancing to Alex Salmond’s jig and pandering to the agenda of the SNP.

“This issue is too crucial for it to become a referendum on a deeply unpopular Gordon Brown and Wendy Alexander.”