Brian Monteith wants Labour and Lib Dems to follow their true feelings

Monteith Issues "Come and Join Us" Appeal

Think Twice, the main group campaigning against devolution, said more than 300,000 people from both parties could be considering voting against, adding: "Their voice needs to be heard."

It accused Labour of "controlled intimidation" to silence its devolution dissidents, some of whom are holding office, it said.

Think Twice co-ordinator, Brian Monteith, said polls suggested 13% of Labour and 44% of Liberal Democrat supporters would vote against, and the number would increase as the campaign developed.

"The great tragedy of this devolution debate is that Labour supporters have only one high-profile voice in Tam Dalyell, and Lib Dem voters have none", he said.

Complaint to Cabinet Secretary

Meanwhile, the Tories intensified their campaign over the Government's devolution information leaflet, which is to be delivered to 2.2 million homes in Scotland.

Scottish Tory chairman, Raymond Robertson, who has already complained to civil servants in Scotland that the leaflet amounts to an "abuse of taxpayers' money", took his complaint to Cabinet Secretary, Sir Robin Butler.

The leaflets are "an abuse of taxpayers' money"

"Labour party devolution proposals" had caused "great anxiety and unease in Scotland", he said.

"Given that the White Paper is only a statement of intent, and can be changed - or indeed rejected - by Parliament, the spending of taxpayers' money in promoting the Labour Party's thinking is surely a breach of your own guidelines," he protested to the Cabinet Secretary.

Raymond Robertson has called on Sir Robin Butler to publish the Cabinet Office guidelines on the use of public money for such purpose."

The Scottish Secretary, Donald Dewar, has rejected criticism of the leaflet saying it contains only neutral and impartial information.