CONSERVATIVE MSP Jackson Carlaw yesterday launched his bid to become the party's leader with a demand for an early referendum on independence.

The West of Scotland MSP opened his campaign to replace Annabel Goldie with an event in Glasgow, where he outlined his plans to take the party forward.

Mr Carlaw called for a new Act of Settlement to lock Scotland into the Union if independence is rejected in Alex Salmond’s planned referendum. This would mean that any constitutional change proposed in the future would have to be put to a referendum of all UK voters.

Mr Carlaw repeatedly used the word appeasement to describe those such as his opponent Murdo Fraser who have called for further devolution of financial powers, or as he put it: “Full fiscal autonomy or New Unionism or whatever the changing day to day definition of this is.”

Given that appeasement was the term used for those who failed to stand up to Nazi Germany in the 1930s, his language may well be deemed offensive in some quarters, although he insisted he did not want the contest to result in personal abuse.

He also made clear that although he accepts the Calman reforms in the Scotland Bill he is far from convinced about their value, citing former Scottish Secretary Lord Forsyth’s scepticism about increased power over income tax.

“Enhancing devolution must not become a mirror image of the slide into Europe,” said the West of Scotland MSP.

“Constantly responding to a list of demands from nationalists – a list which the First Minister is infinitely capable of forever expanding – risks not only giving a continuing appearance of appeasing nationalism, but of allowing Scotland to slide quietly into the night of separation without us even being asked the question.”

Mr Carlaw has failed so far to secure the public endorsement of any of his Holyrood colleagues, although he said he believe “a handful” of MSPs would come out for him.

Mr Fraser, current deputy to Annabel Goldie and MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, already has Liz Smith running his campaign, and Gavin Brown, Alex Johnstone and former Presiding Officer Alex Fergusson have declared support for him ahead of his formal launch on Monday. Ruth Davidson, elected as a Glasgow list MSP in May is expected to throw her hat in the ring next week.