THE Scottish independence campaign will be launched in May – more than two years before the "yes" campaign's preferred voting date, First Minister Alex Salmond said yesterday.

Mr Salmond, who won an unprecedented majority in the Scottish Parliament last year, said it will feature a "broad-based" range of supporters, including unions and employers, not just the SNP.

He told the BBC he wanted a long campaign, with the referendum in autumn 2014, so voters in Scotland had answers about all the implications of the decision.

Opponents of independence seem only to agree on the need to say no, he said, and pledged his party would answer all questions.

Mr Salmond said: "The people who seem to argue for a no don't even know what their case is.

"I think it is important when we come to the referendum in 2014, people will have an exact proposition on independence, which I pledge to give.

"I think we will win. In fact, so confident are we about winning, that shortly after local elections in May and the final position on the Scottish Government's consultation on May 11, the yes campaign will launch.

"There will be a positive approach which will contrast very markedly with the opponents united only in their negativity."

Mr Salmond was pressed on what keeping the pound would mean for a newly independent Scotland.

He said the SNP would be promoting a new "sterling area" which would involved a fiscal stability pact, meaning limits on borrowing.

The First Minister added that an independent Scotland would not have to apply to join the EU as it would be a successor state.