Scots win independence... at least on the Internet: MPs' fury as their own 'dotscot' web address



David Cameron accused of handing Alex Salmond a propaganda coup by giving Scotland an independent web address

David Cameron was last night accused of handing Alex Salmond a huge propaganda coup – by giving Scotland an independent web address.

The Mail on Sunday has learnt Coalition Ministers have privately approved plans to let Scotland end its website names with ‘.scot’.

The move will allow official bodies and website owners to ditch the traditional ‘.uk’ address. Plans to let Wales go it alone with ‘.wales’ and ‘.cymru’ have also been given the green light.

Breaking away: Alex Salmond (pictured) has been handed a huge propaganda coup by David Cameron after the PM gave Scotland an independent web address

But last night, the proposals sparked a backlash from English Tory MPs who accused the Prime Minister of caving in to campaigners wanting to break up the UK.

Yorkshire MP Andrew Percy said: ‘Scotland hasn’t even voted yet on whether to go independent and all this is doing is giving First Minister Alex Salmond’s Nationalists a huge propaganda coup.’

Mr Percy said it was ‘nonsense’ to create new web addresses to rival ‘.uk’ – especially ahead of the planned referendum in which Scottish voters will decide whether they want to break away from the Union.

However, the Government is expected to argue that the ‘.scot’ move is nothing to do with that.

A Whitehall source said: ‘We’re also proposing to allow the creation of a .london address which Boris Johnson has backed.’

Campaigners in Scotland have been arguing for years that the country should have its own internet domain – and Scotland’s First Minister Alex Salmond has endorsed the plan.

He said: ‘The time is ripe for the worldwide family of Scots to have their own domain, reflecting an online community defined by a shared commitment to Scottish identity, culture and economic promotion.’

Campaigners in Scotland have been arguing for years that the country should have its own internet domain (file pic)

Alex Neil, the SNP cabinet secretary for infrastructure, said recently: ‘There is strong demand for a “.scot” domain and I am sure the UK Government will want to support us.’

Last night, a well-placed Whitehall source said the Coalition had now agreed it had no objection to ‘.scot’. Formal applications to create the new national domains are now expected to be submitted within weeks.

However, in a sign of tension behind the scenes, Ministers intend to block official bodies from using the address ‘gov.scot’.