By . Rob Cooper . Last updated at 10:01 AM on 22nd December 2011 . Scottish independence: Sir Gus O'Donnell warned today the Union could break up in the next few years . Britain could break up within years and Scotland could become an independent nation again, the country's most senior civil servant today acknowledged for the first time. Cabinet Secretary Sir Gus O'Donnell said that whether the union could be maintained would be a major political issue in the years to come. Alex Salmond, the Scottish First Minister, has vowed to hold a referendum on independence before 2016. The SNP won a majority at Holyrood for the first time raising the spectre of the break-up of Britain. Although David Cameron has pledged to keep the union together, Sir Gus wrote in a wide-ranging newspaper article today that it will be a big political issue in the years to come. Critics think it is is unlikely a majority of Scots would vote for independence. However, the devolved Scottish government could be given additional law-making powers. Sir Gus's remarks come before he retires at the end of the year. Writing in the Daily Telegraph, Sir Gus said: 'Over the next few years, there will be enormous challenges, such as whether to keep our kingdom united.' This morning Alex Salmond said that the civil servant was right to raise the constitutional issue and said he wanted to 'win the fight' for independence. He said: 'I have always regarded Sir Gus O'Donnell as a model civil servant, who has been extremely fair in recognising and respecting the democratic mandate of the Scottish Government. 'Sir Gus is right to recognise the importance of the constitutional issue, and the SNP Government are up for the challenge of building and winning the case for Scottish independence - unlike the Westminster parties, who seem to have their heads buried in the sand.' Scotland has been united with England since the Act of Union in 1707. However, after Tony Blair devolved law-making powers to Scotland following a referendum, calls for independence have grown. Independence for Scotland? The modern Scottish Parliament was created by Tony Blair. After the SNP became the main party in a minority government in 2007, the issue of independence came back on the agenda . MPs representing Scottish, Welsh and Northern Ireland can all vote for laws that only apply in England. However, English MPs do not have the same power over the other countries within the union. It has been argued that following devolution only English MPs should vote on laws that only apply to England. Although power was devolved more than a decade ago the issue has never been resolved. Scottish MPs currently hold 59 out of 650 seats in the House of Commons. The question got its name because the issue was first raised by Tom Dalyell, the West Lothian MP, when devolution was being discussed in 1977. Critics warned at the time that once the Scots had their own parliament it would put Britain on a slippery slope towards break-up. In the years ahead, MPs at Westminster must also tackle the West Lothian Question. Scottish MPs can vote on education and health laws at Westminster but English MPs do not have the same powers over Scotland. A commission has been set up to find a solution to the constitutional anomaly. As well as tackling the issue of . whether the UK will break up, Sir Gus wrote in his piece today that the . Civil Service needed to overcome its 'cultural inertia' and take a . leading role in driving economic recovery. 'It is not enough now for the Civil Service simply to respond to a dampened economic climate: it needs to become a central part of its recovery and growth,' he wrote. Sir Gus also said he believed successive governments had been too quick to address problems with regulation and legislation. Devolution: Former Prime Minister Tony Blair gave Scotland its own parliament again . He encouraged ministers and civil servants to be more creative in solving problems, urging them to take more risks and have a 'grown-up approach to failure'. He said civil servants had risen to a challenge set out by the Prime Minister to do away with unnecessary regulations, having recommended scrapping more than half of the 1,200 rules they had looked at so far. Sir Gus also wrote of his pride over . the 'thorough, evidence-based analysis' carried out under the last . government, which resulted in Britain staying out of the euro. 'Without that, the challenge would be substantially greater,' he added. He listed keeping Britain out of the euro against the wishes of Tony Blair as one of his proudest achievements. Earlier, . in an interview for Channel 4 News, Sir Gus disclosed that Whitehall . had carried out contingency planning in case the coalition breaks up - . although he said he believed it would run its full course to 2015. 'My . reading of the coalition, the relationship between the Prime Minister . and the Deputy Prime Minister, is that is probably when the next . election will be,' he said. 'You have to do contingency planning, but I think our main scenario is that we go through to 2015.' Scotland has been united with the rest of Britain since the Act of Union in 1707 - but could become independent again within years. At the moment it is considered unlikely that a majority of Scottish people would vote for the country to go it alone in the world again. However, the issue has entered the political agenda for the first time in a generation after Labour gave Scotland a devolved government in 1999. After oil was discovered in the North Sea in the 1970s, nationalists begun calling for independence and came a whisker away from achieving devolution. A referendum was held on giving Scotland its own assembly in March 1979 but it was rejected on a technicality. Although 52 per cent of people voted in favour of devolution, fewer than 40 per cent of Scots voted amid widespread apathy. The issue went off the agenda for a generation until Labour came to power in 1997. It held a new referendum north of the border, and 74.3 per cent of people this time voted for a Scottish Parliament. There was also devolution to Wales and Ireland. Critics argued that by giving Scotland the power to make its own laws, it would put Britain on a slippery slope to break-up. Although the Labour Party dominated the Scottish Parliament in the early years, the SNP became the largest party in 2007. They then won a majority for the first time in May this year. First Minister Alex Salmond has promised a referendum on independence before 2016. Battle: First Minister Alex Salmond has vowed to hold a referendum on Scottish independence by 2016 . Devolved power: The Scottish people voted overwhelmingly in favour of devolution in a referendum in 1997. 74.3per cent said yes .
Sir Gus O'Donnell said Westminster will face 'enormous challenges' holding the union together .
SNP has promised to hold a referendum on Scottish independence by 2016 .
Alex Salmond says Sir Gus is 'right to raise the constitutional issue'
Sir Gus lists keeping Britain out of the Euro against Tony Blair's wishes as one of his proudest achievements in wide-ranging interview .
By . Rob Cooper . Last updated at 10:01 AM on 22nd December 2011 . Scottish independence: Sir Gus O'Donnell warned today the Union could break up in the next few years . Britain could break up within years and Scotland could become an independent nation again, the country's most senior civil servant today acknowledged for the first time. Cabinet Secretary Sir Gus O'Donnell said that whether the union could be maintained would be a major political issue in the years to come. Alex Salmond, the Scottish First Minister, has vowed to hold a referendum on independence before 2016. The SNP won a majority at Holyrood for the first time raising the spectre of the break-up of Britain. Although David Cameron has pledged to keep the union together, Sir Gus wrote in a wide-ranging newspaper article today that it will be a big political issue in the years to come. Critics think it is is unlikely a majority of Scots would vote for independence. However, the devolved Scottish government could be given additional law-making powers. Sir Gus's remarks come before he retires at the end of the year. Writing in the Daily Telegraph, Sir Gus said: 'Over the next few years, there will be enormous challenges, such as whether to keep our kingdom united.' This morning Alex Salmond said that the civil servant was right to raise the constitutional issue and said he wanted to 'win the fight' for independence. He said: 'I have always regarded Sir Gus O'Donnell as a model civil servant, who has been extremely fair in recognising and respecting the democratic mandate of the Scottish Government. 'Sir Gus is right to recognise the importance of the constitutional issue, and the SNP Government are up for the challenge of building and winning the case for Scottish independence - unlike the Westminster parties, who seem to have their heads buried in the sand.' Scotland has been united with England since the Act of Union in 1707. However, after Tony Blair devolved law-making powers to Scotland following a referendum, calls for independence have grown. Independence for Scotland? The modern Scottish Parliament was created by Tony Blair. After the SNP became the main party in a minority government in 2007, the issue of independence came back on the agenda . MPs representing Scottish, Welsh and Northern Ireland can all vote for laws that only apply in England. However, English MPs do not have the same power over the other countries within the union. It has been argued that following devolution only English MPs should vote on laws that only apply to England. Although power was devolved more than a decade ago the issue has never been resolved. Scottish MPs currently hold 59 out of 650 seats in the House of Commons. The question got its name because the issue was first raised by Tom Dalyell, the West Lothian MP, when devolution was being discussed in 1977. Critics warned at the time that once the Scots had their own parliament it would put Britain on a slippery slope towards break-up. In the years ahead, MPs at Westminster must also tackle the West Lothian Question. Scottish MPs can vote on education and health laws at Westminster but English MPs do not have the same powers over Scotland. A commission has been set up to find a solution to the constitutional anomaly. As well as tackling the issue of . whether the UK will break up, Sir Gus wrote in his piece today that the . Civil Service needed to overcome its 'cultural inertia' and take a . leading role in driving economic recovery. 'It is not enough now for the Civil Service simply to respond to a dampened economic climate: it needs to become a central part of its recovery and growth,' he wrote. Sir Gus also said he believed successive governments had been too quick to address problems with regulation and legislation. Devolution: Former Prime Minister Tony Blair gave Scotland its own parliament again . He encouraged ministers and civil servants to be more creative in solving problems, urging them to take more risks and have a 'grown-up approach to failure'. He said civil servants had risen to a challenge set out by the Prime Minister to do away with unnecessary regulations, having recommended scrapping more than half of the 1,200 rules they had looked at so far. Sir Gus also wrote of his pride over . the 'thorough, evidence-based analysis' carried out under the last . government, which resulted in Britain staying out of the euro. 'Without that, the challenge would be substantially greater,' he added. He listed keeping Britain out of the euro against the wishes of Tony Blair as one of his proudest achievements. Earlier, . in an interview for Channel 4 News, Sir Gus disclosed that Whitehall . had carried out contingency planning in case the coalition breaks up - . although he said he believed it would run its full course to 2015. 'My . reading of the coalition, the relationship between the Prime Minister . and the Deputy Prime Minister, is that is probably when the next . election will be,' he said. 'You have to do contingency planning, but I think our main scenario is that we go through to 2015.' Scotland has been united with the rest of Britain since the Act of Union in 1707 - but could become independent again within years. At the moment it is considered unlikely that a majority of Scottish people would vote for the country to go it alone in the world again. However, the issue has entered the political agenda for the first time in a generation after Labour gave Scotland a devolved government in 1999. After oil was discovered in the North Sea in the 1970s, nationalists begun calling for independence and came a whisker away from achieving devolution. A referendum was held on giving Scotland its own assembly in March 1979 but it was rejected on a technicality. Although 52 per cent of people voted in favour of devolution, fewer than 40 per cent of Scots voted amid widespread apathy. The issue went off the agenda for a generation until Labour came to power in 1997. It held a new referendum north of the border, and 74.3 per cent of people this time voted for a Scottish Parliament. There was also devolution to Wales and Ireland. Critics argued that by giving Scotland the power to make its own laws, it would put Britain on a slippery slope to break-up. Although the Labour Party dominated the Scottish Parliament in the early years, the SNP became the largest party in 2007. They then won a majority for the first time in May this year. First Minister Alex Salmond has promised a referendum on independence before 2016. Battle: First Minister Alex Salmond has vowed to hold a referendum on Scottish independence by 2016 . Devolved power: The Scottish people voted overwhelmingly in favour of devolution in a referendum in 1997. 74.3per cent said yes .
pledged to keep the union together, Sir Gus wrote civil servant was right to raise the of the Scottish Government. 'Sir Gus is right to recognise the importance of the constitutional added. He listed keeping Britain out of the euro against the wishes of Tony Blair as one of his proudest achievements. Earlier, . in an interview Minister Alex Salmond has promised a referendum Minister Alex Salmond has vowed to hold a referendum on Scottish independence by 2016 .