Deputy: British EU referendum helps Scottish independence bid

Britain's referendum on its European Union membership will help those seeking independence for Scotland, dpa qouted its deputy first minister as saying on Tuesday in Brussels. Scotland is set to hold a referendum in late 2014 on independence, which could end more than 300 years of union with England. British Prime Minister David Cameron in January promised his eurosceptic compatriots a referendum on Britain's EU membership by late 2017. The Scottish government, however, is 'strongly committed' to staying in the EU - not least because of its single market - Deputy First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said. She predicted that the British referendum would help 'to some extent' the independence cause.