Danny Alexander has dismissed fears that the UK Government will reject the outcome of the Scottish independence referendum.
The Highland MP was reacting to reports that a senior coalition source had claimed a Yes vote would not guarantee the nation could break away from the UK.
First Minister Alex Salmond called the report an “astonishing and irresponsible intervention”.
But Mr Alexander, who is chief secretary to the Treasury, said the Westminster government would stick to the terms of the Edinburgh Agreement and respect the outcome of the September 18 referendum.
“What I would say is that the policy of the UK Government is and has been clear,” the Liberal Democrat MP for Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey said.
“We totally respect the right of people in Scotland who will vote in the referendum in September to make their decision.
“The result of the referendum will be respected, full stop, end of story.”
The first minister claimed the UK Government was so worried about losing the referendum it was prepared to reject the ballot result.
“This is an astonishing and irresponsible intervention by a senior coalition source,” he said.
“The Westminster establishment are now so worried about losing the referendum that they are threatening to refuse to respect the democratic will of the people of Scotland, and rip up the Edinburgh Agreement – signed in all good faith by the prime minister.”
He claimed the UK Government had realised it had overreached itself amid a “backlash” following Chancellor George Osborne’s statement he would not accept a currency union because of the risks to British taxpayers.
“Danny Alexander’s climb-down, distancing himself from the comments, suggest they know these tactics are backfiring badly for them, underlined by opinion polls carried out in the immediate aftermath of the currency threat,” Mr Salmond said.
A senior coalition source was quoted in a Glasgow-based newspaper as saying the SNP’s 18-month timescale to complete negotiations following a Yes vote was “totally unrealistic”.
He said the Westminster government would not “roll over” to any impossible demands made by Mr Salmond. “If we could not reach an agreement, the status quo would be the default position,” he said.