HONESTY is getting difficult to spot in our referendum discussions.

At least Charles Kennedy ("Why our destiny must lie in the direction of the F-word", The Herald, July 24) sends out an honest message: "If the Union maintains, we Better Togetherists had better get together sharpish, on a more broadly-based platform."

While the No campaign sends out its unrelenting message of doom and how it will punish us if we split from the UK, it ends by appealing to the hesitant Yes vote to vote No by promising a UK with more powers for Scotland - guaranteed.

Mr Kennedy at least acknowledges that there are no agreed plans for more powers. All the parties say there will be, but none on which they can agree. They will not be specific or be tied down. At least Johann Lamont has been honest with the English regions when she said there would be no extra resources allocated to Scotland in any further devolution accorded after a No vote.

The facts are, the "guarantee" being offered to Scotland consists of paltry tax concessions and other minor bits and bobs afforded by the Scotland 2012 Act. The main political parties are loathe to make concessions that would disadvantage or diminish the role of Westminster; that is the whole purpose of centralised power. Further real devolution to Scotland might also awaken similar devolutionary instincts in some English regions.

In my view when the parties get together, they will fail to agree. Westminster will conclude that if Scotland really wanted substantial further powers it should have voted for independence.

Ian McLaren,

27 Buchanan Drive, Lenzie.

I WAS saddened to read that yet another Calmac ferry is being built abroad with the construction of the multi-million-pound Loch Seaforth within a German shipyard ("Blow as arrival of new ferry is delayed", The Herald, July 24). This follows the building of the publicly-owned Calmac ferry, the MV Finlaggan in Poland. The demise of this aspect of Scottish shipbuilding is unlikely to change even in an independent Scotland with Alex Salmond's determination to gain EU membership and thus be constrained by EU competition rules and regulations.

Bob MacDougall,

Oxhill, Kippen, Stirlingshire.