THE No campaign must be grinding its teeth at the honest disclosures from Scottish Secretary Alistair Carmichael ("Carmichael:

How No vote will settle Scotland's future once and for all", The Herald, July 28). Many of us expected that, if there were a No vote, Westminster would only transfer cosmetic powers and then cut the Scottish budget so that any new powers would prove impossible to use.

Now Mr Carmichael demonstrates the threat is worse. He predicts that the London Parliament will be more visible (political speak for interference) in Scotland post-No. Those thinking of voting No should remember that Westminster can as easily remove powers as grant them, as witnessed by the transfer of some energy powers from Edinburgh to London several months back.

Then again why bother with legislation when you can simply ignore Edinburgh, as has just happened with the announcement by the London Government of a new fracking policy without consultation with the Scottish Government. Once we are all British, a regional Scotland is superfluous to decision-making at the centre of power.

Thanks, Mr Carmichael, for making us aware what lies ahead with a No vote. Any takers for Suckers for No?

Gordon Wilson,

48 Monifieth Road,

Broughty Ferry,

Dundee.

YOUR front-page headline expresses the situation exactly: a No vote will ensure that we remain under Westminster rule, dominated by the economic and social bias of the political power of the south-east of our precious cousin, England. Make no mistake: England is precious to us and we would always stand by her in time of true need. But she has still to learn that we are no longer the wee laddie in the kilt who will do what he is telt.

Alistair Carmichael is quite correct when he says that a No vote is likely to emphasise the presence of UK influence in our life. History has taught us what happens when we frighten our big cousin and then back down. We will continue to host the obscenity of Trident at preposterous cost, our NHS will become privatised, our social policies will be the subject of ridicule and our immigration ambitions undermined, our economic policies will be irrelevant and our voice silenced in international terms. The optimism we hold for our future will be crushed.

Incidentally, Mr Carmichael's observations are made at a time when, by tacit agreement, the politics of the referendum are in abeyance to afford the maximum coverage to the great achievements of the athletes of the Common­wealth. They have not let us down. On the other hand, Mr Carmichael's intervention at this stage merely confirms what we know about the trust we can place in Liberal Democrat promises.

KM Campbell,

Bank House, Doune.

ALISTAIR Carmichael has managed simultaneously to whistle against the wind and hole his No campaign below the waterline. Not bad going for an islander.

John Aberdein,

Quoys, Hoy, Stromness, Orkney.