In particular, a joint guarantee by Labour, the Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats is designed to shore up the idea that there would be more powers in a Scotland that stays in the UK but also puncture the persistent claims of the nationalists that the pro-Union parties are not to be trusted.

That was the message that the First Minister Alex Salmond was delivering again yesterday when he claimed that Scots could not rely on the unionist parties‘ promises. „The only guarantee of getting more powers is to vote yes,“ he said. „Anything else is in the grace and favour of the unionist parties.“