ALEX Salmond will today claim that "hope will always trump fear" in the independence debate.

The First Minister will give a speech at Nigg Energy Park on Cromarty Firth, arguing that independence would give Scotland a Parliament that delivers the people's wishes, saying that the £50 million bill for Westminster fails to deliver.

"The parcel o'rogues in the No campaign have been caught out big time in the nature of their arguments," he will say.

"They claimed that mobile phone charges would go up in an independent Scotland the day before the European Commission set about abolishing roaming charges across Europe.

"They said that the UK's triple-A status was crucial to Scotland and then proceeded to lose it for the UK. They said UK embassies would no longer promote whisky, oblivious to the fact they already charge for such receptions.

"All of this nonsense and much more is wrapped up in what the Better Together campaign themselves describe as Project Fear; their confidence that they can scare people out of voting for independence."

But he will insist: "Scare stories give way to reason, and hope will always trump fear."

Meanwhile, Better Together leader Alistair Darling yesterday highlighted in a speech at Glasgow University how the Scotland Act of 2012 as "a template for how the planned future developments of devolution can be taken forward if Scotland remains in the UK".

He said: "I've always argued devolution is not a concluded business. But the way to do this is through political consensus."