A survey of businesses in England, Wales and Northern Ireland has revealed that 85% are opposed to Scottish independence.
The British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) quizzed 2,400 of its members and also found that 65% were not in favour of Scotland having a formal currency union with the rest of the UK in the event of a Yes vote on September 18.
Over a quarter of firms – 28% – said Scotland should create its own currency if it voted to leave the UK; 18% said it should join the euro and 8% said it should retain sterling but not join a formal currency union.
More than a quarter (26%) of firms identified the highest risk as trading across borders should Scotland become independent and 47% said future currency arrangements was the most important issue for their business.
John Longworth, director general of the British Chambers of Commerce, said: “Businesses in England, Wales and Northern Ireland remain less than captivated by the intense debate unfolding north of the border. Yet they do have views on the potential impacts of a change in Scotland’s relationship with the rest of the UK.”
The survey showed that 63% of respondents said no new opportunities would arise for their businesses if Scotland voted for independence – and only 6% believe that potential tax savings due to different rates would provide them with opportunities.
More than half (63%) of businesses said it was important that the current arrangements for allocating public expenditure between the UK nations were reformed in the event of a No vote.
A total of 91% of businesses outwith Scotland said that the independence debate has had no impact on business decisions to date.
In Scotland, 24% of businesses report that their decisions have been influenced by the independence debate, whereas outside of Scotland, this number drops to 9%.
Labour MP Ian Murray, speaking on behalf of Better Together, claimed the lack of support for breaking up the UK was a “blow” to the separatists.
He said: “Hundreds of thousands of Scots are employed by firms based elsewhere in the UK, so it’s important that the voice of these large employers is heard in this debate.”
But Business for Scotland, which favours Yes, pointed out that the survey did not include Scottish companies.