A majority of FTSE 100 chairmen oppose Scottish independence as they fear splitting up would be bad for British business and dilute the UK's economic influence, according to a new survey.
The poll by executive search firm Korn Ferry found 65% of chairmen of 32 FTSE 100 companies said it would be bad for business if Scotland ended its union with England while 24% saw it as good or very good.
Commenting on a "Yes" vote for independence, one chairman said it would be "particularly bad for the Scots, not good for the English and would dilute the UK's economic influence".
The survey was released as an increasing number of business leaders take sides or point out risks ahead of the independence vote.
A previous survey by Korn Ferry and the British Retail Consortium found 33 retail chairmen were "consistently negative" about Scottish independence, concerned about possible impact of new employment and pension laws and rising supply chain costs.
Justin King, outgoing chief executive of Sainsbury's, has warned independence could lead to higher food prices.
The Korn Ferry poll, taken from its latest Boardroom Pulse survey, also found an overwhelming majority of chairmen, 98%, did not think a EU referendum would result in the UK leaving the bloc, up from 81% in a survey last March.
It found the number of chairmen who saw leaving the EU as bad for business had risen to 86% from 74%.
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