Voters in Scotland will this Thursday decide if their country should become independent or remain part of the United Kingdom. Polls suggest Scots will choose to remain in the UK, but pro-independence campaigners believe a huge number of undecided voters could tip the balance in their favour.

Company directors including BHP Billiton chief executive Andrew Mackenzie, Cairn Energy chief executive Simon Thompson and Douglas Flint, chairman of HSBC Holdings say the business case for independence has not been made.

“Uncertainty surrounds a number of vital issues including currency, regulation, tax, pensions, EU membership and support for our exports around the world; and uncertainty is bad for business,” they said in an open letter urging Scots to vote against independence.

Royal Bank of Scotland chairman Philip Hampton said the bank was considering the possible business implications of a Yes vote and its response, while Lloyds Banking Group is said to be considering moving its registered office to London if Scots vote for independence.

Scotland’s first minister, Alex Salmond, has said the country would officially become independent in March 2016, if a Yes vote wins, giving the likes of Royal Bank of Scotland and Lloyds plenty of time to assess their options.

Uncertainty

Other major companies such as BP and Shell have also said they would prefer Scotland to remain part of the UK because of the uncertainty a vote to leave would cause.

However, the pro-independence Business for Scotland organisation said Scotland would thrive as an independent country, because key economic decisions would be made by those who truly understood and cared most about Scotland’s distinctive economic needs.

The group, which includes Ralph Topping, the former chief executive of bookmaker William Hill, said more and more business people are moving to Yes vote after looking at the facts and figures.