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 The announcements by Edinburgh-based Lloyds and Royal Bank of
Scotland - both part-owned by the UK government - and by the
Australian owners of Clydesdale bank followed a new opinion poll
that showed defenders of the centuries-old union were slightly
ahead.
A weekend survey had given the 'yes' campaign its first lead this
year, prompting the leaders of Britain's three main political
parties to clear their diaries and travel north in a bid to persuade
voters that Scotland would gain more autonomy if it rejected
independence.
The sudden prospect of a Scottish breakaway so close to the Sept. 18
referendum has prompted a rush to action this week by Britain's
political and business elite: oil firms Shell and BP have also
expressed concern.
In another blow to the independence campaign influential newspaper
The Scotsman decided to back staying in Britain.
Lloyds bank, which is 25 percent-owned by the UK government and
controls Bank of Scotland, said its contingency plans included
setting up "legal entities in England", a move that would not affect
its business.
RBS said it "would be necessary to re-domicile the bank’s holding
company."
TSB Banking Group, which is part-owned by Lloyds, said it was likely
to relocate some operations to England.
The thought of their departure caused little heartache in some
quarters.
"I would rather be poor and standing on my own two feet, making my
decisions about my country, than being ripped off by robber barons
in Westminster," said Daniel Hargreaves, a 'yes' voter from
Edinburgh - rushing to work in the city center - who said he was an
RBS customer until two years ago.
John Swinney, finance minister in the nationalist-led Scottish
government, told BBC radio that the announcement by the banks was a
result of the refusal by Britain's government to agree to a formal
currency union with an independent Scotland.
Bank of England Governor Mark Carney has raised questions about
currency arrangements in an independent Scotland, saying the country
would need stockpiles of sterling if it adopted the pound without an
agreement with the rest of the United Kingdom.
That could threaten the spending promises of Scottish National Party
leader Alex Salmond, who wants a deal to share the pound and the
Bank of England with the rest of the UK. Britain's main political
parties have ruled that out.
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Salmond, asked by a reporter about business leaders' concern about
independence, accused the UK government of orchestrating a campaign
among corporate leaders to talk negatively about independence.
"I think the people of Scotland have moved beyond these warnings and
these scaremongerings," he told a news conference.
UNIONISTS AHEAD
There was some relief for unionists when a poll released on
Wednesday evening showed 53 percent of Scots would vote against a
split, against 47 percent intending to opt for independence.
The figures from the poll, carried out by Survation for the Daily
Record newspaper, were unchanged from its last survey on Aug. 28.
They excluded 10 percent of voters who said they were still
undecided.
Until a few weeks ago the "No" campaign had been comfortably ahead
according to several polling companies.
Financial markets have also seen an impact from worries about
Scotland breaking away.
Investors fear the effect on Britain of Scotland claiming much of
the North Sea oil and gas reserves. The balance of political power
in Britain - and its future membership of the European Union are
also in the balance.
The cost of hedging against sharp swings in the British pound ahead
of the Scottish referendum in a week's time jumped to 13-month
highs.
Thursday marks the anniversary of the 1997 referendum in which Scots
voted for their current devolved administration.
(Writing by William Schomberg and Costas Pitas; Editing by Sophie
Walker)
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