England and Wales had one message for Scotland: don't leave us. An opinion poll on Tuesday showed a rising number of English and Welsh want Scotland to stay in the United Kingdom.
A YouGov poll found 54 percent want voters north of the border to reject independence at a referendum on 18 September.
This is a turnaround from three years ago when a poll for the Sun newspaper found slightly more English and Welsh wanted Scots to go their own way than stay.
"Suddenly Scottish independence has become a real consideration and people are taking this more seriously and no longer just giving a flippant answer," said YouGov political analyst Anthony Wells.
The latest YouGov poll of 5161 English and Welsh adults conducted last month found only 24 percent now want Scotland to break away while 22 percent did not know.
The poll found opposition to Scottish independence was strongest in the north of England where 55 percent of respondents favoured sticking with Scotland and was weakest in London where 50 percent opposed a breakaway.
The British government is opposed to Scottish independence, saying both sides of the border benefit from the union.
"The UK has a stronger global voice than any of us would have alone - this is common sense," Welsh First Minister Carwyn Jones said in a statement.
Scotland's First Minister Alex Salmond is leading the drive for Scotland to split from the rest of the UK, arguing that Scots will be better off in charge of their own finances.
But the YouGov poll found the economy was not a key consideration for England and Wales, with 56 percent saying Scottish independence would make no real difference or not make them worse off. Only 26 percent thought they would benefit.