Scottish Independence: Nicola Horlick Warns Scots Against 'Shooting Themselves in the Foot'

Nicola Horlick, one of Britain's most famous fund managers, has warned Scots that they would be "shooting themselves in the foot" if they opted for independence.

Speaking exclusively to IBTimes UK, Horlick explained that the huge amount of uncertainty surrounding the factual implications of an independent Scotland would at least, for her, stop her doing business with Scottish firms.

"The biggest concern is what proportion of debt Scotland would take," said Horlick.

"It's all very well saying 'oh that's our oil you nicked', but most of it is gone now and there isn't the same revenue stream as before. Speaking on behalf of my companies, Money & Co and Rockpool, we would not be able to provide finance for Scottish companies under an independent mandate.

"We have only done one Scottish deal, which is building a care home in Ayr, otherwise we haven't done any other deals. The reason for the lack of Scottish deals is because of the uncertainty. I don't say that as a political point, I say it as a pragmatic point."

Money & Co was founded in 2013 by Horlick and is a crowdfunding platform, regulated and authorised by the UK's regulatory body, the Financial Conduct Authority. It helps British businesses get funds to finance growth, and to provide lenders with a good return on their money.

Rockpool Investments is a private equity group, founded in 2011, which now has over 600 people investing in the deals it has signed.

"People have to remember that a lot of financing come from London, in terms of the alternative space, even if there some big financiers in Edinburgh," said Horlick.

"London is where private funding comes from, so I don't think it's a terribly good idea for Scotland to leave the union, if smaller business want to get finance."

Scottish people will vote in an independence referendum on 18 September, 2014, and will be asked the straight "yes/no" question: "Should Scotland be an independent country?"

A poll on 9 September, has revealed that the respective campaigns battling to decide the future of Scotland are nearly tied only nine days before the referendum.

According to the TNS poll, 39% plan to vote against independence, after support slipped massively from 45%; some 38% of Scots plan to vote for a union break - gaining ground from 32% recorded previously.

Previously, a YouGov poll on 7 September, support for Scottish independence took the lead for the first time since the referendum was announced.

The poll, which was conducted between 2 and 5 September, show 51% of the 1,084 surveyed are planning to vote for independence while 49% intend to opt for staying within the union with England.