England And Wales Urge Scotland: Don't Leave Us

LONDON (Reuters) - Despite sporting and historic rivalry, England and Wales had one message for Scotland on Tuesday: don't leave us.

As debate over Scotland's independence referendum heats up, an opinion poll showed a rising number of English and Welsh want Scotland to stay in the 307-year group forged by the Treaty of the Union that created the United Kingdom of Great Britain.

A YouGov poll found 54 percent want voters north of the border to reject independence at a referendum on September 18.

This is a turnaround from three years ago when a poll for the tabloid Sun newspaper found slightly more English and Welsh wanted Scots to go their own way than stay in the UK.

The survey comes as polls north of the border show a slight shift in opinion with rising support for separatists who have lagged pro-unionists with about one third support since the independence vote became a reality 18 months ago.

(Reporting by Belinda Goldsmith; editing by Stephen Addison)