The @thesundaytimes poll showed a sobering 45% of English voters would not be bothered if Scotland left. There is a lot said about why Scotland benefits from the Union, so here is a Robert Burns Night thread about why England is enriched by Scotland.

1) The institutions that are central to our national identity were forged by Scots and English together. And continue to be so. The BBC (John Reith), Bank of England (William Paterson), the military, even the Royal Mail started so James I could communicate with Edinburgh.

2) Many of the values that define us at home and that we fight for abroad, have also been jointly forged and understood. Free Markets (Adam Smith), Free Will (David Hume), the liberalism and parliamentary democracy (Macaulay) to name a few.

3) Not to mention the cultural icons that we celebrate as quintessentially ours... Bond, Harry Potter, the Queen, Team GB.

4) The world views shrinking nations as a sign of decline. England's voice on the world stage to impact the issues it cares about will reduce as we reduce. Soft power is perception, and the perception will be one of diminishment.

5) In C18, UK formed to keep England secure from French invasion from the North. We are still safer because of it. Nuclear weapons stationed in the Clyde that can't go elsewhere, Scots serving in our military, and having one government coordinating security across one island.

6) England is 6x more densely populated than Scotland. We live in a small island whose population is growing faster than most developed nations. Independence would mean losing 1/3 of UK landmass overnight.

7) Half a million English people live in Scotland and benefit from opportunities north of the border. And around 750,000 Scots live in England. Over centuries this exchange has created families, relationships, and businesses.

8) 23% of English goods end up in the rest of the UK - the vast majority in Scotland. English businesses need frictionless trade and open borders with its northern neighbour.

9) Scottish independence would take up all of England's energy for a number of years. And if Brexit was tricky, it is even harder to disentangle 300 years of assets, liabilities, and relationships.

10) Ultimately I think many people are indifferent because the bonds and impact of the Union are interwoven in daily life. It is natural to got to Edinburgh or Highlands without showing a passport. 300 years has made Scotland part of our identity whether we know it or not.