Can we rejoin the EU at a later date?

[MaitlandGirl]

Apologies if this has been covered before but is there any chance the UK will be able to rejoin the EU at some point in the future or is it a case of after Jan 1st that's it - door locked, no chance of it ever being opened again?

I've been chatting with the kids about this and don't know if there's any possibility of a new govt fixing things.

Yes. The EU are devastated that we are leaving. The EU is smaller, poorer and weaker without us. We would be able to re-join, and we would be welcomed with open arms.

But...

We would no longer be able to pick & choose the elements of EU membership which suited us, eg the Single Market & Customs Union, while opting out of the things we didn’t like, eg the Euro, the ECB, Schengen etc etc.

@bellinisurge
Of course it would be difficult for Scotland to join because of its economic hammering and leaching by England. Same for many countries in E Europe or the Balkans. It might take time to get back in but it would head in that direction.
After all, why can't it, like NI, have what Gove called the best of both worlds.

"Economic leaching by England". Do you have a reference for this that isn't SNP propaganda? The last time I looked via the IFS (Institute for Fiscal Studies) which isn't exactly a popular body with the U.K. Govt, Scotland has run large budget deficits for over 20 years. Even at the peak of North Sea oil production the Scottish economy was still in deficit but the nearest point to anywhere near balanced.

Why can't you have what NI has? Simple. Scotland is not attached to Ireland and doesn't share a common land boarder. Northern Ireland will have unfettered access free of charge to the single market and without adopting the euro which is unprecedented. Bizarrely it also makes Irish unification less likely as if it happened the Irish govt would have also faced a hammering due to the NI budget deficit and in addition may have to pay larger contributions to the EU budget. In addition, the Spanish have always been pretty clear behind the scenes about Scotland as there is no way they want the Basque region to try and do what Sturgeon wants to do with Scotland and the Basque region is far more able to go independent economically as they have a very rich economy which Scotland just doesn't have

I'm afraid as with politics, there is a lot of sabre rattling and misinformation but if Scotland had to contract its budget deficit to less than 2% the economic squeeze would make the Greek contraction look like a pleasant party

I suspect you are too young to know what Thatcher did to Scotland. I'm not and I lived and worked as an adult in that "last 20 years" you so casually talk about. More than 20 years.
And in the North of England where I am from.

Mind you Denmark and Sweden have managed to keep their own currencies and I don't see them being in any great rush to adopt the Euro....

I am not an expert on Scottish finances, but both Scotland and Norway had/have oil. Norway has used it to enhance its prosperity. Yes, Norway isn't in the EU, but it is in the EEA and Schengen.

I suspect you are too young to know what Thatcher did to Scotland.

Picking up this point, my own opinion is that Thatcherism in Scotland helped to bring the Independence movement to centre stage instead of being a fringe movement.

I think the EU will break up over the next ten years

Not going to happen

@onlythepianoplayer

I think the EU will break up over the next ten years

Not going to happen

Once again, Hitchens Razor

Yes