How Will Britain Get Back In the EU?

I am sure that the UK will be back in the EU at some point in the future. It simply defies logic that a country so integral to European history should be outside of it.  Whether this will come about because the whole Brexit project simply falls apart, or if we have a government elected on a promise of a return or if some unexpected event like a war against Russia simply makes it unavoidable is hard to say.  But there is one intriguing possibility that was opened up by a proposal that has just come out.

It has emerged that the government is considering allowing parts of the UK to operate as if they were part of the EU.  This has been triggered off by talks with the NIssan company which obviously is going to be considering both new and existing investment in the UK, given its entire reason for being in the UK was because it was part of the European market.  

The exact way it might work hasn’t been divulged yet, and of course there is every incentive for the EU itself not to play ball.  But if it was small EU enclaves in the UK it would open up some interesting possibilities.  For a start there would be at least in principle the possibility of being a UK citizen living in the UK but working in the EU and being paid in Euros.   I think a lot of people would quite like that option. If it was also possible to have joint citizenship I for one would be asking, where do I sign?

Basically it would mean a little Gibraltar in reverse in Sunderland.

This would probably have to be sold initially as a transitional arrangement.  But if it worked it could be extended.  In fact, it could be extended to cover say the whole of Scotland as a way of overcoming the problems of their divergent views of the EU.  It would also neatly solve the problem of Northern Ireland with its inconvenient land border.  The City of London would love it as well.  I can also see it appealing to universities who want to operate on the world stage - Oxford and Cambridge for sure - and Imperial College with its strong science bias would be up for it.

So it might well end up that a big chunk of the UK could remain in the EU after all.  The bulk of the UK would be outside, but everyone would be able to vote with their feet. Maybe there would never need to be another national referendum. Regions could rejoin at their own pace in their own time. It wouldn't be as dramatic and remainers would never get their 'I told you so' moment. But it might just work better than any other scenario.