"If we stay in will the subject be brought up in the future or be laid to rest? As the Scottish referendum debate seems to be resurfacing."
It is hard to imagine that the subject will not resurface in some form. In fact, if we are talking more generally about the costs and benefits of the EU or questions about the state of the Union, there should be no doubt that the debate will continue.
Firstly, there is a growing consensus both here and across Europe that the EU needs to reform, whether we are members or not. In this respect many of the anti-EU arguments are bound to be under discussion for years to come, if real reform is to ever be achieved.
Secondly, the migrant crisis and events like the recent attacks in Paris and Brussels will continue to put pressure on the EU. Swathes of European citizens are becoming dissatisfied with their national governments and the EU’s handling of such issues, leading to the rise of both far-right and far-left groups across the continent. The future could see a move away from centrist politics in Europe, potentially spurring on further tensions and debate about the state of the Union. The question of Turkey’s membership is something that could see these issues hit the headlines again soon.
Thirdly, there are concerns that the UK referendum will encourage others to think about something similar, particularly if we vote to leave. Indeed, a recent poll in Sweden found a majority of the Swedish public would vote to follow us out of the union. Regardless of the result here, anti-EU sentiment is on the rise. Some have spoken about the possibility of a second referendum here in the UK. Whilst we should not expect a repeat in the near future, we cannot definitively rule it out in the longer term.
