Barnier rules out cherry-picking single market terms for UK
Michel Barnier says EU membership terms would apply to any UK return, and rejects a new rebate. Brussels talks are due in ten days.
Key points
- Michel Barnier, the EU's former Brexit negotiator, says the UK cannot choose which single market rules to follow.
- He told the BBC that rejoining would require accepting the four freedoms, including free movement of people.
- Andy Burnham has floated deeper links with Europe, but says sweeping shifts will wait until after the upcoming vote.
- Barnier said a new UK rebate would be off the table.
- Both sides hope to announce deals on food standards, youth visas and carbon trading at a Brussels meeting in ten days.
Michel Barnier, the former chief Brexit negotiator for the European Union, has said the UK cannot select only the parts of the single market it likes. He made the remarks in an interview with the BBC’s Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg, as reported by the BBC.
His comments follow a suggestion from UK prime minister Andy Burnham that he wants to explore closer economic ties with Europe. Burnham has said that rejoining the bloc’s internal market is one of the options he could pursue as Britain reshapes its relationship with the EU, almost six years after leaving.
Conditions for rejoining the single market
Barnier said EU members would expect the UK to accept certain conditions before gaining access. One of these is the free movement of people. He said there is no ‘single market à la carte’ menu from which countries can choose freely.
He described the four freedoms, which cover goods, services, capital and people, as the core conditions for being inside the single market. In his words, there can be no option to take one freedom and reject another.
Barnier also said the door was open for the UK to rejoin the EU as a full member. However, he argued that Britain’s departure had changed matters, and that a new version of the financial rebate would be off the table. The original rebate was first negotiated in 1985 and reduced UK payments to the EU budget while Britain was a member.
Burnham’s position and the Brussels meeting
Burnham took office in July. Since then he has hinted that Labour could seek a far deeper bond with the continent, even applying to return as a full member of the bloc. Yet he has excluded sweeping alterations until voters go to the polls again.
He has said he would not restore free movement without a referendum. Downing Street later clarified that he was not calling for its return at this stage. Burnham has said he wants to set out different options at a Brussels summit later this month, and then seek a consensus with the public.
Both sides are working towards announcing agreements at a meeting in Brussels in ten days. The planned deals cover food standards, youth visas and linking British industry to the EU’s carbon trading system. Free movement was a central issue in the 2016 referendum and remains a dividing line with the Conservatives and Reform UK.
Row over Farage and the £350m claim
Barnier also compared Reform UK leader Nigel Farage with French politician Marine Le Pen, saying both rely on populism and false promises. When asked to explain his claim that they had told lies, he pointed to the pledge that the UK would get back £350 million a week after leaving the EU. He said this was not true and not possible.
The figure was used by the Vote Leave campaign, which Boris Johnson later became a key figure in. Critics have said the sum was a gross contribution figure that ignored the UK rebate and EU spending in Britain. Johnson has defended the claim, arguing that the gross figure was if anything an underestimate.
Farage, who led Leave UK but was not part of Vote Leave, responded that Barnier was arrogant, out of touch and a bully. He said Barnier showed the decision to leave was right each time he spoke.
Frequently asked questions
What did Michel Barnier say about the UK and the single market?
Barnier said the UK cannot pick and choose which parts of the single market it adopts. He said rejoining would require accepting the four freedoms, including free movement of people.
What is Andy Burnham proposing?
Burnham has said he wants to explore closer economic ties with Europe, and rejoining the internal market is one option. He has said sweeping changes will not come before the next election.
When will the UK and EU meet in Brussels?
Both sides are hoping to unveil deals on food standards, youth visas and carbon trading at a meeting in Brussels in 10 daysu0026#039; time, according to the BBC.
Sources
This article was written with the help of AI from reports by the outlets listed above. See our Editorial Policy. Spotted a mistake? Tell us.
