BRITAIN must pay into the European Union’s budget and accept the bloc’s laws if it wants continued special access to the single market post Brexit, Emmanuel Macron has told Theresa May.
At a joint press conference at the Sandhurst military academy, the French President set out Britain’s options: like Norway, participate fully in the single market with free movement of people and pay into the Budget; or, like Canada, have a trade deal that only covers goods.
Noting how he was “here neither to punish nor reward,” Mr Macron made clear he wanted to preserve the single market; the “heart of the EU”.
“The choice is on the British side, not on my side,” he declared.
“If you want access to the single market, including the financial services, be my guest. But it means that you need to contribute to the budget and acknowledge European jurisdiction.
“There will be no hypocrisy in this respect otherwise it would not work. It would destroy the single market and its coherence,” declared the President.
The Prime Minister said she accepted that as Britain left the EU “we will no longer be full members of the single market,” but insisted the deep and special partnership the UK sought with the EU “should cover goods and services”.
The two leaders, accompanied by several of their senior Government colleagues, released a raft of agreements covering security, defence, immigration, foreign policy and sport. The loan to Britain of the historic Bayeux Tapestry in 2002 was also confirmed.
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