Former Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier has cautioned Prime Minister Andy Burnham that any potential move for the UK to rejoin the European single market will not allow for selective participation. Speaking ahead of a major summit scheduled in 10 days, Barnier emphasized that EU member states would demand that Britain accept all membership conditions, including the free movement of people, if it seeks to align its economy with the bloc once again. According to speaking to Sunday With Laura Kuenssberg ahead of a summit in 10 days’ time, Michel Barnier, EU members would insist such a move require the UK to readopt conditions including the free movement of people.
Burnham, who became prime minister in July, has indicated an interest in exploring closer economic ties with Europe and has even identified rejoining the internal market as a potential option for the UK’s long-term future. However, he has confirmed that no major shifts in the relationship will occur before the next general election.
Reflecting on his experience leading exit negotiations from 2016 to 2021, Barnier—who also served as French prime minister for three months in 2024—stated that the door remains open for the UK to return as a full EU member.
Yet, he insisted that joining the single market requires adhering to the four freedoms governing the circulation of goods, services, capital, and people. Services, capital and people, referred to collectively within EU institutions as the four freedoms, he added that this included compliance with regulations designed to promote the circulation of goods.
Barnier stressed, “There will be no possibility to have one freedom and not the other. The four freedoms are clearly the four conditions to be inside a single market.”
The diplomat explicitly rejected the concept of a “single market a la carte,” repeating his long-standing mantra that there can be no cherry-picking of terms. Furthermore, he noted that the political landscape has shifted significantly since the UK’s departure, predicting that EU countries would firmly oppose restoring the British financial rebate that dates back to 1985. Consequently, any attempt to reinstate such a mechanism to lower annual budget contributions would be “off the table.” First negotiated in 1985, that lowered UK contributions towards the EU’s annual budget, he also predicted EU countries would reject recreating the British financial rebate. He added, meaning a new rebate would be “off the table”, the UK’s decision to leave the bloc had created “a new situation”.
