U.K. access to EU single market tied to free movement, Germany says

BERLIN — Germany’s finance minister has poured scorn on Britain’s bid to keep its access to the European Union’s single market while restricting EU immigration when it leaves the bloc. Wolfgang Schaeuble suggested Friday he would be willing to provide Britain’s top diplomat with a refresher course in how one of the EU’s central treaties works — in English, if necessary. UK Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson has claimed that tying the free movement of labour to Britain’s access to the single market is “complete baloney.” Schaeuble, known for his acerbic wit, said he would “happily send Her Majesty’s foreign secretary a copy of the Lisbon Treaty and then he can read that there’s a certain link (between the two).” Britons voted in a non-binding referendum in June to leave the EU.