Britain won’t ‘cherry pick’

Britain will not seek to “cherry- pick” which parts ofEUmembership it wants to keep after Brexit, Theresa May has said.

The prime minister said her aim to leave the single market, but strike a free trade deal with the EU including the “greatest possible access” to the trade bloc, does not amount to selectively choosing the best aspects.

Her comments come ahead of today’s Downing Street talks with French prime minister Bernard Cazeneuve.

After Mrs May set out her strategy last month, several EU figures warned the UK it will not be able to “cherry-pick” when it comes to negotiating a new relationship with Brussels.

“We will strike a free trade deal with the EU”

Yesterday she said: “As we leave the EU, we will seek the greatest possible access to the European single market through a new, comprehensive, bold, ambitious free trade agreement.

“This cannot, however, mean retaining membership of the single market.

“French president Francois Hollande and other European leaders have been very clear that this would mean accepting the ‘four freedoms’ of goods, capital, services and people and I respect their position.

“We do not, to borrow the phrase, seek to cherry-pickwhichbits of membership we desire.”