MOSCOW (Sputnik) – On December 9, Davis was reported to have said privately that the United Kingdom was unlikely to retain access to the single market due to European Union's unwillingness to compromise on the freedom of movement, which the United Kingdom wants to curb, but it could sign trade deals similar to the Canada-EU agreement.
"We are sticking to … maximum possible access," Davis said, after mentioning the intention to keep the strategic aim open.
Davis also stressed that "what matters is access … the ability to sell our goods and services," adding that the access and membership were often confused.
In June, the United Kingdom voted in a referendum to leave the European Union. Soon after the referendum, May said that the country would trigger the Article 50 of the EU Lisbon Treaty by the end of March 2017, thus beginning withdrawal negotiations.
A number of EU leaders have stated that the United Kingdom would lose its access to the Single Market unless it keeps freedom of movement rules. UK Prime Minister Theresa May, meanwhile, suggested at the Conservative Party conference in early October that the country’s exit from the European Union would be a "hard" rather than "soft" Brexit, meaning that control over immigration would be prioritized over the access to the European Single Market.
