UK should restore freedom of movement, says Jean-Claude Juncker
The UK should restore freedom of movement, Jean-Claude Juncker said today, adding that Rishi Sunak’s Windsor Framework deal with the EU was “a real breakthrough”.
In an interview with LBC, ex-European Commission president Juncker called for Britain to have a “normal relationship” with the trading bloc, including a “kind of freedom of movement for workers”.
Speaking to Tonight with Andrew Marr, Juncker said: “I negotiated an arrangement with David Cameron, on the freedom of movement of workers from the continent to Britain.
“This arrangement… was never mentioned in the referendum campaign.
“I spent hours, nights, days, weeks, months, with David Cameron and his colleagues on all these issues, and we had an arrangement, but it was not defended by the British government,” Junker said.
“Yes, we should have with Britain a normal relationship and that includes this kind of freedom of movement for workers,” he added.
But he said, however, he did not think there was “any chance whatsoever” of Britain re-joining the EU.
On Rishi Sunak’s Windsor Framework deal with the EU, Juncker said: “I think, although I haven’t seen the agreement in detail, that this is a real breakthrough. It’s paving the way for normalising the relations between Britain and the European Union.
“I’m quite happy with what has been decided inside the Windsor Framework. I think it is diplomacy at its best.
“I think that the European Commission will have more authority than it seems.
“And as the European Court of Justice has been reconfirmed in his role as an arbiter when it comes to internal market questions concerning Northern Ireland.
“So, I think that although the deal is giving a response to the major British concerns there is a part of European Union in the deal some in Britain are trying to hide.”
He also suggested the deal could have been achieved by another leader but said “not Theresa May”.