Free trade agreements do not create common markets. (Well, they can, but if they do they include some sort of harmonization of relevant laws). Plus, the UK alr

Free trade agreements do not create common markets. (Well, they can, but if they do they include some sort of harmonization of relevant laws). Plus, the UK already excludes itself from practically all non-common-market activities of the EU. They aren't participating there anyway. I also think you are confused about what creating a common market entails. It necessitates common political decisions. The common sticking point of freedom of movement is not some nice to have thing. Without it there can be no common market. Likewise, the harmonization of (relevant) laws is not some nice to have thing. That's hard political work that has to be done to reach the goal and doing it without a political structure on the EU level is unrealistic. (You can't have consensus-based negotiations about the minutiae of safety regulations for wine harvesters between heads of state.) If that's too much for the UK to deal with then that's fine with me. The rest of the EU will do fine withput them. If the UK wants free trade agreements they can have that. They can't, however, have parts of the common market they like but not those they don't like.