UK pitched single market for goods with EU in pursuit of deeper trade ties

Exclusive: Top British official presented idea in Brussels but sources say it was rebuffed

The UK government pitched the creation of a single market for goods with the EU as the cornerstone of an ambitious attempt to reintegrate British trade back into Europe, the Guardian can reveal.

During recent visits to Brussels, the Cabinet Office's top official on EU relations, Michael Ellam, presented the idea to deepen the UK's economic relationship with the bloc.