You'll get no exceptions! #EU leaders tell #Britain it must accept freedom of movement rules if it wants access to single market as they start plotting Brexit WITHOUT #Cameron

Britain will not be given access to Europe's single market without accepting freedom of movement rules, EU leaders decided today.

As they met for the first time without David Cameron in Brussels today, the 27 EU heads of state agreed the UK would not be given any exceptions if it wanted to carry on selling and buying goods in the tariff-free trading zone as a non-EU member.

Donald Tusk, president of the European Council, declared: 'There will be no single market a la carte.'

But in a sign of the tense negotiations to come between Brussels and the UK, Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond said he did not 'rule out' securing a deal on freedom of movement.

But Mr Tusk said leaders made it 'crystal clear' today that access to the single market required acceptance of all four freedoms - freedom of movement, goods, services and capital.  

Mr Tusk insisted however that the EU wanted to keep the UK as a 'close partner' in the future.

No negotiations on the future relationship would take place until the UK formally applied to withdraw through Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty, he said.

'There will be no negotiations of any kind until the UK formally notifies its intention to withdraw.'

'It is up to the British Government to notify the European Council of the UK's intention to withdraw.'