"Free" Market vs Immigration

Reading The Times this morning, I quickly passed over the sour grapes page. However, I was interested in the views on immigration expressed by Alice Thomson.  Her headline, "Brexit will do nothing to curb immigration," is concluded by the statement "the immigration issue is far more complex than our relationship with the EU, and bidding farewell to Brussels hasn't begun to solve it." I think she means "complicated" rather than complex, but never mind. Leaving that aside, surely the very act of leaving the EU removes one of the major complications of our immigration policy? Leaving the EU, "bidding farewell to Brussels," is a vital first step in simplifying the complication of immigration and we should all rejoice at the prospect.

Then, in the leader,  the cliche "access to the single market."  What exactly does this mean?  If I feel the need to attend a gymnasium, I could buy an annual/life membership and obtain full access to all the myriad facilities at any time.  On the other hand, more prudently, I may decide that I only need periodic access to some of the equipment and may elect to pay-as-I-go accordingly.  The free market in services might be high on my list of priorities but I may not be so interested in fish, food or energy.  Surely this analogy applies to our access to the "single market?"  "Ah, but you can't come to the gym unless you share everything with the other members," seems to be the management objection.  My answer would probably be that, in that case, I will find another gym.  Unlike Mr Cameron's ill-fated "renegotiation, earlier this year, let's not walk naked into the conference chamber - the UK hand is strong so let's play it that way and not reveal our negotiating position in advance.