this is not true in the slightest, we had the 2nd hardest exit possible
a possible outcome could have been that we left the EU and remained in the EU single market and EU customs union
there's this rather famous EU commission slide of the various options the UK could take: https://i.kinja-img.com/image/upload/c_fit,q_60,w_1315/adf2f... with integration decreasing as you move right (the "brexit hardness")
we ended up with the Canada option, the only harder option would have been to drop out without a signed deal (which thankfully didn't happen)
this is not true in the slightest, we had the 2nd hardest exit possible
a possible outcome could have been that we left the EU and remained in the EU single market and EU customs union
there's this rather famous EU commission slide of the various options the UK could take: https://i.kinja-img.com/image/upload/c_fit,q_60,w_1315/adf2f... with integration decreasing as you move right (the "brexit hardness")
we ended up with the Canada option, the only harder option would have been to drop out without a signed deal (which thankfully didn't happen)