One historian wrote that the English people are sociologically an insular people -- looking inwards -- but being an island nation forced them to look outwards. England's first "conquest" centuries ago was the people of Wales, no Royal Navy required.
The eventual success of their overseas empire gave the Brits an artificial external outlook. Their expat communities in the EU -- like in southern Spain -- don't bother to learn local languages.
"We're British, you know."
Before the EU, Brits wanting to live elsewhere had the Commonwealth to choose from: Canada, NZ, Suid-Afrika, Australia, India, Hong Kong, Gibraltar, Rhodesia, etc.
The EU shortened the distance for them and NATO made Europe another "colony" so to apeak.
As Italy was the "soft white underbelly" of Fortress Europa during the Second World War, the Kremlin saw the UK as the same in the new Cold War between East and West.
The far right in the UK has been funded by oligarchs and Felon Musk has been stoking the racist groups online, along with the Kremlin, and their strategy worked. .
In the UK, the number one Google search term the day after the Brexit vote was "What is 'EU'?
"Argh! Stoopid Iranians! How dare they fight back? Keep bombing them! Argh! I don't care if this wastes our munitions or gets more people or soldiers killed! Spend more %#&@ money! Pflargh! Let the suckers and losers die for Israel! Gargh!"