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'?
Volscian General Tullus Aufidius monologue about his handsome and charismatic Roman "enemy" Coriolanus (Act IV, Scene V):
"Oh Martius, Martius, each word thou hath spoke...
Here I clip the anvil of my do contest as hotly and as nobly with thy love as ever in ambitious strength I did contend against thy valor.
And I loved the maid I married; never man sighed truer breath. But that I see thee here thou noble thing, more dances my rapt heart than when I first my wedded mistress saw bestride my threshold."