The British policies have long been anti-Europe or more precisely anti-dominant country. When the German (or Teutons/Prussians) were dominating they allied themselves with the french and or Spain. When the french were more powerful they allied themselves with their former enemies and Austria. Their wars with Spain, Portugal and Italy were about their colonies and their dominance on the sea.
It is no rocket science to understand that it was about staying independent both politically (monarchy claims) and economically. Any dominant countries could have strangled England and killed any and all desires of independence.
Now that the UK is not a powerful naval entity, does not have the economic pull due to its extinct colonial empire they have to adapt to a brand new world that is not exactly friendly toward the roast-beef. Europe is now a dissonant block that does not inspire ANY confidence as it not a democracy nor even a representative republic. With that how can the in-bred Brits want to become of it?
Charles De Gaule was right when he said that the UK should be invited only once when Europe is strong and mature enough to let them in. (Note that De Gaule version of Europe did not include any of the states called democracies in Eastern Europe. His vision was limited to Germany, Luxemburg, Denmark, Italy, Spain and Austria. Had this been respected Europe would have been something else than the utter mess that it is now. It also would be likely democratic. The whole damned thing started with the 'Serpent European' which was a monetary alliance between the a fore mentioned countries).
Europeans, especially the legless frogs are complaining of the US push toward economic globalization when in reality they started spreading it in cahoot with Germany. (For the little story, the first global company was a US tobacco outfit (1880s), jump started with the invention of a machine to create pre-rolled cigarettes).
In short, the Brits are just squeezed out and they don't like it. What better way to prevent their exclusion than mess with Europe?
The claim made earlier about the language is as dubious as Quebec claiming to 'speak' French. They do speak something that sound like French but the meaning of the words are different. In this case, they have preserved the old meaning and never created new words that follow progress. In the case of the UK this is the reverse, the quaint terms used in the UK are all good and true but do not reflect the need for linguistic progress as made in the US. Instead they had to include 'Americanism' in their dictionaries.
This is another thing that really bugs the Brits, being squeezed out of their own language by the fat ugly Americans.
What is left? Their self depreciating humor. This is unique, and as Basil said: "
You just don't get it!!!'
(sorry about the misspellings and grammar blunders but I am a frog and some roast-beef is boiling my legs somewhere)