Once upon a time there was a middling sized country that beat most other countries to big ships and big guns. On the back of that, it carved itself out an Empire than spanned a third of the globe.
"We're great", said the country. "We must be. Just look at all the pink bits on the map!"
Of course, the people in the pink bits weren't happy because their rights and way of life had been trampled at the point of a gun, but hey ho they weren't British so it didn't matter.
Of course, the people in the pink bits weren't happy because their rights and way of life had been trampled at the point of a gun, but hey ho they weren't British so it didn't matter.
Then the world evolved a bit and the Empire crumbled. Good golly, two world wars. Britain stands alone. (Except it didn't.) We got through that with courage and blitz spirit. (Except millions didn't, the economy was gutted and rationing came in).
Now, enough time has passed so that unreconstructed people who didn't have to live through any of it hanker back to Empire (glossing over the awkward Colonialism bits) and to the gutsy days of wartime glory (ignoring all the nasty death and destruction).
To chase that pipe dream, they are willing to tear up our membership of something unique. There's nothing like the EU anywhere else in the world. No other group of nations has cooperated so deeply to the mutual benefit of all concerned - and kept peace into the bargain.
"I don't understand all this complicated EU stuff" say the wreckers. "So it can't be important. Now where did I put the chainsaw? We have a relationship to sever."
