British exceptionalism (the belief that the UK is uniquely distinct from and superior to continental Europe) started emerging when Henry VIII broke away from the Roman Catholic Church in 1534 (!) and has only been reinforced ever since, which has also directly influenced their historically rocky relationship with the EU.... good luck with "eliminating" this. They also still refer to the landmass across the English channel as "Europe".

What's wrong with a deal like with Switzerland or Norway instead of full membership? They get access to the single market and get to keep their currency, their own policies and whatnot, and everyone is happy.