The EU has important geopolitical reasons for existing on the continent of Europe.

However, the UK does not share the history of the continental countries of being occupied by their neighbours.

The compact "I surrender much of my sovereignty for security from being periodically exterminated by my neighbours" - has a very different balance on the scales for the country of the UK than it does for countries with a recent memory of occupation, that have seen large percentages of their populations dying from violence in continental wars going back centuries.