INSULAR MENTALITY: For centuries "[Britons] lived in splendid isolation, protected by the Navy and the Empire", says historian Vernon Bogdanor. "Now, of course, that period of isolation has long gone, but perhaps it still retains some of its impact upon the British people, who do not want ties with the Continent. Although other members of the EU - Ireland, Malta, and Cyprus - are islands, do not object so much to handing powers to Brussels. Perhaps it is Britain's island mentality, combined with that imperial hangover, that is at play - Britain is used to giving orders, not taking them.