I think if the EU had been really capable of improving itself in a big way the UK would not have voted to leave. Cameron tried that tack though and it blew up i

I think if the EU had been really capable of improving itself in a big way the UK would not have voted to leave. Cameron tried that tack though and it blew up in his face. He toured the whole continent trying to put together a deal to address the concerns of British voters and the rest of Europe told him to stop being a crybaby and demanding special breaks, etc. The EU was unwilling to budge at all because the idea the Brits might actually do it and the government might not ignore the vote was unthinkable to them. You could find quotes at the time along the lines of "we are so glad this whole British business is behind us" after they sent Cameron packing: the idea the vote might be lost simply didn't occur at all. So he came home and told the country he'd got a great deal that solved people's problems. But it didn't and nobody believed him. It also killed the "we can stay in a reformed EU" argument dead. There is no chance of constructively working with the EU. It believes in commanding, not compromising.