The UK was offered a Norway-style deal, where they kept market access in exchange for following EU rules. They refused, because that would effectively mean the

The UK was offered a Norway-style deal, where they kept market access in exchange for following EU rules. They refused, because that would effectively mean they still have to follow all the same rules, but now without any say in how they're decided. But turns out you can't just demand all the benefits of a club without following any of the obligations and now the UK is where it is. People were being sold a lie and they believed it. The optimum relationship with the EU was always the one they already had, membership with a few extra carve-outs.