Why do Tories hate Europe so much

It is becoming almost embarrassing . The party that under Heath brought us into the the Eu appears to be almost on the verge of supporting withdrawal. Even Thatcher campaigned at the time of the referendum to stay in. What has happened to make the Tory party a refuge for those who want the rest of Europe to go away.
For some it was  that the EU had changed. They thought they were simply joining a free trade area. The idea that there would be rules about worker rights or the environment was appalling. For others the spending of money to support areas that had suffered was anathema. These attacks on economic liberalism, combined with a dislike of European traditions in right of centre christian democrat parties has created a  toxic brew that has helped to fuel a resentment of Europe that could have unexpected consequences .
Even today leaving Europe is not the desired outcome for Cameron and Hague. They know that there is little economic future outside. The much quoted examples of Norway and Switzerland act as warnings rather than role models. Both have to implement the rules of the single market without having a say in what they are. It says something for the intelligence of some in the Tory Party and UKIP that they think this is preferable.
To be fair to Cameron and Hague they know this is not a good solution. They are bright enough to realise that giving up a seat at the top table would leave us at the mercy of others, yet they appear powerless to stop the slide into isolationism.  There seems to be a fundamental miscalculation at the heart of Tory policy making, illustrated by the remarks of Michael Gove that the threat of leaving will be sufficient to extract major concessions from the other countries, because they will be so desperate for us to remain.
It is a miscalculation on two counts. First it merely encourages the faction within their party that simply wants out and secondly there is a weariness among the other members of the EU faced with another shrill set of demands from a British prime minister threatening to take their bat and ball home if they do not get what they want .
Like the First World War posturing may drag us into a conflict nobody wants and ultimately for what? Leave aside abstract discussions about sovereignty or the tabloid press line that it is all about foreigners telling us what to do. At the end of the day the Tories want access to the single market unfettered by workers rights or restrictions on trashing the environment. It does not seem to occur to them that the rest of the EU would have no interest in giving the UK carte blanche to wreck the construct.
So what conclusions does the left need to draw from this. Firstly the fact that it is undoubtedly not in the interests of British business to withdraw from the EU, does not mean that withdrawal is a good thing for the workforce. That's why the press keeps pounding away about "interference" knowing that it makes a better narrative than  the real belief. That there is simply  too much protection for the individual. Secondly that  we cannot be complacent and assume that the argument is self evident. It is clear from opinion polls that support for leaving the EU has gained ground.  In the next posting I want to deal with what I believe Labour needs to do.