I don't think that going it alone was what helped the French. It was NOT going with the Germans.
Don't want to be rude, but the Germans have a history of throwing spanners into the works of any cooperative venture. If it's not the crazy specs they come up with (A400M), it's the industrial workshare games they play where they overestimate their purchase numbers. If it's not that, then it's their handwringing and delaying tactics (thanks to their parliament & coalition politics). If it's not that, it's their complete lack of interest in power projection and the related capabilities. They make the French look almost docile by comparison.
I happen to believe that a bi-national venture between the UK and France would have been a smashing success. It would have been carrier & cruise missile capable to begin with. And at least the French have a history of successful cooperation with Spain, Italy, the UK, and many of export partners (mixed in with a few failures of course).