It's not just England. These requests are coming mostly from ex-Anglicans from all over the English speaking world. Australia has played a large role in this movement.
They're basically interested in how they can (re)join the Catholic Church in visible communion with the Pope ... and still hang on to their Anglican liturgical culture.
Correct on both points.
I think the BH0 worshiping Episcopalians are part of the reason these conservative Anglicans want to cross the river.
These requests for visible communion with Rome have been going on for many years now, long before BHO took office.
The BH0 worship is just a symptom of the deeper doctrinal problems ... the same folks gushed over Kerry, Gore, Clinton, Dukakis, etc. in their time.