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Bishops calls for ‘public education campaign’ on notions of sovereignty after UK leaves EU

Bishop of Leeds, Nicholas Baines, addressing the House of Lords - Credit: Twitter, BBC

Reverend Nicholas Baines has called on the government to launch a public education campaign on notions of sovereignty following Britain’s exit from the EU.

Speaking in House of Lords, Reverend Baines asked why “pooled sovereignty” with the EU was considered unworkable for the UK but not when it is pooled with the United States.



“Notions of sovereignty are clearly contested, even in the way we use the language. Is it time for some public education programme to explain whether the government can explain why pooled sovereignty in one case, with the EU, is a deficit for the UK but when it’s pooled with the United States, it’s seen as a positive,” Reverend Baines said.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon, a foreign office minister, said partnerships “were about playing to the strengths of the partnerships we have and that is what Global Britain is all about”.

This comes after a study by the universities of Birmingham and Warwick found Vote Leave turned Brexit into a new religion.

Researchers said slogans such as “take back control” used the NHS as the country’s Holy Grail that could be rescued from European forces threatened by Britain’s unique historical place in the world.

MORE: Joe Biden’s pick for trade envoy wants to ‘review’ negotiations with UK

They also said Brexiteers focused on secular theological concepts such as sovereignty and nation to rally support.

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