ABSTRACT
Catholics, contrary to the common depiction of them as a pro-European Union (EU) community because of the overlap between European integration and Catholic supranationalism, are similarly more socially conservative than the religiously unaffiliated and free church Protestants, resulting in them also being more likely to oppose the principle of European integration and view its consequences negatively. The reason Catholics tend to be less Eurosceptic than national church Protestants is that they are far more likely to be religiously active, and this has long had a negative effect on Euroscepticism. It is particularly apparent in the voting behaviour of Britain’s Christian communities. As British politics becomes increasingly polarised around social conservatism and national identity, and as Britain’s Christian voters increasingly embrace the Conservatives to the detriment of Labour and the Liberal Democrats, this may result in religion playing a more prominent role in public debate as the ‘religious vote’ becomes a more important and unified constituency in Conservative Party’s electoral coalition.
