The Archbishop of Canterbury urges reconciliation after Brexit vote

The Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, used his traditional New Year message to implore the British public to reconcile following last years divisive European Union (EU) referendum.

Britain’s shock June 23 Brexit vote, in which voters opted to leave the EU by 52 to 48 percent, sharply polarised the population both during the campaign build up and following the results announcement.

Welby’s television message, which will be broadcast on British television at 1350gmt on Sunday (January 1), urged people to unite as the country moves forward.

“Last year we made a decision that will profoundly affect the future of our country, a decision made democratically by the people. The EU referendum was a tough campaign and it has left divisions. But I know that if we look at our roots, our history and our culture in the Christian tradition, if we reach back into what is best in this country we will find a path towards reconciling the differences that have divided us,” said Welby.

Britain’s Supreme Court is set to decide whether Prime Minister Theresa May can trigger Britain’s exit from the European Union by the end of March without parliament’s assent.

In November the High Court decided that May could not invoke Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty, the EU’s exit clause, using executive powers known as the “royal prerogative”.

The new year message included footage of the Archbishop visiting a refugee centre in the English city Coventry.

“Living well together despite our differences, offering hospitality to the stranger and those in exile, with unshakable hope for the future, these are the gifts, the commands and the promises of Jesus Christ,” Welby said, adding “They are also the foundations of our best shared values, traditions and practices in Britain. They make us the country we can be, a gift and source of confidence to this troubled world, in which we live not only for ourselves but as a beacon of hope, a city set on a hill.”

Welby concludes the video by wishing the world a “hope-filled” new year.