In 2016, after a referendum held on 23rd June, 51.9% of those who voted supported withdrawal from the European Union (EU). For this seminar, I will be concentrating on the period from 2016-2019 with special reference to the Referendum and the role of the Conservative Party. This will mainly focus on the claim that “the people have spoken” as a “semi-religious justification”. I will also use maps to provide some analysis of the geographical and socio-economic differences of the results from the Referendum.

James Jupp is a political scientist who has published widely on immigration and multi-cultural affairs.  Since joining the ANU in 1983 he has specialised in ethnic and immigration studies.  His major works include “The Australian People” (1988 and 1992) and the “Encyclopedia of Religion in Australia” (2009), all with Cambridge University Press.  He was the General Editor of the Bicentennial Encyclopaedia of the Australian People from 1984 and of the second edition of the Centenary of Federation in 2001. He was made a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) for “service to the development of public policy in relation to immigration and multiculturalism, to education and to the recording of Australian history”.