The role of populism in mobilising support for Britain’s withdrawal from the European Union has been well noted. But a key feature of populist politics – the use of religious discourses – has been largely overlooked. This article addresses this gap by exploring the way in which the Leave campaign framed Brexit in quasi-religious and mythological terms. Three core themes are identified: (1) that the British ‘people’ had a unique role to play in global affairs; (2) that the sanctity of this special status was threatened by elites and migrants; (3) that the referendum gave voice to the sacred ‘will of the people’. These narratives were underpinned by a strategic discourse centring on claims that EU membership was exacerbating a crisis in health and social care. This myth was encapsulated by the so-called ‘Brexit bus’ campaign.

中文翻译：

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英国脱欧宗教和 NHS 的圣杯

民粹主义在动员支持英国退出欧盟方面的作用已广为人知。但民粹主义政治的一个关键特征——宗教话语的使用——在很大程度上被忽视了。本文通过探讨脱欧运动以准宗教和神话术语构筑英国退欧的方式来解决这一差距。确定了三个核心主题：（1）英国“人民”在全球事务中发挥着独特的作用；(2) 这种特殊地位的神圣性受到精英和移民的威胁；(3) 公投表达了神圣的“人民意志”。这些叙述得到了战略话语的支持，该话语围绕着欧盟成员国身份正在加剧健康和社会护理危机的说法。这个神话被所谓的“Brexit bus”运动所概括。