The Bishop of London is encouraging people to escape the Brexit chaos by indulging in a panto, nativity play or other time-honoured Christmas traditions.

Writing in The Sun, the Rt Rev Sarah Mullally said Christmas traditions could bring a sense of stability as Britain continues to weather its stormy departure from the European Union.

'Families have all sorts of traditions which tell them Christmas is coming — decorating the tree, going to a pantomime, seeing the children in a nativity play, meeting up with old friends,' she wrote.

'They bring to mind comforting memories. Christmas traditions reassure us and they create a sense of stability.

'Yet this year, we find ourselves in turbulent times. The talks on Brexit mean many of us are living with a profound feeling of uncertainty.

'Divisions in our society have been exposed and we are faced with an ongoing political process which risks deepening them.' 

Bishop Mullally said there was 'no simple political solution' to the rifts in society and that the only answer was to strengthen relationships within communities. 

She said every person had a part to play in reconciliation and that the birth of Jesus was a reminder that there could be hope even when things were uncertain. 

'While I hope politicians co-operate across party boundaries to find a way forward, for the common good, we must work together right across the country and our society to build communities which are tolerant, integrated and strong,' she said. 

'Christmas reminds us that it was precisely into a world of uncertainty, when there looked like no way forward, the light of Jesus Christ came.'