Protestant obsession with the nation state is one of the defining factors in the EU referendum debate.

This is according to the Lib Dem grandee and member of the House of Lords, Dr Julie Smith. A committed Catholic, the Cambridge academic delivered the annual Gladstone Lecture on Monday and argued strongly for Britain's continued membership of the European Union.

She highlighted the stereotypical split in opinion between Protestants and Catholics on the Europe.

"What has come out very clearly in this referendum is the sense in which many Protestant Christians hold to the view of a nation state.

"It is a view I don't really understand at all," she told the gathering in Westminster. "The obsession from some of those who talk about sovereignty and reclaiming democracy I find intellectually challenging.

"In the 21^st century we live in a world virtually without borders. The idea of going back to Europe of nation states does not seem particularly attractive."

Smith's comments come after research highlighted that people from traditionally Protestant countries are less likely to support European unification compared to those from traditionally Catholic countries.

With less than 10 days to go until Britain goes to the polls, Smith said both sides of the debate had done themselves a "disservice".

Although she admitted "there is no one right or wrong answer", Smith argued: "Ultimately Christian response is to work together for shared solutions and creating further stability in the EU at a time when we need cooperation to deal with major international crises."

Smith highlighted the Catholic origins of the EU and said it had played a crucial role in building peace in Europe. She said a Brexit would cause instability in Europe and "leave more scope for Vladimir Putin...to divide the EU".

She said: "War immediately? No. But the rise of the far-right? Possibly."