New research into the scale of Christian nationalist sentiment has revealed broad opposition among the British public to the idea that Christianity is essential to British identity.

The findings, published by Christian think tank Theos, found 83% of people in the UK did not agree with the statement: “To be truly British, you should be a Christian” Just 1% said Christianity is the most important element of Britishness.

Christian nationalism is a set of ideas which hold that Britain as a nation, or British identity, are essentially Christian and that Britain’s laws, institutions, and public life should reflect that character.

This narrative has been promoted in recent months by far-right figures such as Tommy Robinson, who has claimed that this Christian character is being eroded, particularly by immigration. A promotional email for a religious carol service hosted by Robinson in December stated that “Britain belongs to the British people, and our Christian heritage will not be silenced”.

But Theos’ research showed 84% of people do not agree with the idea that “people who do not hold Christian values do not belong in Britain”.

The most recent census results demonstrate the majority of Brits are not Christian.

Christian nationalist ideals have also been propagated by parliamentarians, including Reform UK’s Danny Kruger, who told a near-empty House of Commons last year that a “new restoration is needed now, with a revival of the faith, a recovery of a Christian politics”.

Kruger’s claim of a “revival” is based on a report published by the Bible Society in April 2025, which claimed the Church of England was undergoing rapid expansion driven by rising attendance amongst young people.

But that report was later retracted, and a review published last week by the National Centre for Social Research definitively laid to rest the claim of such a revival. The analysis found that in fact, church attendance had not recovered to pre-pandemic levels.

Beyond Christian nationalism, Theos’ study asked a range of questions on the relationship between religion and state.

Sixty percent of people did not agree that the “law in Britain should be based on Christian values”.

Twenty-six bishops currently enjoy ex officio seats in the House of Lords and are able to vote on matters of law. The UK is the only sovereign nation to reserve seats for clerics other than the Islamic Republic of Iran.

This finding aligns with recent research by More in Common which was commissioned by the National Secular Society. It revealed “widespread opposition” to the bishops’ bench, with two-thirds of the public believing it should end.

Theos found 72% of people did not agree that it was important for the political leader of Britain to be Christian.

There is no religious qualification for a prime minister, but the UK’s head of state, the monarch, holds the title “Defender of the Faith and Supreme Governor of the Church of England”. Under current laws, the monarch is required to “join in communion” with the Church of England and promote Anglicanism in Britain.

Furthermore, the prime minister advises the monarch on the appointment of Church of England bishops, after receiving a shortlist from the Crown Nominations Committee.

Finally, 63% of people did not agree with the proposition that “the Government should formally declare Britain a Christian country”.

At Easter this year, Kemi Badenoch declared that “Britain is a Christian country” while advocating for more public money to be funnelled into repairing Anglican churches.

In the same week, Keir Starmer told Christian faith leaders that government and faith should not be “two separate things operating in separate spheres”, and that he would build a “proper partnership” with the new Archbishop of Canterbury.

NSS: “core Christian nationalist principles are rejected by a majority of Brits”

NSS spokesperson Fódhla Brady said, “At a time when the idea of a ‘Christian Britain’ is being amplified by some figures on the political right, often buoyed by demonstrably false claims of a religious ‘revival’, this research establishes that core Christian nationalist principles are rejected by a majority of Brits.

“The entanglement of church and state through archaic arrangements like the bishops’ bench, an established church, and a head of state required by law to be Anglican is profoundly out of step with public opinion.

“Our democracy should serve every citizen equally, regardless of their religion or belief. That is impossible while Christianity continues to enjoy unjust constitutional privilege.”