A study by a British think tank on religion and politics has found that Catholics are more likely to vote for the left-wing Labour party than members of the Church of England who more consistently back the centre-right Conservative party.
Theos, which has carried out the first in-depth analysis between religion and politics in Britain, found that Catholics were the most left-wing of all Christian groups and more pro-welfare than Anglicans.
The study also found that non-religious people are most consistently libertarian, take a strong line against censorship and are sceptical about management and the fair distribution of wealth.
The report, titled ‘Voting and Values in Britain: Does Religion Count?” was based on data from the latest 2010 census.
It also included research into the voting patterns of other religious followers. It found that in 2010, Muslims tended to vote strongly for Labour, as did Hindus and Sikhs to a lesser extent.
Jewish voters tended to vote Conservative, and Buddhists Liberal Democrats, the country’s center-left party.
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On the NET:
Theos Think Tank Voting and Values Report
