Only 7% think being Christian is important for being British

A new report from the think tank British Future (pdf) looks at what it means to be British. Among a wealth of fascinating data, the poll conducted for the organisation finds that just 7% of Britons agree that being Christian is an important attribute for being British.

This compares with 50% who say that Britishness equates with respect for people's right to free speech — even if you don't agree with them — 46% with respect for the law, 41% with speaking English, 38% with treating men and women equally, 29% with respect for all ethnic backgrounds, 26% with respect for all faiths, 26% with being born here, and 21% with voting in elections. Only being white (6%) scores lower than being Christian. Demographically, the number citing being Christian peaks among the over-45s (11%), those with no formal educational qualifications (11%), and readers of right wing newspapers such as the Daily Mail and Daily Express (12%).

In answer to another question, tensions between different religions are (at 26%) the sixth most cited (of ten) causes of division in British society, after tensions between immigrants and people born in Britain (57%), between tax payers and welfare claimants (47%), between rich and poor (35%), between different ethnicities (33%), and between tax payers and tax avoiders (32%). However, tensions between different religions are ranked lower (seventh, at 16%) as a cause of division in the respondent's local area. All percentages are the sums of those ranking each cause in first, second or third position.