Nigel Farage calls for “muscular defence” of Christianity in the UK

Nigel Farage has said that Christianity is a "significant part" of his "vision for the future of Britain" in a special message on "UKIP Policies for Christians."

The UKIP leader wrote that the UK is "fundamentally a Christian nation" and added that Christianity "should be recognised by Government at all levels."

"Sadly, I think UKIP is the only major political party left in Britain that still cherishes our Judaeo-Christian heritage. I believe other parties have deliberately marginalised our nation's faith, whereas we take Christian values and traditions into consideration when making policy."

Mr Farage called for a "muscular defence" of what he calls the UK's "Christian heritage" and "Christian Constitution."

In a UKIP election publication called "Valuing Our Christian Heritage", the party calls for an extension of the "legal concept of 'reasonable accommodation'", which would allow believers to refuse services to same-sex couples and notes UKIP's opposition to marriage equality legislation. They say it "impinged upon the beliefs of millions of people of faith."

The publication explains UKIP's policies on a range of "Christian" issues.

The party will seek to make sex-selective abortion illegal and has "no plans" to change the law on the "right to die."

On human trafficking, they state that "our Christian forefathers fought hard to abolish slavery and now we must fight to end it in modern-day Britain."

On education, UKIP "backs faith schools provided they are open to the whole community, uphold British values, do not discriminate against any section of society and meet required educational standards."

The party "will not allow primary school children to be given sex education lessons."

UKIP also argue that by pulling out of the EU, the party could cut VAT for Church repairs down to 5%.

NSS campaigns manager Stephen Evans commented: "As is often the case with elections we are seeing the unedifying spectacle of politicians of all stripes trying to win so-called religious block votes. Attempts to win the 'Christian vote' with a promise to accommodate discrimination against gay people is particularly regressive and unwelcome.

"Politicians need to wake up to the fact that the overwhelming majority of Britons are not Christians. It is unclear what UKIP mean by saying Christianity should 'be recognised by Government at all levels' but it sounds deeply inappropriate for a country where most people are not Christian."

The National Secular Society recently called on Ed Miliband to clarify his comments on religious freedom in the workplace, after he appeared to suggest Labour might review workplace equality law and would "look at" how Christians can manifest their beliefs in the workplace.