At his annual Easter reception David Cameron spoke more candidly than any recent prime minister about his faith. "The Bible tells us to bear one another's burdens," he said, hours after the resignation of his culture secretary Maria Miller. "After the day I've had, I'm definitely looking for volunteers."

Mr Cameron did not stop there, according to a journalist who attended the event. Having thanked church groups present for their work including the growth of food banks to help the poor, he referred back to a 2010 election initiative: "Jesus invented the Big Society 2,000 years ago; I just want to see more of it,"

"If there are things that are stopping you from doing more, think of me as a giant Dyno-Rod" he added.

The prime minister said his "moments of greatest peace" comes "perhaps every other Thursday morning" when he slips into St Mary Abbots church in Kensington, west London. "I find a little bit of peace and hopefully a bit of guidance."

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The Christian think-tank, Theos, released a report earlier this year that suggests Labour should target the Muslim vote in next year's general election, while David Cameron is likely to do well among Jewish voters.

The report also found those who regularly attend religious services are most likely to be pro-welfare, while Anglicans are the most consistently authoritarian in their political views.

The report also found those who regularly attend religious services are most likely to be pro-welfare. Anglicans are the most consistently authoritarian in their political views.

Faith may have a powerful role to play as parties shape their election campaign. But beware of its risks. Few are likely to mind a leader with strong personal convictions. But bring those too far inside the political arena, and don't be surprised at their propensity to backfire.

Read the full article on the Channel 4 website

The Theos report Voting and Values in Britain: Does religion count? can be found here.

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