Catholics are more likely to vote Labour while Church of England worshippers most consistently back the Conservatives, according to new research.

Think tank Theos said it carried out the first in-depth analysis into the relationship between religion and politics in Britain.

Catholics were found to be the most left-wing of Christian groups and more pro-welfare than Anglicans. Non-religious people are most consistently libertarian, taking a strong line against censorship.

Nick Spencer, Theos's research director and co-author of the report, said that while there are clear alignments between religious views and voting, "block votes" do not exist in Britain.

Emma Clark | Read the full story on belfasttelegraph.co.uk