Andrew Copson, chief executive of Humanists UK, said: “For the first time ever, the number of those affirming versus swearing an oath has come close to reflecting the beliefs of the population as a whole. We’ve known for a while that the UK is one of the least religious countries in the world. We now have one of the least religious national parliaments in the world, too.”
About 53 per cent of people in Britain say they belong to no religion, and 42 per cent do not believe in a god.
Chine McDonald, director of the Theos religion think tank, said: “What we see reflected here is a falling away of cultural, nostalgic Christianity and a rise in the number of options available in an increasingly diverse and multi-religious society. It’s no surprise that a younger and less conservative group of parliamentarians might be less wedded to cultural Christianity, yet there are still a good number with a vibrant and active faith.”
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Record number of MPs chose to take non-religious affirmation rather than swear on a Bible or other holy text this week
— Kaya Burgess (@kayaburgess) July 12, 2024
Up to 40% from 24% in 2019:https://t.co/3jlvKWTYpz