Disproportionately high support for the Conservative Party among Anglicans is acting as a buffer against the increasing partisan and volatile Tory support base, research shows.
Despite the increasing secularization of British society, religion continues to be socially and politically influential, the analysis demonstrates.
Anglicans are disproportionately stable in their affective and electoral support for the Tories and appear to be a 'pocket of resistance' to the changes in political partisanship seen in recent years.
The study, by Dr Ekaterina Kolpinskaya, is published in the journal Parliamentary Affairs. Dr Kolpinskaya examined responses to the 2009-22 UK Household Longitudinal Study survey.
Almost 9 out of 10 Anglicans who took part in the UKHLS survey said they have not moved from either feeling close to the Conservative Party or intending to vote for it in the 13-year period marked by the highest levels of political volatility in post-war Great Britain.
A total of 36 per cent and 39 per cent of Anglicans said they felt close to the party and intend to vote for it, respectively.
Anglicans were outnumbered by those not affiliated to any religion, but their presence among the Conservative supporters is five numbers greater than the nearest religious group-Roman Catholics at 6.5 per cent to 7.1 per cent of the Tory supporters.
The UKHLS data shows Anglicans who feel close to the Conservative Party and intend to vote for it in one wave have an 89% and 91% probability of retaining these feelings and intentions in the subsequent wave. This is at least 9-10 points higher than any other group, except for Baptists.
Identifying as an Anglican, Presbyterian, Hindu, and Jewish especially, as well as having an English national identity and non-degree level educational qualifications, being older and at least somewhat interested in politics, residing in England or Wales, being married, and being optimistic about one's financial future had a statistically significant effect on the probability of feeling close to the Conservative Party.
Being a woman, identifying as a Muslim, working in manual, partly skilled or unskilled occupations, and struggling financially made people feel significantly less likely to vote Conservative.
