In the run-up to the election, Christians are the latest group to be targeted by politicians eager for their vote. David Cameron kicked off the election campaign by giving one of his first interviews to a Catholic newspaper. In a move that could be viewed as courting the religious vote, Cameron said he supports lowering the time limit on abortions to 20 weeks, keeping assisted suicide illegal and allowing faith schools to teach sex education their way.

Despite Cameron’s pro-Christian interview with the Catholic Herald, he recently voted in favour of the Sexual Orientation Regulations, which aimed to outlaw Catholic adoption agencies refusing same-sex couples.

The Conservatives are not alone in seeing the importance of the Christian vote. Last week Gordon Brown posted an Easter greeting on the Downing Street website, calling the Christian church “the conscience of our country”. He claimed to be “incredibly grateful for all you do to ensure our public square is... a place of shared values and social justice”.

There are mixed feelings from the Christian community towards politicking. Last week a group of senior bishops led by Lord Carey wrote to The Sunday Telegraph to say they felt Christians were disrespected and their beliefs were “simply not being upheld”.

Last night, the wash-up saw the abandonment of several clauses in the Children, Schools and Families Bill. One of these — which the Conservatives were opposed to — would have forced faith schools to provide sex education and information on contraceptives.

The majority of Christians are likely to decide their vote on a range of issues. But as Cameron has announced the Conservatives are fighting the election for “the great ignored”, it’s probable that the hustle to secure the Christian vote has only just begun.