The President of the British Humanist Association, Professor Jim Al-Khalil writes a well crafted and succint letter supported by notable signatories suggesting that the Prime Minister’s remarks were inappropriate: “At a social level, Britain has been shaped for the better by many pre-Christian, non-Christian, and post-Christian forces. We are a plural society with citizens with a range of perspectives, and we are a largely non-religious society.”

The commentariat then explored the question and most sensible people realise that ‘to some extent’, ‘depends what you mean’ and so forth are the only credible answers, which is hardly a huge surprise, but still leaves a lingering sense of discomfort that the question hasn’t quite been answered, writes Jonathan Rowson at The Royal Society for the Arts