Church of England takes unprecedented step into political arena advising followers how to vote

The Church of England has taken an unprecedented step into the political arena, encouraging politicians to offer a "fresh moral vision" for Britain.

In the Pastoral letter, the first of its kind delivered ahead of a general election, the House of Bishops gave Church leaders guidance on advising congregations ahead of the May 7 vote.

Specifically, the letter encouraged followers to:

  • Seek a commitment to building a "society of common bonds over individual consumerism"

  • Consider the need for housing associations, credit unions and churches in communities

  • Call for "bold new visions of hope and idealism" rather than "sterile arguments about who might manage the existing system better"

The note also warned that "worrying and unfamiliar trends" were appearing in British national life, such as people feeling "detached" from politics and the "widening" of material inequality.

It said there was a "growing appetite to exploit grievances, find scapegoats and create barriers between people and nations", while also noting a "burgeoning of in-work poverty".

The Church of England has warned of 'widening' material inequality in the UK. Credit: ITV News

Bishops focus on the treatment of people in welfare, urging them to be viewed within the narrative of the "person in community".

"There is a deep contradiction in the attitudes of a society which celebrates equality in principle yet treats some people, especially the poor and vulnerable, as unwanted, unvalued and unnoticed," the letter states.

"It is particularly counter-productive to denigrate those who are in need because this undermines the wider social instinct to support one another in the community."

Bishops have urged Christians to vote in May's general election. Credit: PA Wire

Bishops said it was the "duty" of every Christian adult to vote in the election, saying they were attempting to "counter" the argument of Russell Brand that people should not bother voting.

Bishops have insisted that the letter was "not a shopping list of policies we want to see", but a call for a "new direction" in British politics.

They also argue that the claim that religion and political life must be kept separate is "frequently disingenuous", adding that religion "cannot be ignored as a political force".