The Church of England has been ranked almost at the bottom of the list when it comes to defining what it means to be British.

According to the research, almost a quarter of people agreed that the Church of England ‘was not at all important’ in defining Britishness.

In the results of the recent YouGov survey, in which participants were asked to rate a list of 37 things according to their bearing on national identity, the Church of England was ranked third from the bottom. Only Britain’s membership in the European Union and its motorway network ranked less important.

Driving on the left, the weather, pubs and red telephone boxes were just some of the things all deemed more important than the Church in defining what it meant to be British. At the top of the list of defining features was Britons’ highly prized “right to say what they think”, followed by Britain’s defiance of Nazi Germany in 1940.

Politicians and church members have expressed concern over the findings, which they say show a lack of recognition of the crucial role Christianity has had in shaping the Britain of today.

Shadow foreign secretary Dr Liam Fox said: “The main cultural influence on the British way of life is a Christian one.

“While this does not necessarily mean churchgoing, Christian teachings and patterns of life are stamped on the DNA of our country.”

He continued: “From the way we see the year divide into Christmas and Easter to our language of the Good Samaritan or loaves and fishes we unconsciously make reference to two millennia of Christian cultural dominance.”

The Rev Nick Wynne-Jones, Vicar of Christ Church, Beckenham, and an executive member of the Church of England’s Evangelical Council defended Britain’s Christian heritage as having “a profound influence upon our history and culture, our law and literature.” He warned against the relegation of Britain’s Christian background saying “to neglect it is to jeopardise our freedom and our future.”

Sir Mark Hadley, president of the Lawyers’ Christian Fellowship, also voiced concern at the extent to which Britain’s Christian roots have been forgotten in growing secularisation: “The notion that the nation is increasingly secularised is applicable to the entire west.”

He noted the marked decline in significance of the Catholic Church in Spain and added “The church is an institution that would be missed if it did not exist.”