Shadow Foreign Secretary David Lammy has told Premier Christian News how his Christian faith informs his politics, highlighting how Labour policies are designed to care for the vulnerable.

Lammy, who describes himself as a Christian socialist, said he has always felt “at home” with the Labour party.

“I’m at home with a faith and an understanding of Jesus Christ who turned over the tables of the temples, who believed in a sense of social justice and mission," he explained.

Lammy went on the describe how his Christian faith has motivated him to speak up for those impacted by the Windrush scandal, the Grenfell Tower fire and the 2011 England riots.

“My Christian faith guides me and will absolutely be important to me if I have the privilege of serving,” he added.

Labour has pledged to increase NHS funding, recruit more healthcare professionals, reduce waiting times, integrate health and social care services and focus more on preventative care in a bid to improve mental health services - Lammy told Premier Christian News that policies like these reflect Christian values.

But in recent years another concern has risen amongst UK Christians as people have faced arrest for street preaching and praying outside abortion clinics, while proposed legislation could see churches penalised for praying and pastoring those with unwanted same-sex attraction.

Speaking on the topic of freedom of religious expression, Lammy warned Christians to conduct themselves “within the law” and not allow faith to lead to hate.

“There has been some zealot practices that are not within the law and there I'm afraid the police have to act, quite rightly," he said.

“We must never allow our faith, principled faith to cross over into hate. Unfortunately, some confuse that.

“We must never be that dogmatic in our faith that it crosses into a place that some might see as hate.”