Ted Cruz gets it. When the US Senator was declared the winner of the Iowa caucus in February, his first words to his adoring fans were: “To God be the glory!” And he meant it.

That’s the thing about America: constitutional separation of Church and state prevents prayers being said in schools and stops the president himself sending out Christmas cards with the word “Christmas” on them. Yet the politician who doesn’t energetically declare his or her Christian faith can expect to be shunned by voters.

Whereas in Britain, politicians don’t do God. Paradoxically, in the country where seats in the (albeit unelected) legislature are reserved for leaders of the established Christian Church, religion is seen as a very private and personal affair. Its intrusion into the political domain is seen as very … well, unBritish.

So by declaring (not for the first time) in his Easter message that Britain is “a Christian country”, the Prime Minister was either being brave or reckless.