With the General Election 2017 just days away Christian Today is zooming in on some crucial battleground seats where Christian candidates are in the spotlight.

Bath was a Liberal Democrat stronghold for 22 years under the much-loved Don Foster.

But when the local legend retired, aged 68, ahead of the 2015 election the seat fell to the Conservative's Ben Howlett who snatched it by 3,833 votes.

Since then Howlett, a Christian and regular churchgoer, has faced accusations of sexual assault at a gay nightclub in Bath but did not face police charges.

He is now in the spotlight again, forced to fight for his seat against a Lib Dem campaign that has made being anti-Brexit its key priority.

Bath voted to Remain by 62 per cent, making regaining their old fortress a real target for Tim Farron's party.

Although Howlett has emphasised his pro-EU credentials and led the south-west's Remain campaign, his association with a Conservative campaign focused on Theresa May and her drive towards a hard Brexit may unseat him.

But his Lib Dem rival has also had a shaky start to the campaign, with the snap election catching the original candidate Jay Risbridger unawares meaning he stepped aside and Wera Hobhouse, stepped up last minute.

She admitted to Christian Today her late arrival was a 'challenge' but said she was well prepared.

Both candidates spoke to Christian Today about their own personal faith as well as the role religion should play in the campaign.

'A lot of what I do comes not just from my faith but the values that our Western societies are inspired by and at the bottom of that is a lot of the Christian faith,' she said.

'For me it is about solidarity – love your neighbour. Those are the key values that can go into politics and be very valuable there as values that we stand for,' she told Christian Today.

'They have very much informed me in the way I am looking at the world and look at society.'

Pressed on what role faith should play in society she initially said, 'I wouldn't change anything'. But when asked about Bishops in the House of Lords she said the UK's second chamber should be elected.

Howlett, speaking after Tim Farron was repeatedly grilled on his faith, said religion was playing too big a role in the campaign.

'I think people should be a lot more vocal about their religion and about their spiritual beliefs. We should respect all beliefs.

'But I think at the moment it has been used for a bit more party political point scoring I'm afraid to say.'

Asked about the Church of England's stance on gay marriage, he said it still has a long way to go on LGBT rights.

'I think the Church of England is going through a big journey at the moment,' he told Christian Today.

'I have to say, as the new Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, was my former vicar in the University of Durham, he has been a very good advocate in shifting the Church of England to being more progressive.

'I think there is a long way to go particularly when it on the LGBT issue for the Church of England in the coming years.'

Although parliament shouldn't tell the Church what to do directly, MPs do and should pressurise it to be more progressive, he said.

'What we are seeing is questions coming up time and time where parliamentarians ask the Church Commissioners to intervene or make representations.

'I don't think parliament should intervene in the Church, however I think we should be the main pinnacle of debate on this particular issue and we have been pushing that issue forward over the last two years I've been in parliament at least.'