At recent the Reform party media events, a pair of notable figures can often be spotted in the front row: the pale hair of party policy chief Danny Kruger and the styled blond hair of James Orr.
Beyond shaping the policy programme for what could be the UK’s future administration, the pair have something else in common. Each is a deeply committed Christian who came to religion in later life, and possess strong opinions on social issues such as abortion and the traditional family unit.
Kruger, an MP, who defected from the Conservatives, and Orr, a Cambridge academic, are members of the advisory board of a conservative policy group called the Alliance for Responsible Citizenship.
Another member is the financier Paul Marshall, the hedge fund millionaire who controls GB News and the conservative Spectator magazine. He is also a practising Christian.
“Faith, particularly evangelical Christianity, has in recent decades been a key characteristic of US rightwing politics,” its followers providing the core of Donald Trump’s support.
Parallels do exist. Orr is personally connected to JD Vance that he has welcomed him at his family home. Orr is also involved in the National Conservatism movement, which has ties to the US religious-populism world.
However, direct parallels soon fall down due to a simple matter of numbers. While surveys indicate that close to a fourth of US adults are evangelical Christians, the proportion for the UK is roughly one-tenth of that at most.
An additional important factor to take into account. While US evangelicals tilt strongly to the political right, recent surveys by the UK’s Evangelical Alliance indicate the wider picture here is markedly distinct.
Research of nearly 1,500 evangelicals places Labour in the lead with 26% support. The Reform party and Liberal Democrats are level on 20%, with the Conservatives on 18%.
Other questions reveal backing from evangelicals for increased welfare payments, but also concerted alarm about plans to legalise assisted dying.
“Among evangelicals there can be a gap between opinions, especially on social issues, and how people vote,” explained a representative. “As an instance, someone might have a strong opinion on abortion, but they don’t see voting as likely to lead to change.”
Evangelical belief does exist in parliament, including cross-party prayer group meetings. But it is a phenomenon present on the left, with figures like Kruger countered by the Lib Dem Tim Farron and the Labour Party Member of Parliament Rachael Maskell.
She has been very open about how faith shapes her politics, especially concerning issues such as poverty.
“Moral justice was ‘a big part’ of the party's ethos,” she stated. “It stems from our foundations, how we think about disparity in society, making sure we have a just system.”
There is, however a different and newer side to religion in UK politics, one more closely modelled on US concepts of faith-based nationalism.
The activist Tommy Robinson has started to portray himself as openly a Christian, though a lot of this is done as a contrast to Islam.
Similarly, Nick Tenconi, who leads the UK branch of Turning Point, includes social media messaging about the country needing to “re-embrace Christianity” alongside anti-Islam content.
One striking display of this, a Turning Point-allied nationalist Christian group called King’s Army marched in formation through Soho, a location seemingly chosen as it is the centre of London’s LGBT community.
All this remains, however, fairly niche in UK politics. While commentators sometimes depict certain figures as financial backers of US-style evangelism, friends insist they are simply observant believers who are firmly against any political exploitation of faith.
He has been not averse to occasional off-piste rhetoric, for example in an address to condemn what he said was a younger generation indoctrinated by a blend of ideologies.
“Here in Britain you do have a few Christian nationalists, but when it comes to politics it tends to be a sort of longing for a Christian past, linked to our historical character,” noted an analyst.
A parliamentarian of faith with conservative views noted that while the issue of assisted dying had united MPs with faith, any links beyond that felt limited.
“I do not get the sense of much of an organized faith-based lobby,” they said. “For me, my faith is more a foundation for what I already believe. And here, religion is not particularly a vote winner.”
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