During recent the Reform party media events, a pair of notable figures can often be seen in the front row: the pale hair of Danny Kruger and the swept-back blond mane of senior adviser James Orr.
Beyond shaping the political agenda for what could be the UK’s next government, the pair have something else in common. Each is a deeply committed Christian who found religion in adulthood, and possess strong opinions on social issues such as abortion and the family.
A Network of Faith
Kruger, an MP, who switched allegiance from the Conservatives, and Orr, a Cambridge academic, also sit on the advisory board of a rightwing thinktank called the Alliance for Responsible Citizenship.
Another member is Paul Marshall, the hedge fund millionaire who controls GB News and the rightwing Spectator magazine. Marshall is a practising Christian.
“Faith, particularly Protestant evangelism, has in recent decades been one of the defining elements of US rightwing politics,” with its adherents forming the bedrock of Donald Trump’s support.
Transatlantic Links
There are some links. Orr is personally connected to JD Vance that he has hosted him at his family home. Orr is also involved in the National Conservatism movement, which has ties to the US religious-populism world.
But any closer parallels soon fall down due to a basic issue of numbers. While polling shows that nearly a fourth of US adults are evangelical Christians, the figure for the UK is about a tenth of that at the very most.
A Different Landscape
There is another important factor to take into account. While US evangelicals tilt strongly to the right, recent surveys by the UK’s Evangelical Alliance indicate the wider picture in Britain is quite different.
Research of nearly 1,500 evangelicals shows Labour in the lead with over a quarter backing. The Reform party and Liberal Democrats are level on 20%, with the Conservatives on 18%.
Further polling 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 personal views, especially on social issues, and how people vote,” explained a representative. “For example, someone might have a strong opinion on abortion, but they don’t see voting as a way to lead to change.”
Cross-Party Belief
Evangelism is present in parliament, including cross-party prayer group meetings. But it is a phenomenon also of the political left, with figures like Kruger balanced out by the Lib Dem Tim Farron and the Labour Party Member of Parliament Rachael Maskell.
She has been explicit about how her beliefs 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 roots, how we think about disparity in society, making sure we have a just system.”
A Newer Strain
There is, however a distinct and more recent side to religion in UK politics, one more closely modelled on US concepts of faith-based nationalism.
The activist Tommy Robinson has started to present himself as openly a Christian, though a lot of this is done as a contrast to Islam.
Similarly, Nick Tenconi, who leads the UK outpost of Turning Point, includes social media messaging about the country needing to “re-embrace Christianity” alongside anti-Muslim content.
One striking manifestation of this, a Turning Point-allied Christian nationalist group named King’s Army marched in formation through Soho, a location seemingly chosen as it is the heart of London’s LGBT community.
A Niche Phenomenon
All this remains, however, fairly niche in UK politics. While critics sometimes portray certain figures as wealthy incubators of American-style religious politics, friends maintain they are simply devout believers who are firmly against any political exploitation of faith.
He has been not shy of occasional off-piste rhetoric, for example in an address to censure what he said was a younger generation influenced by a blend of ideologies.
“In the UK 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 on the right observed that while the issue of assisted dying had helped bring together MPs with faith, any links beyond that felt limited.
“I certainly don’t get the sense of much of an organized faith-based lobby,” they commented. “In my view, my faith is more a basis for what I personally hold. And here, religion is not particularly a vote winner.”
