At recent the Reform party media events, a pair of notable heads can often be spotted in the front row: the pale hair of party policy chief Danny Kruger and the swept-back blond mane of senior adviser James Orr.
As well as guiding the policy programme for what might become the UK’s future administration, the pair have something else in common. Each is a deeply committed Christian who found religion in later life, and hold strong opinions on social issues such as reproductive rights and the family.
Connections and Convictions
The MP Kruger, who switched allegiance from the Conservatives, and Orr, a Cambridge academic, are members of the steering committee of a rightwing thinktank known as the Alliance for Responsible Citizenship.
Another member is Paul Marshall, the investment tycoon who owns GB News and the rightwing Spectator magazine. Marshall is a devout Christian.
“Faith, particularly Protestant evangelism, has in recent decades been a key characteristic of American conservative politics,” its followers providing the core of a particular political support.
Cross-Over Connections
Parallels do exist. Orr is personally connected to JD Vance that he has welcomed him at his private residence. Orr is also involved in the NatCon movement, which has connections to the US religious-populism world.
However, direct comparisons quickly break down due to a simple matter of scale. While polling shows that nearly a quarter of US adults are evangelical Christians, the proportion for the UK is roughly one-tenth of that at the very most.
The UK Evangelical Vote
An additional crucial element 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.
A poll of nearly 1,500 evangelicals shows Labour in the lead with over a quarter backing. Reform and the Liberal Democrats are level on 20%, with the Conservatives on 18%.
Further polling demonstrate backing from evangelicals for more generous welfare payments, but also significant concern about plans to permit assisted dying.
“Among evangelicals there can be a gap between opinions, particularly regarding social issues, and how people vote,” explained a representative. “For example, someone might have a firm stance on abortion, but they do not view voting as a way to lead to change.”
Cross-Party Belief
Evangelism does exist in parliament, including all-party prayer group meetings. But it is a reality also of the left, with figures like Kruger balanced out by Tim Farron and the Labour MP Rachael Maskell.
Maskell is very open about how faith shapes her politics, notably on issues such as poverty.
“Ethical fairness was ‘a big part’ of the party's ethos,” Maskell argued. “It’s part of our roots, how we think about disparity in society, ensuring we have a just system.”
Emerging Currents
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 begun to present himself as openly a Christian, though a lot of this is done as a contrast to Islam.
In a similar vein, Nick Tenconi, who leads the UK branch of the Turning Point group, includes social media messaging about the country needing to “return to Christ” alongside anti-Muslim content.
One striking manifestation of this, a linked nationalist Christian group named King’s Army paraded through Soho, a location apparently selected as it is the centre of London’s LGBT community.
A Niche Phenomenon
All this remains, however, relatively marginal in UK politics. While critics sometimes portray certain figures as wealthy incubators of US-style evangelism, associates insist they are little more than devout believers who are strongly opposed to any political exploitation of faith.
Kruger is not shy of sometimes unconventional language, for example using a speech to condemn what he said was a younger generation indoctrinated by a blend of ideologies.
“Here in Britain you do have some Christian nationalists, but when it comes to politics it tends to be a sort of Christian nostalgia, linked to our historic identity,” said one commentator.
A parliamentarian of faith with conservative views noted that while the issue of assisted dying had united MPs with faith, any connections beyond that felt limited.
“I certainly don’t get the sense of much of an organized faith-based lobby,” they commented. “For me, my faith is more a basis for what I personally hold. And here, religion is not particularly a vote winner.”
