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At recent the Reform party media events, a pair of notable heads can often be seen in the forefront: the near-white locks of party policy chief Danny Kruger and the styled blond hair of senior adviser James Orr.

Beyond shaping the policy programme for what might become the UK’s next government, the duo share another trait in common. Both are deeply committed Christian who found religion in adulthood, and possess trenchant views on social issues such as abortion and the traditional family unit.

Connections and Convictions

Kruger, an MP, who defected from the Conservatives, and Orr, a Cambridge academic, also sit on the steering committee of a rightwing thinktank called the Alliance for Responsible Citizenship.

Another member is the financier Paul Marshall, the investment tycoon who owns GB News and the rightwing Spectator magazine. He is also a devout Christian.

“Religion, specifically evangelical Christianity, has in recent decades been one of the defining elements of American conservative politics,” with its adherents forming the bedrock of Donald Trump’s support.

Cross-Over Connections

Parallels do exist. Orr is sufficiently close to the US Vice-President that he has hosted him at his family home. Orr is also active in the National Conservatism movement, which has connections to the US religious-populism world.

However, direct parallels quickly break down due to a simple matter of scale. While surveys indicate that nearly a fourth of US adults are evangelical Christians, the figure for the UK is roughly one-tenth of that at most.

A Different Landscape

There is another crucial element to consider. While US evangelicals lean firmly to the political right, recent surveys by the UK’s Evangelical Alliance indicate the wider picture in Britain is quite different.

A poll of nearly 1,500 evangelicals shows the Labour Party in the first place with over a quarter backing. The Reform party and Liberal Democrats are level on 20%, with the Conservatives on 18%.

Other questions demonstrate support among evangelicals for more generous welfare payments, but also concerted alarm about plans to permit assisted dying.

“Among evangelicals there can be a gap between opinions, particularly regarding social issues, and how people cast their ballot,” explained a representative. “As an instance, someone might have a strong opinion on abortion, but they do not view voting as a way to lead to change.”

Cross-Party Belief

Evangelism does exist in parliament, including cross-party prayer group meetings. But it is a phenomenon present on the political left, with figures like Kruger balanced out by Tim Farron and the Labour Party Member of Parliament Rachael Maskell.

She has been very open about how faith informs her politics, notably on 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 inequality in society, ensuring we have a fair framework.”

Emerging Currents

There is, however a different and newer side to religion in UK politics, one more closely modelled on American ideas of faith-based nationalism.

Tommy Robinson has started to portray himself as explicitly 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 “return to Christ” alongside anti-Muslim content.

One striking display of this, a Turning Point-allied Christian nationalist group named King’s Army marched in formation through Soho, a location apparently selected as it is the heart of London’s LGBT community.

Limited Influence

These elements remain, however, fairly niche in UK politics. While commentators sometimes portray certain figures as financial backers of US-style evangelism, friends maintain they are little more than observant believers who are strongly opposed to any politicisation of faith.

He has been not averse to sometimes unconventional rhetoric, for example in an address to censure 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 observed that while the issue of assisted dying had helped bring together 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. “In my view, my faith is more a foundation for what I already believe. And here, religion is not particularly a decisive electoral issue.”