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At recent Reform UK press conferences, two very distinctive figures can often be spotted in the forefront: the near-white locks of party policy chief Danny Kruger and the swept-back blond mane of James Orr.

As well as guiding the political agenda for what might become the UK’s next government, the duo have something else in common. Each is a deeply committed Christian who found religion in later life, and possess strong opinions on social issues such as abortion and the family.

Connections and Convictions

The MP Kruger, who switched allegiance from the Conservatives, and Orr, a university scholar, are members of the advisory board of a rightwing thinktank called the Alliance for Responsible Citizenship.

A further participant 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 one of the defining elements of US rightwing politics,” its followers forming the bedrock of a particular political support.

Cross-Over Connections

Parallels do exist. Orr is sufficiently close to JD Vance that he has welcomed him at his family home. Orr is also involved in the National Conservatism movement, which has connections to the US religious-populism world.

But any closer parallels soon fall down due to a simple matter of numbers. While polling shows that nearly a fourth of US adults are evangelicals, the figure 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 right, recent surveys by the UK’s Evangelical Alliance suggests that the broader situation in Britain is quite different.

A poll of nearly 1,500 evangelicals places the Labour Party in the first place 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 suicide.

“Among evangelicals there can be a dissonance between personal views, 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 likely to lead to change.”

Cross-Party Belief

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

Maskell is explicit about how faith informs her politics, especially concerning issues such as poverty.

“Moral justice was ‘a big part’ of Labour politics,” she stated. “It’s part of our foundations, how we think about disparity in society, making sure we have a fair framework.”

A Newer Strain

There is, however a different and newer side to religion in UK politics, one influenced by American ideas of faith-based nationalism.

The activist Tommy Robinson has started to present himself as explicitly Christian, although much 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 display of this, a linked Christian nationalist group named King’s Army paraded through Soho, a location apparently selected as it is the centre of London’s LGBT community.

Limited Influence

All this remains, however, relatively marginal in UK politics. While commentators sometimes depict certain figures as financial backers of American-style religious politics, friends maintain they are simply observant believers who are firmly against any politicisation 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 mix of ideologies.

“Here in Britain you do have some Christian nationalists, but when it comes to politics it tends to be a sort of longing for a Christian past, linked to our historic identity,” noted an analyst.

One Christian MP on the right observed that while the issue of assisted dying had helped bring together MPs with faith, any connections beyond that felt restricted.

“I do not get the sense of much of an organized faith-based lobby,” they commented. “In my view, my faith is more a foundation for what I already believe. And here, religion is not really a vote winner.”