🔗 Share this article

During recent the Reform party media events, a pair of notable heads can often be seen in the forefront: the pale hair of party policy chief Danny Kruger and the styled blond hair of James Orr.

Beyond shaping the political agenda for what could be the UK’s next government, the duo have something else in common. Both are deeply committed believer who found religion in later life, and hold trenchant views on social issues such as abortion and the family.

A Network of Faith

Kruger, an MP, who defected from the Conservatives, and Orr, a university scholar, also sit on the steering committee of a conservative policy group 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 devout Christian.

“Religion, specifically evangelical Christianity, has in recent decades been one of the defining elements of US rightwing politics,” with its adherents forming the bedrock of a particular political support.

Cross-Over Connections

There are some links. Orr is personally connected to JD Vance that he has welcomed him at his family home. Orr is also active in the NatCon movement, which has connections to the US religious-populism world.

However, direct comparisons soon fall down due to a basic issue of scale. While surveys indicate that close to a quarter of US adults are evangelical Christians, the proportion for the UK is about a tenth of that at most.

The UK Evangelical Vote

There is another important factor to consider. While US evangelicals tilt strongly to the political right, new polling by the UK’s Evangelical Alliance suggests that the wider picture in Britain is quite different.

A poll of nearly 1,500 evangelicals shows Labour in the lead with 26% support. The Reform party and Liberal Democrats are tied on 20%, with the Conservatives on 18%.

Further polling reveal backing from evangelicals for increased 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 vote,” said one advocacy head. “For example, someone might have a firm stance on abortion, but they don’t see voting as a way to lead to change.”

Faith Across the Aisle

Evangelical belief does exist in parliament, including cross-party faith-based meetings. But it is a reality present on the political left, with figures like Kruger balanced out by Tim Farron and the Labour MP Rachael Maskell.

She has been very open about how her beliefs shapes her politics, notably on issues such as poverty.

“Ethical fairness 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 fair framework.”

A Newer Strain

There is, however a distinct and more recent side to religion in UK politics, one influenced by American ideas of religious nationalism.

The activist Tommy Robinson has begun 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 the Turning Point group, posts social media messaging about the country needing to “return to Christ” alongside anti-Islam content.

In a dramatic display of this, a linked 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.

A Niche Phenomenon

All this remains, however, fairly niche in UK politics. While commentators sometimes depict certain figures as wealthy incubators of American-style religious politics, associates insist they are simply devout believers who are firmly against any political exploitation of faith.

Kruger is not averse to sometimes unconventional rhetoric, for example using a speech to censure what he said was a younger generation indoctrinated by a blend of ideologies.

“In the UK you do have some Christian nationalists, but when it comes to politics it more often be a sort of longing for a Christian past, linked to our historic identity,” noted an analyst.

One Christian MP 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 certainly don’t get the sense of much of an organized faith-based lobby,” they said. “In my view, my faith is more a basis for what I personally hold. And here, religion is not particularly a vote winner.”