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During recent Reform UK press conferences, a pair of notable heads can often be spotted in the front row: the near-white locks of party policy chief Danny Kruger and the styled blond hair of James Orr.

Beyond shaping the policy programme for what could be the UK’s next government, the duo share another trait in common. Each is a deeply committed believer who found religion in later life, and possess trenchant views on matters of society such as abortion and the traditional family unit.

A Network of Faith

The MP Kruger, who defected from the Conservatives, and Orr, a Cambridge academic, are members of the advisory board of a conservative policy group 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.

“Faith, particularly evangelical Christianity, has in recent decades been a key characteristic of US rightwing politics,” with its adherents providing the core of Donald Trump’s support.

Transatlantic Links

There are some links. Orr is sufficiently close to the US Vice-President that he has hosted him at his private residence. Orr is also involved in the National Conservatism movement, which has connections to the US religious-populism world.

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

A Different Landscape

An additional important factor to consider. While US evangelicals lean firmly to the right, recent surveys by the UK’s Evangelical Alliance suggests that the broader situation in Britain is quite different.

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

Other questions demonstrate backing from evangelicals for increased welfare payments, but also significant concern about plans to permit assisted dying.

“Sometimes with evangelicals there can be a gap between opinions, especially on social issues, and how people vote,” said one advocacy head. “As an instance, someone might have a firm stance on abortion, but they don’t see voting as likely to lead to change.”

Cross-Party Belief

Evangelical belief is present in parliament, including all-party prayer group meetings. But it is a reality present on 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 faith informs her politics, especially concerning issues such as poverty.

“Ethical fairness was ‘a big part’ of Labour politics,” Maskell argued. “It’s part of our foundations, how we think about inequality in society, ensuring we have a just system.”

Emerging Currents

Nonetheless, there exists a different and newer side to religion in UK politics, one influenced by American ideas of religious nationalism.

The activist Tommy Robinson has started to portray himself as explicitly Christian, although much of this is done as a counterpoint to Islam.

In a similar vein, Nick Tenconi, who leads the UK outpost of the Turning Point group, posts social media messaging about the country needing to “re-embrace Christianity” combined with anti-Muslim content.

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

A Niche Phenomenon

These elements remain, however, fairly niche in UK politics. While commentators sometimes depict certain figures as financial backers of American-style religious politics, friends insist they are little more than observant believers who are firmly against any politicisation of faith.

Kruger is not shy of occasional off-piste language, for example using a speech to condemn what he said was a younger generation indoctrinated by a mix of ideologies.

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

A parliamentarian of faith with conservative views noted that while the issue of assisted dying had united MPs with faith, any links beyond that felt restricted.

“I do not get the sense of much of an evangelical lobby,” they said. “In my view, my faith is more a foundation for what I personally hold. And here, religion is not really a vote winner.”