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At recent Reform UK press conferences, two very distinctive figures can often be spotted in the front row: the pale hair of Danny Kruger and the styled blond hair of James Orr.

As well as guiding the policy programme for what could be the UK’s future administration, the pair share another trait in common. Each is a deeply committed believer who came to religion in adulthood, and possess trenchant views on matters of society such as reproductive rights and the traditional family unit.

Connections and Convictions

The MP Kruger, who switched allegiance from the Conservatives, and Orr, a university scholar, also sit on 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 American conservative politics,” its followers providing the core of a particular political support.

Cross-Over Connections

Parallels do exist. Orr is sufficiently close to JD Vance that he has hosted 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 soon fall down due to a basic issue of numbers. While surveys indicate that nearly a fourth of US adults are evangelicals, the figure for the UK is roughly one-tenth of that at the very most.

A Different Landscape

There is another crucial element to take into account. 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 over a quarter backing. Reform and the Liberal Democrats are tied 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 legalise assisted dying.

“Among evangelicals there can be a gap between personal views, particularly regarding social issues, and how people cast their ballot,” said one advocacy head. “For example, someone might have a strong opinion on abortion, but they do not view voting as likely to lead to change.”

Faith Across the Aisle

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

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

“Ethical fairness was ‘a big part’ of the party's ethos,” she stated. “It’s part of our roots, how we think about disparity in society, ensuring we have a fair framework.”

Emerging Currents

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

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 the Turning Point group, posts social media messaging about the country needing to “re-embrace Christianity” alongside anti-Muslim content.

One striking manifestation of this, a Turning Point-allied nationalist Christian group named 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

These elements remain, however, relatively marginal in UK politics. While critics sometimes depict certain figures as wealthy incubators of US-style evangelism, friends insist they are little more than devout believers who are firmly against any politicisation of faith.

Kruger is not averse to occasional off-piste language, for example using a speech to censure what he said was a younger generation influenced 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 longing for a Christian past, linked to our historic identity,” said one commentator.

A parliamentarian of faith with conservative views noted that while the issue of assisted dying had helped bring together MPs with faith, any connections 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 basis for what I personally hold. And here, religion is not really a decisive electoral issue.”