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During recent Reform UK press conferences, two very distinctive figures can often be seen in the forefront: the pale hair of Danny Kruger and the styled blond hair of senior adviser James Orr.

As well as guiding the political agenda for what could be the UK’s next government, the duo share another trait in common. Each is a highly devout 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 defected from the Conservatives, and Orr, a university scholar, are members of the advisory board of a rightwing thinktank known as the Alliance for Responsible Citizenship.

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

“Faith, particularly evangelical Christianity, has in recent decades been a key characteristic of American conservative politics,” its followers forming the bedrock of Donald Trump’s support.

Cross-Over Connections

Parallels do exist. Orr is personally connected to the US Vice-President that he has welcomed him at his family home. Orr is also active in the National Conservatism movement, which has ties to the American faith-based populist world.

But any closer comparisons soon fall down due to a simple matter of scale. While polling shows that nearly a fourth of US adults are evangelicals, the proportion for the UK is about a tenth of that at the very most.

A Different Landscape

An additional important factor to consider. While US evangelicals lean firmly to the right, new polling by the UK’s Evangelical Alliance suggests that the broader situation in Britain is markedly distinct.

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%.

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 gap between opinions, particularly regarding social issues, and how people cast their ballot,” explained a representative. “As an instance, someone might have a firm stance 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 faith-based meetings. But it is a phenomenon also of the political left, with figures like Kruger countered by Tim Farron and the Labour Party Member of Parliament Rachael Maskell.

Maskell is very open about how faith shapes her politics, notably on issues such as poverty.

“Moral justice was ‘a big part’ of Labour politics,” Maskell argued. “It stems from our foundations, how we think about inequality in society, making sure we have a fair framework.”

Emerging Currents

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

Tommy Robinson has started to present himself as openly a Christian, though a lot of this is done as a counterpoint to Islam.

Similarly, Nick Tenconi, who leads the UK outpost of Turning Point, posts social media messaging about the country needing to “re-embrace Christianity” alongside anti-Islam content.

One striking manifestation of this, a Turning Point-allied Christian nationalist group called King’s Army marched in formation through Soho, a location seemingly chosen as it is the centre of London’s LGBT community.

Limited Influence

All this remains, however, relatively marginal in UK politics. While commentators sometimes portray certain figures as financial backers of American-style religious politics, friends maintain they are little more than observant believers who are firmly against any politicisation of faith.

He has been not shy of sometimes unconventional rhetoric, for example in an address to condemn what he said was a younger generation indoctrinated by a blend of ideologies.

“Here in Britain you do have a few Christian nationalists, but when it comes to politics it more often be a sort of Christian nostalgia, linked to our historic identity,” noted an analyst.

One Christian MP on the right observed 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 organized faith-based lobby,” they commented. “For me, my faith is more a basis for what I already believe. And here, religion is not particularly a vote winner.”