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During recent Reform UK press conferences, two very distinctive heads can often be spotted in the front row: the near-white locks of Danny Kruger and the swept-back blond mane of senior adviser James Orr.

As well as guiding the policy programme for what could be the UK’s future administration, the duo have something else in common. Each is a deeply committed Christian who came to religion in later life, and possess trenchant views on matters of society such as reproductive rights and the family.

A Network of Faith

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.

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

“Religion, specifically Protestant evangelism, has in recent decades been a key characteristic of US rightwing politics,” its followers forming the bedrock of a particular political support.

Cross-Over Connections

There are some links. Orr is sufficiently close to the US Vice-President that he has hosted him at his family home. Orr is also active in the National Conservatism movement, which has ties to the American faith-based populist world.

However, direct comparisons quickly break down due to a basic issue of scale. While surveys indicate that nearly a fourth of US adults are evangelical Christians, the proportion for the UK is about a tenth of that at the very most.

The UK Evangelical Vote

There is another crucial element to take into account. While US evangelicals lean firmly to the right, recent surveys by the UK’s Evangelical Alliance suggests that the wider picture here is quite different.

A poll of nearly 1,500 evangelicals places the Labour Party 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 significant concern about plans to permit assisted suicide.

“Sometimes with evangelicals there can be a dissonance between personal views, especially on social issues, and how people vote,” explained a representative. “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 does exist in parliament, including all-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.

Maskell is explicit about how faith shapes her politics, especially concerning issues such as economic disadvantage.

“Ethical fairness was ‘a big part’ of Labour politics,” she stated. “It’s part of our roots, how we think about disparity in society, ensuring we have a just system.”

A Newer Strain

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

The activist Tommy Robinson has begun to present himself as explicitly Christian, though a lot of this is done as a counterpoint to Islam.

Similarly, Nick Tenconi, who leads the UK outpost of Turning Point, includes social media messaging about the country needing to “return to Christ” alongside anti-Islam content.

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

Limited Influence

These elements remain, however, relatively marginal in UK politics. While commentators sometimes portray certain figures as wealthy incubators of US-style evangelism, associates maintain they are simply devout believers who are firmly against any political exploitation of faith.

He has been not shy of sometimes unconventional language, for example using a speech to censure what he said was a younger generation influenced by a blend 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 Christian nostalgia, linked to our historic identity,” said one commentator.

A parliamentarian of faith with conservative views observed that while the issue of assisted dying had helped bring together MPs with faith, any connections 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 really a decisive electoral issue.”