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During recent the Reform party media events, a pair of notable figures can often be spotted in the front row: the near-white locks of Danny Kruger and the styled blond hair of James Orr.

Beyond shaping the policy programme for what might become the UK’s next government, the duo share another trait in common. Each is a deeply committed Christian who found religion in adulthood, and hold strong opinions on social issues such as reproductive rights and the traditional family unit.

A Network of Faith

Kruger, an MP, 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 controls GB News and the conservative Spectator magazine. He is also a devout Christian.

“Faith, particularly Protestant evangelism, has in recent decades been a key characteristic of American conservative 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 involved in the NatCon movement, which has connections to the American faith-based populist world.

But any closer parallels quickly break down due to a basic issue of numbers. While polling shows that close to a quarter of US adults are evangelical Christians, the figure for the UK is about a tenth of that at the very most.

The UK Evangelical Vote

An additional important factor to consider. While US evangelicals tilt strongly to the right, recent surveys by the UK’s Evangelical Alliance indicate the wider picture in Britain is quite different.

A poll of nearly 1,500 evangelicals shows the Labour Party in the first place with over a quarter backing. The Reform party and Liberal Democrats are tied on 20%, with the Conservatives on 18%.

Further polling reveal support among evangelicals for increased welfare payments, but also significant concern about plans to legalise assisted suicide.

“Among evangelicals there can be a gap between personal views, particularly regarding social issues, and how people cast their ballot,” explained a representative. “For example, someone might have a firm stance on abortion, but they do not view voting as a way to lead to change.”

Faith Across the Aisle

Evangelism does exist in parliament, including cross-party faith-based meetings. But it is a phenomenon present on the political left, with figures like Kruger balanced out by Tim Farron and the Labour Party Member of Parliament Rachael Maskell.

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

“Ethical fairness was ‘a big part’ of the party's ethos,” Maskell argued. “It’s part of our roots, how we think about disparity in society, ensuring we have a just system.”

Emerging Currents

There is, however a different and newer side to religion in UK politics, one more closely modelled on American ideas of faith-based nationalism.

Tommy Robinson has started to present 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 Turning Point, posts social media messaging about the country needing to “return to Christ” alongside anti-Muslim content.

One striking display of this, a linked Christian nationalist group called King’s Army paraded through Soho, a location apparently selected as it is the heart of London’s LGBT community.

Limited Influence

All this remains, however, fairly niche in UK politics. While critics 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 political exploitation of faith.

He has been not averse to sometimes unconventional language, for example in an address to censure what he said was a younger generation influenced by a mix of ideologies.

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

A parliamentarian of faith on the right 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 organized faith-based lobby,” they commented. “In my view, my faith is more a foundation for what I personally hold. And here, religion is not particularly a vote winner.”