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At recent the Reform party media events, two very distinctive heads can often be seen in the front row: the near-white locks of Danny Kruger and the styled blond hair of James Orr.

Beyond shaping the political agenda for what could be the UK’s next government, the duo share another trait in common. Both are deeply committed Christian who found religion in adulthood, and hold trenchant views on social issues such as abortion and the family.

Connections and Convictions

Kruger, an MP, who defected from the Conservatives, and Orr, a Cambridge academic, are members of the steering committee of a conservative policy group known as the Alliance for Responsible Citizenship.

Another member is the financier Paul Marshall, the hedge fund millionaire who controls GB News and the rightwing Spectator magazine. Marshall is a devout Christian.

“Religion, specifically evangelical Christianity, has in recent decades been a key characteristic of US rightwing politics,” its followers forming the bedrock of Donald Trump’s support.

Cross-Over Connections

Parallels do exist. Orr is personally connected to JD Vance that he has welcomed him at his private residence. Orr is also active in the National Conservatism movement, which has ties to the US religious-populism world.

However, direct comparisons quickly break down due to a simple matter of numbers. While surveys indicate that close to a fourth of US adults are evangelicals, the figure for the UK is about a tenth of that at most.

A Different Landscape

There is another crucial element to consider. While US evangelicals lean firmly to the political right, recent surveys by the UK’s Evangelical Alliance indicate the broader situation in Britain is markedly distinct.

Research of nearly 1,500 evangelicals shows the Labour Party in the lead with 26% support. The Reform party and Liberal Democrats are level on 20%, with the Conservatives on 18%.

Other questions demonstrate support among evangelicals for more generous welfare payments, but also concerted alarm about plans to legalise assisted dying.

“Sometimes with 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 strong opinion on abortion, but they don’t see voting as a way to lead to change.”

Cross-Party Belief

Evangelical belief does exist in parliament, including cross-party faith-based meetings. But it is a reality also of the political left, with figures like Kruger balanced out by the Lib Dem Tim Farron and the Labour Party Member of Parliament Rachael Maskell.

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

“Moral justice was ‘a big part’ of the party's ethos,” Maskell argued. “It’s part of our foundations, how we think about inequality in society, ensuring we have a fair framework.”

A Newer Strain

There is, however a different and newer side to religion in UK politics, one influenced by US concepts of faith-based nationalism.

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

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

One striking manifestation 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

These elements remain, however, relatively marginal in UK politics. While commentators sometimes depict certain figures as wealthy incubators of US-style evangelism, friends insist they are little more than observant believers who are strongly opposed to any political exploitation of faith.

He has been not shy of occasional off-piste rhetoric, 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 on the right noted that while the issue of assisted dying had united MPs with faith, any links beyond that felt limited.

“I do not get the sense of much of an evangelical lobby,” they commented. “In my view, my faith is more a foundation for what I personally hold. And here, religion is not particularly a decisive electoral issue.”