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During recent Reform UK media events, two very distinctive figures can often be seen in the forefront: the near-white locks of party policy chief Danny Kruger and the swept-back blond mane of senior adviser James Orr.

Beyond shaping the policy programme for what could be the UK’s future administration, the duo have something else in common. Both are deeply committed believer who found religion in later life, and possess trenchant views on social issues such as abortion and the family.

A Network of Faith

Kruger, an MP, who switched allegiance from the Conservatives, and Orr, a Cambridge academic, also sit on the advisory board of a rightwing thinktank called the Alliance for Responsible Citizenship.

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

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

Cross-Over Connections

Parallels do exist. Orr is sufficiently close to the US Vice-President 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.

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 proportion for the UK is roughly one-tenth of that at the very most.

A Different Landscape

An additional crucial element to consider. While US evangelicals lean firmly to the political right, new polling by the UK’s Evangelical Alliance indicate the broader situation in Britain is markedly distinct.

Research of nearly 1,500 evangelicals places Labour in the first place 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 suicide.

“Among evangelicals there can be a gap between opinions, especially on social issues, and how people vote,” said one advocacy head. “As an instance, someone might have a strong opinion on abortion, but they don’t see voting as a way to lead to change.”

Faith Across the Aisle

Evangelism is present in parliament, including all-party prayer group meetings. But it is a phenomenon present on the political left, with figures like Kruger balanced out by Tim Farron and the Labour MP Rachael Maskell.

She has been explicit about how faith shapes her politics, notably on issues such as economic disadvantage.

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

Emerging Currents

Nonetheless, there exists a different and newer side to religion in UK politics, one more closely modelled on US concepts of faith-based nationalism.

Tommy Robinson has started to portray 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 branch of Turning Point, includes social media messaging about the country needing to “re-embrace Christianity” combined with anti-Islam content.

One striking display of this, a linked Christian nationalist group named King’s Army marched in formation through Soho, a location apparently selected as it is the centre of London’s LGBT community.

A Niche Phenomenon

All this remains, however, relatively marginal in UK politics. While commentators sometimes depict certain figures as wealthy incubators of American-style religious politics, friends maintain they are simply observant believers who are firmly against any political exploitation of faith.

Kruger is not averse to sometimes unconventional language, for example in an address to censure what he said was a younger generation indoctrinated by a mix of ideologies.

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

One Christian MP with conservative views noted that while the issue of assisted dying had helped bring together MPs with faith, any links beyond that felt restricted.

“I certainly don’t get the sense of much of an organized faith-based lobby,” they commented. “For me, my faith is more a basis for what I personally hold. And here, religion is not really a decisive electoral issue.”