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At recent the Reform party media events, a pair of notable heads can often be spotted 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 political agenda for what might become the UK’s next government, the pair have something else in common. Both are highly devout Christian who came to religion in later life, and possess trenchant views on matters of society such as abortion and the traditional family unit.

A Network of Faith

Kruger, an MP, who switched allegiance from the Conservatives, and Orr, a university scholar, are members of the advisory board of a conservative policy group called the Alliance for Responsible Citizenship.

A further participant is the financier Paul Marshall, the investment tycoon who owns GB News and the conservative Spectator magazine. He is also a practising Christian.

“Religion, specifically evangelical Christianity, has in recent decades been a key characteristic of American conservative politics,” its followers providing the core of Donald Trump’s support.

Cross-Over Connections

There are some links. Orr is personally connected to JD Vance that he has welcomed him at his private residence. Orr is also active in the NatCon movement, which has ties to the US religious-populism world.

But any closer parallels soon fall down due to a simple matter of scale. While polling shows that nearly a quarter of US adults are evangelical Christians, the figure for the UK is about a tenth of that at most.

The UK Evangelical Vote

An additional crucial element to take into account. While US evangelicals tilt strongly to the political right, new polling by the UK’s Evangelical Alliance suggests that the wider picture here is quite different.

Research of nearly 1,500 evangelicals shows Labour in the lead with over a quarter backing. Reform and the Liberal Democrats are level 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 gap between opinions, especially on social issues, and how people vote,” 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.”

Faith Across the Aisle

Evangelism is present 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 MP Rachael Maskell.

Maskell is very open about how her beliefs shapes her politics, notably on issues such as economic disadvantage.

“Moral justice was ‘a big part’ of the party's ethos,” Maskell argued. “It’s part of our roots, how we think about inequality in society, making sure we have a just system.”

Emerging Currents

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

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

In a similar vein, Nick Tenconi, who leads the UK branch of the Turning Point group, posts social media messaging about the country needing to “re-embrace Christianity” alongside anti-Muslim content.

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

A Niche Phenomenon

These elements remain, however, fairly niche in UK politics. While commentators sometimes portray certain figures as financial backers of American-style religious politics, associates insist they are simply observant believers who are strongly opposed to any politicisation of faith.

Kruger is not averse to occasional off-piste rhetoric, for example using a speech to condemn 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 historical character,” noted an analyst.

One Christian MP with conservative views observed that while the issue of assisted dying had united 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 foundation for what I already believe. And here, religion is not really a decisive electoral issue.”