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During recent the Reform party media events, two very distinctive heads can often be spotted in the front row: the pale hair of party policy chief Danny Kruger and the styled blond hair of senior adviser James Orr.

As well as guiding the political agenda for what might become the UK’s future administration, the pair share another trait in common. Both are 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 Cambridge academic, also sit on the steering committee of a rightwing thinktank known as the Alliance for Responsible Citizenship.

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

“Faith, particularly Protestant evangelism, has in recent decades been one of the defining elements of American conservative politics,” its followers providing the core of a particular political 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 involved in the National Conservatism movement, which has connections to the American faith-based populist world.

But any closer comparisons soon fall down due to a simple matter of scale. While surveys indicate that nearly a fourth of US adults are evangelical Christians, the figure for the UK is about a tenth of that at the very most.

A Different Landscape

An additional crucial element to consider. While US evangelicals lean firmly to the right, new polling by the UK’s Evangelical Alliance suggests that the wider picture in Britain is quite different.

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

Other questions demonstrate support among 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, particularly regarding social issues, and how people cast their ballot,” said one advocacy head. “For example, someone might have a strong opinion on abortion, but they don’t see voting as likely to lead to change.”

Faith Across the Aisle

Evangelical belief is present in parliament, including cross-party faith-based meetings. But it is a phenomenon present on the left, with figures like Kruger countered by Tim Farron and the Labour Party Member of Parliament Rachael Maskell.

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

“Moral justice was ‘a big part’ of Labour politics,” she stated. “It’s part of our roots, how we think about inequality in society, making sure we have a fair framework.”

A Newer Strain

There is, however a distinct and more recent side to religion in UK politics, one more closely modelled on US concepts of religious nationalism.

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

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

One striking display of this, a linked nationalist Christian 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, fairly niche in UK politics. While critics sometimes portray certain figures as wealthy incubators of American-style religious politics, friends insist they are little more than observant believers who are firmly against any politicisation of faith.

He has been not shy of 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 with conservative views noted that while the issue of assisted dying had united MPs with faith, any connections beyond that felt restricted.

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