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At recent the Reform party press conferences, two very distinctive 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 James Orr.

Beyond shaping the political agenda for what could be the UK’s future administration, the duo have something else in common. Each is a deeply committed Christian who found religion in adulthood, and hold trenchant views on matters of society such as abortion and the traditional family unit.

Connections and Convictions

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

A further participant is the financier Paul Marshall, the hedge fund millionaire who owns GB News and the conservative Spectator magazine. Marshall is a practising Christian.

“Religion, specifically Protestant evangelism, has in recent decades been a key characteristic of American conservative politics,” its followers forming the bedrock of Donald Trump’s support.

Cross-Over Connections

Parallels do exist. Orr is sufficiently close 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 American faith-based populist world.

However, direct parallels quickly break down due to a basic issue of scale. While surveys indicate that close to a quarter of US adults are evangelicals, the proportion for the UK is roughly one-tenth of that at the very most.

A Different Landscape

There is another crucial element to take into account. While US evangelicals tilt strongly to the right, recent surveys by the UK’s Evangelical Alliance suggests that the wider picture here is quite different.

Research of nearly 1,500 evangelicals shows the Labour Party in the lead with over a quarter backing. Reform and the Liberal Democrats are level on 20%, with the Conservatives on 18%.

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

“Among evangelicals there can be a dissonance between personal views, especially on social issues, and how people vote,” said one advocacy head. “For example, someone might have a strong opinion on abortion, but they do not view voting as likely to lead to change.”

Faith Across the Aisle

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

She has been explicit about how her beliefs informs her politics, especially concerning issues such as poverty.

“Ethical fairness was ‘a big part’ of Labour politics,” Maskell argued. “It’s part of our foundations, how we think about disparity in society, making sure we have a just system.”

A Newer Strain

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

Tommy Robinson has begun to portray himself as explicitly Christian, though a lot of this is done as a counterpoint 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-Muslim content.

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

A Niche Phenomenon

All this remains, however, fairly niche in UK politics. While commentators sometimes portray certain figures as financial backers of US-style evangelism, friends maintain they are little more than observant believers who are firmly against any politicisation of faith.

Kruger is not shy of sometimes unconventional language, for example using a speech to censure what he said was a younger generation indoctrinated by a blend of ideologies.

“In the UK you do have a few Christian nationalists, but when it comes to politics it tends to be a sort of longing for a Christian past, linked to our historical character,” said one commentator.

A parliamentarian of faith with conservative views observed that while the issue of assisted dying had helped bring together MPs with faith, any links beyond that felt limited.

“I do not get the sense of much of an organized faith-based lobby,” they commented. “For me, my faith is more a foundation for what I personally hold. And here, religion is not really a vote winner.”