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At recent Reform UK press conferences, two very distinctive heads can often be spotted in the forefront: the pale hair of party policy chief Danny Kruger and the swept-back blond mane of James Orr.

As well as guiding the policy programme for what might become the UK’s next government, the duo have something else in common. Each is a deeply committed Christian who found religion in adulthood, and possess strong opinions on matters of society such as reproductive rights and the family.

A Network of Faith

The MP Kruger, who defected from the Conservatives, and Orr, a university scholar, also sit on the advisory board of a rightwing thinktank known as the Alliance for Responsible Citizenship.

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

“Faith, particularly evangelical Christianity, has in recent decades been a key characteristic of US rightwing politics,” its followers providing the core of Donald Trump’s support.

Cross-Over Connections

There are some links. Orr is personally connected to the US Vice-President that he has hosted 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 polling shows that nearly a fourth of US adults are evangelical Christians, the figure for the UK is about a tenth of that at most.

The UK Evangelical Vote

There is another important factor to consider. While US evangelicals lean firmly to the right, new polling by the UK’s Evangelical Alliance indicate the wider picture here is markedly distinct.

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

Further polling demonstrate backing from evangelicals for increased welfare payments, but also concerted alarm about plans to permit assisted suicide.

“Sometimes with evangelicals there can be a dissonance between personal views, particularly regarding social issues, and how people vote,” explained a representative. “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

Evangelism is present in parliament, including cross-party faith-based meetings. But it is a reality also of the political left, with figures like Kruger countered by Tim Farron and the Labour MP Rachael Maskell.

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

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

A Newer Strain

Nonetheless, there exists a distinct and more recent side to religion in UK politics, one influenced by American ideas of faith-based nationalism.

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

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

One striking manifestation of this, a linked Christian nationalist group named King’s Army paraded through Soho, a location seemingly chosen 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 financial backers of US-style evangelism, associates insist they are little more than devout believers who are strongly opposed to any political exploitation of faith.

Kruger is not shy of sometimes unconventional rhetoric, for example in an address to condemn what he said was a younger generation influenced by a blend of ideologies.

“Here in Britain you do have some 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,” 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 do not get the sense of much of an organized faith-based lobby,” they commented. “In my view, my faith is more a foundation for what I personally hold. And here, religion is not particularly a vote winner.”