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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 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 Christian who came to religion in later life, and possess trenchant views on matters of society such as reproductive rights and the traditional family unit.

Connections and Convictions

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

A further participant 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 Donald Trump’s support.

Transatlantic Links

There are some links. Orr is personally connected to the US Vice-President that he has welcomed him at his family home. Orr is also active in the National Conservatism movement, which has connections to the US religious-populism world.

But any closer comparisons soon fall down due to a basic issue of numbers. While polling shows that close to a fourth of US adults are evangelical Christians, the proportion for the UK is about a tenth of that at most.

The UK Evangelical Vote

There is another crucial element to take into account. While US evangelicals lean firmly to the political right, recent surveys by the UK’s Evangelical Alliance suggests that the wider picture in Britain is markedly distinct.

A poll of nearly 1,500 evangelicals shows Labour in the first place with 26% support. Reform and the Liberal Democrats are tied on 20%, with the Conservatives on 18%.

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

“Among evangelicals there can be a gap between personal views, especially on social issues, and how people vote,” said one advocacy head. “For example, someone might have a firm stance 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 prayer group meetings. But it is a reality also of the left, with figures like Kruger balanced out by Tim Farron and the Labour Party Member of Parliament Rachael Maskell.

Maskell is very open about how her beliefs informs her politics, especially concerning issues such as poverty.

“Moral justice 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.”

A Newer Strain

Nonetheless, there exists a distinct and more recent side to religion in UK politics, one more closely modelled on American ideas of religious nationalism.

The activist Tommy Robinson has begun to portray himself as openly a Christian, though a lot of this is done as a counterpoint to Islam.

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

One striking display of this, a linked nationalist Christian group called King’s Army paraded 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 depict certain figures as financial backers of US-style evangelism, associates maintain they are simply devout believers who are firmly against any political exploitation of faith.

He has been not averse to occasional off-piste rhetoric, for example using a speech to censure what he said was a younger generation influenced by a mix of ideologies.

“In the UK you do have some Christian nationalists, but when it comes to politics it more often be a sort of Christian nostalgia, linked to our historical character,” said one commentator.

A parliamentarian of faith on the right noted that while the issue of assisted dying had helped bring together MPs with faith, any connections beyond that felt limited.

“I certainly don’t get the sense of much of an evangelical lobby,” they said. “In my view, my faith is more a basis for what I personally hold. And here, religion is not particularly a vote winner.”