At recent the Reform party press conferences, two very distinctive heads can often be spotted in the forefront: the pale hair of 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 duo have something else in common. Both are deeply committed Christian who found religion in adulthood, and hold trenchant views on social issues such as abortion and the traditional family unit.
Connections and Convictions
The MP Kruger, who switched allegiance from the Conservatives, and Orr, a Cambridge academic, also sit on the advisory board of a conservative policy group known as the Alliance for Responsible Citizenship.
A further participant is Paul Marshall, the investment tycoon who owns GB News and the conservative Spectator magazine. He is also a devout Christian.
“Faith, particularly evangelical Christianity, has in recent decades been one of the defining elements of American conservative politics,” its followers forming the bedrock of Donald Trump’s support.
Transatlantic Links
There are some links. Orr is sufficiently close to the US Vice-President 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 comparisons quickly break down due to a simple matter of scale. While surveys indicate 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 consider. While US evangelicals lean firmly to the right, recent surveys by the UK’s Evangelical Alliance suggests that the wider picture in Britain is markedly distinct.
Research 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 reveal support among evangelicals for more generous welfare payments, but also significant concern about plans to permit assisted suicide.
“Sometimes with evangelicals there can be a dissonance between opinions, particularly regarding social issues, and how people cast their ballot,” explained a representative. “For example, someone might have a strong opinion on abortion, but they do not view voting as a way to lead to change.”
Cross-Party Belief
Evangelism is present in parliament, including cross-party prayer group meetings. But it is a reality present on the left, with figures like Kruger balanced out by Tim Farron and the Labour MP Rachael Maskell.
Maskell is explicit about how her beliefs shapes her politics, notably on issues such as economic disadvantage.
“Ethical fairness was ‘a big part’ of the party's ethos,” Maskell argued. “It stems from our roots, how we think about inequality in society, making sure we have a just system.”
Emerging Currents
Nonetheless, there exists a distinct and more recent side to religion in UK politics, one more closely modelled on US concepts of faith-based nationalism.
The activist Tommy Robinson has begun to present himself as openly a Christian, although much of this is done as a contrast to Islam.
In a similar vein, Nick Tenconi, who leads the UK branch of Turning Point, posts social media messaging about the country needing to “re-embrace Christianity” combined with anti-Muslim content.
In a dramatic manifestation of this, a linked nationalist Christian group called King’s Army marched in formation through Soho, a location apparently selected as it is the heart of London’s LGBT community.
A Niche Phenomenon
All this remains, however, relatively marginal in UK politics. While commentators sometimes depict certain figures as wealthy incubators of American-style religious politics, associates insist they are little more than observant believers who are strongly opposed to any politicisation of faith.
Kruger is not averse to occasional off-piste language, for example in an address to condemn 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.
One Christian MP on the right observed that while the issue of assisted dying had united MPs with faith, any connections 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 basis for what I personally hold. And here, religion is not particularly a decisive electoral issue.”
