Faith and Reform: Could the Religious Right on the Rise in British Political Life?

At recent Reform UK media events, a pair of notable figures can often be seen 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 next government, the pair have something else in common. Each is a highly devout believer who came to religion in adulthood, and hold trenchant views on matters of society such as reproductive rights and the family.

Connections and Convictions

The MP Kruger, who defected from the Conservatives, and Orr, a Cambridge academic, also sit on the advisory board of a conservative policy group called the Alliance for Responsible Citizenship.

A further participant is Paul Marshall, the hedge fund millionaire who owns GB News and the rightwing 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,” with its adherents providing the core of Donald Trump’s support.

Transatlantic Links

Parallels do exist. Orr is sufficiently close to the US Vice-President that he has hosted 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 simple matter of numbers. While polling shows that nearly a fourth of US adults are evangelicals, the proportion for the UK is roughly one-tenth of that at most.

The UK Evangelical Vote

There is another crucial element to consider. While US evangelicals tilt strongly to the right, new polling by the UK’s Evangelical Alliance suggests that the broader situation in Britain is markedly distinct.

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

Other questions reveal backing from evangelicals for increased welfare payments, but also significant concern about plans to legalise assisted dying.

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

Cross-Party Belief

Evangelism does exist in parliament, including all-party prayer group meetings. But it is a reality present on the political left, with figures like Kruger countered by Tim Farron and the Labour MP Rachael Maskell.

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

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

A Newer Strain

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

Tommy Robinson has started to portray himself as explicitly 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-Islam content.

One striking display of this, a Turning Point-allied nationalist Christian group named King’s Army paraded through Soho, a location seemingly chosen as it is the heart of London’s LGBT community.

Limited Influence

All this remains, however, fairly niche in UK politics. While commentators sometimes depict certain figures as wealthy incubators of US-style evangelism, friends maintain they are simply devout believers who are firmly against any politicisation of faith.

He has been not shy of sometimes unconventional rhetoric, for example using a speech to censure what he said was a younger generation influenced by a blend of ideologies.

“In the UK you do have a few 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 with conservative views observed that while the issue of assisted dying had united MPs with faith, any links beyond that felt limited.

“I certainly don’t get the sense of much of an organized faith-based lobby,” they said. “In my view, my faith is more a foundation for what I already believe. And here, religion is not particularly a decisive electoral issue.”