🔗 Share this article Faith and Reform: Is the Religious Right Gaining Ground in British Political Life? During recent the Reform party media events, two very distinctive 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 political agenda for what could be the UK’s future administration, the duo have something else in common. Each is a highly devout believer who found religion in adulthood, and possess trenchant views on social issues such as abortion and the family. Connections and Convictions Kruger, an MP, who defected from the Conservatives, and Orr, a Cambridge academic, also sit on the steering committee of a rightwing thinktank called the Alliance for Responsible Citizenship. Another member is the financier Paul Marshall, the investment tycoon who controls GB News and the conservative Spectator magazine. He is also a practising Christian. “Religion, specifically Protestant evangelism, has in recent decades been a key characteristic of American conservative politics,” with its adherents 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 hosted him at his private residence. Orr is also active in the National Conservatism movement, which has ties to the US religious-populism world. But any closer comparisons soon fall down due to a simple matter of scale. While surveys indicate that nearly a fourth of US adults are evangelical Christians, the figure for the UK is about a tenth of that at the very most. A Different Landscape An additional crucial element to consider. While US evangelicals lean firmly to the right, recent surveys by the UK’s Evangelical Alliance indicate the wider picture in Britain is markedly distinct. A poll of nearly 1,500 evangelicals places the Labour Party in the first place with 26% support. Reform and the Liberal Democrats are level on 20%, with the Conservatives on 18%. Other questions demonstrate support among evangelicals for more generous welfare payments, but also significant concern about plans to permit assisted dying. “Sometimes with evangelicals there can be a gap between opinions, especially on social issues, and how people vote,” said one advocacy head. “As an instance, someone might have a strong opinion on abortion, but they don’t see voting as a way to lead to change.” Faith Across the Aisle Evangelical belief does exist 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 Party Member of Parliament Rachael Maskell. She has been explicit about how faith shapes her politics, notably on issues such as poverty. “Moral justice was ‘a big part’ of Labour politics,” Maskell argued. “It stems from our roots, how we think about inequality in society, ensuring we have a fair framework.” A Newer Strain There is, however a different and newer side to religion in UK politics, one influenced by American ideas of faith-based nationalism. Tommy Robinson has started to portray himself as openly a Christian, although much of this is done as a contrast to Islam. Similarly, Nick Tenconi, who leads the UK branch of the Turning Point group, includes social media messaging about the country needing to “re-embrace Christianity” combined with anti-Islam content. In a dramatic display of this, a linked nationalist Christian group named King’s Army marched in formation through Soho, a location apparently selected as it is the centre of London’s LGBT community. Limited Influence All this remains, however, fairly niche in UK politics. While commentators sometimes portray certain figures as financial backers of American-style religious politics, associates insist they are simply observant believers who are firmly against 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 indoctrinated by a mix of ideologies. “Here in Britain 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,” noted an analyst. A parliamentarian of faith on the right noted that while the issue of assisted dying had united MPs with faith, any links beyond that felt restricted. “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 vote winner.”