At recent the Reform party media events, two very distinctive heads can often be seen in the forefront: the pale hair of party policy chief Danny Kruger and the swept-back blond mane of senior adviser James Orr.
Beyond shaping the political agenda for what might become the UK’s future administration, the pair share another trait in common. Both are highly devout believer who came to religion in later life, and hold trenchant views on matters of society such as abortion and the family.
Connections and Convictions
The MP Kruger, who switched allegiance from the Conservatives, and Orr, a university scholar, also sit on the steering committee of a rightwing thinktank known as the Alliance for Responsible Citizenship.
A further participant is Paul Marshall, the investment tycoon who controls GB News and the rightwing Spectator magazine. Marshall is a practising Christian.
“Religion, specifically Protestant evangelism, has in recent decades been a key characteristic of American conservative politics,” with its adherents forming the bedrock of Donald Trump’s support.
Cross-Over Connections
Parallels do exist. Orr is personally connected 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 American faith-based populist world.
However, direct parallels soon fall down due to a simple matter of numbers. While surveys indicate that close to a fourth of US adults are evangelical Christians, the figure for the UK is about a tenth of that at most.
A Different Landscape
There is another important factor to consider. While US evangelicals tilt strongly to the political right, new polling by the UK’s Evangelical Alliance indicate the wider picture here is quite different.
Research of nearly 1,500 evangelicals places the Labour Party in the lead with over a quarter backing. The Reform party and Liberal Democrats are tied on 20%, with the Conservatives on 18%.
Further polling demonstrate backing from evangelicals for more generous welfare payments, but also concerted alarm about plans to permit assisted dying.
“Among evangelicals there can be a gap between opinions, especially on social issues, and how people cast their ballot,” said one advocacy head. “As an instance, someone might have a firm stance on abortion, but they do not view voting as likely to lead to change.”
Cross-Party Belief
Evangelical belief is present in parliament, including cross-party prayer group meetings. But it is a reality present on the political left, with figures like Kruger countered by the Lib Dem Tim Farron and the Labour Party Member of Parliament Rachael Maskell.
Maskell is explicit about how faith informs her politics, especially concerning issues such as poverty.
“Ethical fairness 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 just system.”
Emerging Currents
There is, however a distinct and more recent side to religion in UK politics, one influenced by American ideas of religious nationalism.
Tommy Robinson has started to present himself as openly a Christian, though a lot of this is done as a contrast to Islam.
Similarly, Nick Tenconi, who leads the UK branch of Turning Point, posts social media messaging about the country needing to “return to Christ” alongside anti-Muslim content.
In a dramatic manifestation of this, a linked nationalist Christian group called King’s Army paraded through Soho, a location apparently selected as it is the centre of London’s LGBT community.
Limited Influence
All this remains, however, relatively marginal in UK politics. While commentators sometimes depict certain figures as financial backers of American-style religious politics, associates maintain they are little more than devout believers who are strongly opposed to any political exploitation of faith.
Kruger is not averse to sometimes unconventional rhetoric, for example using a speech to censure what he said was a younger generation indoctrinated by a mix of ideologies.
“In the UK 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 historic identity,” noted an analyst.
A parliamentarian of faith on the right noted that while the issue of assisted dying had united MPs with faith, any connections beyond that felt limited.
“I do not get the sense of much of an organized faith-based lobby,” they commented. “For me, my faith is more a basis for what I already believe. And here, religion is not really a decisive electoral issue.”
