Religion and Politics: Is the Religious Right on the Rise in British Political Life?

At recent the Reform party media events, 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.

Beyond shaping the policy programme for what might become the UK’s next government, the duo share another trait in common. Each is a deeply committed believer who found religion in adulthood, and possess strong opinions on social issues such as abortion and the family.

Connections and Convictions

Kruger, an MP, who defected from the Conservatives, and Orr, a university scholar, are members of the advisory board of a conservative policy group known as the Alliance for Responsible Citizenship.

Another member is the financier Paul Marshall, the investment tycoon who owns GB News and the rightwing Spectator magazine. Marshall is a practising Christian.

“Religion, specifically evangelical Christianity, has in recent decades been one of the defining elements of US rightwing politics,” its followers forming the bedrock of Donald Trump’s support.

Cross-Over Connections

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 involved in the National Conservatism movement, which has ties to the American faith-based populist world.

But any closer comparisons quickly break down due to a basic issue of numbers. While surveys indicate that close to a fourth of US adults are evangelical Christians, the figure for the UK is roughly one-tenth of that at the very most.

A Different Landscape

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 quite different.

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%.

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

“Sometimes with evangelicals there can be a gap between opinions, particularly regarding social issues, and how people cast their ballot,” explained a representative. “As an instance, someone might have a strong opinion on abortion, but they do not view voting as a way 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 countered by the Lib Dem Tim Farron and the Labour MP Rachael Maskell.

Maskell is very open about how her beliefs shapes her politics, notably on issues such as economic disadvantage.

“Ethical fairness was ‘a big part’ of Labour politics,” Maskell argued. “It stems from our foundations, how we think about inequality in society, making sure we have a just system.”

Emerging Currents

There is, however a different and newer side to religion in UK politics, one influenced by American ideas of religious nationalism.

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

In a similar vein, Nick Tenconi, who leads the UK branch of the Turning Point group, posts social media messaging about the country needing to “re-embrace Christianity” combined with anti-Muslim content.

In a dramatic display of this, a linked nationalist Christian group called King’s Army marched in formation through Soho, a location apparently selected as it is the centre of London’s LGBT community.

A Niche Phenomenon

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

Kruger is not averse to occasional off-piste language, for example in an address to censure what he said was a younger generation indoctrinated by a blend of ideologies.

“In the UK you do have a few 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,” said one commentator.

One Christian MP on the right observed that while the issue of assisted dying had helped bring together MPs with faith, any connections beyond that felt restricted.

“I do not get the sense of much of an evangelical lobby,” they said. “For me, my faith is more a foundation for what I personally hold. And here, religion is not really a decisive electoral issue.”