Religion and Politics: Is the Religious Right on the Rise in UK Politics?

At recent the Reform party press conferences, a pair of notable figures can often be seen in the front row: the pale hair of party policy chief Danny Kruger and the swept-back blond mane of James Orr.

As well as guiding the policy programme for what might become the UK’s future administration, the duo share another trait in common. Both are highly devout believer who found religion in adulthood, and hold strong opinions on matters of society such as abortion and the family.

Connections and Convictions

Kruger, an MP, who switched allegiance from the Conservatives, and Orr, a university scholar, also sit on the advisory board of a conservative policy group called the Alliance for Responsible Citizenship.

A further participant is Paul Marshall, the investment tycoon who controls GB News and the conservative Spectator magazine. He is also a devout Christian.

“Religion, specifically evangelical Christianity, has in recent decades been a key characteristic of US rightwing politics,” its followers providing the core of Donald Trump’s support.

Cross-Over Connections

There are some links. Orr is personally connected to JD Vance that he has welcomed him at his private residence. Orr is also involved in the National Conservatism movement, which has connections to the US religious-populism world.

But any closer parallels soon fall down due to a simple matter of scale. While surveys indicate that nearly a quarter of US adults are evangelicals, 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 tilt strongly to the right, new polling by the UK’s Evangelical Alliance suggests that the broader situation in Britain is markedly distinct.

Research of nearly 1,500 evangelicals places the Labour Party in the first place with 26% support. Reform and the Liberal Democrats are tied on 20%, with the Conservatives on 18%.

Further polling reveal backing from evangelicals for more generous welfare payments, but also concerted alarm 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. “As an instance, someone might have a strong opinion 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 faith-based 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 very open about how her beliefs shapes her politics, especially concerning issues such as economic disadvantage.

“Ethical fairness was ‘a big part’ of Labour politics,” Maskell argued. “It stems from our roots, how we think about disparity 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 more closely modelled on American ideas of religious nationalism.

The activist Tommy Robinson has started to portray himself as openly a Christian, although much of this is done as a counterpoint to Islam.

Similarly, Nick Tenconi, who leads the UK branch of Turning Point, posts social media messaging about the country needing to “re-embrace Christianity” alongside anti-Muslim content.

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

A Niche Phenomenon

All this remains, however, relatively marginal in UK politics. While commentators sometimes depict certain figures as financial backers of US-style evangelism, friends insist they are simply devout believers who are strongly opposed to any political exploitation of faith.

Kruger is not averse to occasional off-piste rhetoric, 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 some Christian nationalists, but when it comes to politics it tends to be a sort of longing for a Christian past, linked to our historical character,” noted an analyst.

A parliamentarian of faith on the right observed that while the issue of assisted dying had helped bring together MPs with faith, any connections beyond that felt limited.

“I do not get the sense of much of an evangelical 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.”