The Influence of Evangelical Christianity in UK Politics: A Niche but Notable Presence
The presence of evangelical Christianity in UK politics remains a niche but notable element, with its influence reflected across multiple parties and policy considerations. Reform UK’s leadership features key devout Christian figures including Danny Kruger as policy head and James Orr as a senior adviser; both serve on the advisory board of the Alliance for Responsible Citizenship alongside Paul Marshall, the owner of GB News and the Spectator.
Evangelical voters compose roughly 10% of the UK population, a smaller scale compared to the United States. Polling by the Evangelical Alliance, surveying about 1,500 evangelicals, indicates Labour leads among evangelical voters with 26%, followed by Reform UK and the Liberal Democrats both at 20%, Conservatives at 18%, and the Greens at 12%. These results reveal a pragmatic evangelical electorate influenced by economic concerns like poverty despite holding socially conservative views.
Parliament reflects this evangelical presence across party lines, including figures such as Liberal Democrat Tim Farron and Labour’s Rachael Maskell, who emphasizes poverty and moral justice as core to her political engagement. Faith is seen by many MPs as a personal foundation rather than a guaranteed electoral advantage, with religion shaping policies on issues like poverty and immigration but not serving as a sole driver of voting behavior.
Recent developments include the emergence of a strand of Christian nationalism. Figures like Tommy Robinson have presented themselves as Christian, while Nick Tenconi of Turning Point UK has promoted anti-Islam content and advocated a "return to Christ." Additionally, the King’s Army marched in Soho in October. Despite these movements, the overall evangelical political landscape in the UK remains limited, and some key players such as Paul Marshall oppose Christian nationalism. There is broader caution about US-style religious right politics taking root in the UK.
The article clarifies distinctions between evangelism and evangelicalism and notes James Orr’s connections to prominent US figures, including hosting the US vice-president and ties to the National Conservatism movement. Overall, evangelical Christianity in UK politics significantly influences social and economic discourse but continues to be a niche element without broad evangelical lobbying or uniform voting patterns.
