Is British politics immune to US-style rightwing Christianity? We’re about to find out | Lamorna Ash

16 hours ago7 min read3 comments

The political landscape of Britain stands at a critical juncture, one that echoes historical patterns while charting dangerously new territory. When Nigel Farage and Tommy Robinson began espousing Christian 'values,' it wasn't merely a rhetorical shift; it was a calculated maneuver reminiscent of the early days of the Moral Majority in the United States during the late 1970s.The recent defection of former Conservative MP Danny Kruger to Reform, following his parliamentary speech calling for a 'recovery of a Christian politics,' signals a deeper realignment. This is not an organic spiritual revival but a strategic co-opting of religious language to forge a new political identity for the British right, a tactic with profound implications for the nation's secular traditions.The appointment of James Orr, the conservative theologian dubbed JD Vance's 'English philosopher king,' as a senior adviser to Reform provides the intellectual framework for this movement, lending it a veneer of theological credibility while its roots are firmly planted in populist nationalism. Historically, Britain has maintained a distinct separation between the fervent pulpit and the political podium, a tradition dating back to the settlement that followed the Glorious Revolution of 1688, which established a constitutional monarchy and curtailed the power of the Crown over the Church.This new alignment, however, threatens to import the kind of identity-based religious politics that has so deeply polarized American civic life, where Supreme Court nominations and education policy are battlegrounds in a culture war. The involvement of wealthy US legal groups, such as the Alliance Defending Freedom, which has been influential in shaping conservative jurisprudence across the Atlantic, suggests a transatlantic pipeline of strategy and funding aimed at reshaping British society from the top down.The consequences could be dire, potentially rolling back decades of progress on social issues and embedding a particular, narrow interpretation of 'Judeo-Christian' values into the legal and educational fabric of the nation. As a veteran observer of political trends, I see parallels not with Britain's own past, but with the deliberate construction of a religious right in America—a project that required decades of organization and the merging of evangelical fervor with political ambition. The question is no longer if British politics is immune, but whether its institutions—its judiciary, its civil service, its long-standing commitment to pluralism—are robust enough to withstand this concerted, ideologically-driven assault.

#lead focus news

#British politics

#right-wing Christianity

#Nigel Farage

#Reform UK

#Tommy Robinson

#James Orr

#US influence

#Christian values

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