The Rise of Christian Nationalism in the UK: Are We Importing a US-style Religious Right?
For years, the idea of a British ‘religious right’ was passively dismissed as a media exaggeration. In 2013, a report by UK-based conservative religious think tank Theos, Is There a Religious Right Emerging in Britain? analysed claims that a US-style Christian Nationalist movement was taking hold in the UK. Their conclusion? A US-style movement was unlikely to emerge in Britain.
While their analysis was well-reasoned at the time, they might have underestimated the potential for religious conservatism to gain some traction through cultural identity politics and social media — both of which have become far more relevant today.
What does it mean for Britain to have a ‘religious right’?
A religious right refers to a political movement where religious beliefs influence laws, policies, and dominating the public conversation in general — usually promoting social conservatism. In countries with strong religious right movements, Christianity (or any other dominant religion) becomes intertwined with nationalism, and can influence everything from education to civil rights, such as abortion and euthanasia.
Even in countries with formal secularism, such as France (where religion is not supposed to cross the line into informing daily life), religious ideas often shape laws and social policies. Unlike the US, the UK does not have a constitutionally ‘enshrined’ separation of church and state. In the US, technically the church should have nothing to do with influencing the state. However, in the UK — or at least in England — we have an ‘established church’ (the Church of England), meaning religion has always had a soft influence on governance, for example:
- Education: In England (and Scotland, to a lesser degree), faith-based schools receive state funding, enabling religious institutions to influence their curriculum and admissions policies.
- The Church of England’s role in government: Unlike the US, 26 bishops from the Church of England sit in the House of Lords (the Lords Spiritual), giving the Anglican Church a direct role in shaping laws. Bishops vote on whether laws are, or are not ‘passed’.
- Abortion laws: England, Scotland and Wales have generally strict abortion laws (depending on ones view), influenced by Christian moral concerns; however, Northern Ireland only legalised abortion in 2019 — several decades after the rest of the UK, primarily due to strong religious opposition from Protestant and Catholic groups.
But where does this religious ‘soft influence’ cross the line into a ‘religious right’? What’s the difference between a Bishop getting a vote in the House of Lords, and the emergence of Christian Nationalism?
In 2013, when Theos produced the report, Britain lacked the main characteristics of the American Christian Nationalist movement, i.e., an official, religious right-wing politically mobilised Christian base with a deep evangelical culture and strong ties between conservatives and a major political party. Instead, the report found that British Christians, even the socially conservative ones, often held left-wing economic views, they were less politically engaged, and lacked a single unified movement.
Whizz forward to 2025, and the political landscape looks a little different. While the UK still does not have a ‘fully formed’ religious right, there are clear signs that religious rhetoric is becoming more prominent on the right end of the political spectrum. Figures like Farage and Johnson have begun invoking Christianity in ways reminiscent of American culture wars. Gen Z is showing a renewed interest in socially conservative Christianity. And in an era of economic and cultural uncertainty, Christian identity is increasingly being politicised.
So, have we Brits finally imported the religious right from the US? Or is something else happening?
2013: Why Britain was Different to the US
When Is There a Religious Right Emerging in Britain? was published, it found that despite media speculation, there was no ‘US-style Christian political movement’ here in the UK.
The report pointed to several key differences between the two countries:
- British Christianity was too fragmented to form a coherent right-wing movement.
- Most devout Christians in Britain held left-wing views on economics, supporting wealth redistribution and government intervention — the opposite of the US Christian right.
- There was no notable alliance between Christians and the Conservative Party, unlike the deep ties between evangelicals and the Republican Party in the US.
- British Christians were found to have a broader range of political and moral concerns, including gambling, prostitution, and human trafficking — whereas in the US, the religious right tends to focus more narrowly on issues like abortion, gay rights, and opposition to ‘big government’.
- The Church of England acted — and still does act — as a centrist, cautious, and moderating force, preventing the kind of radical political Christianity we see in the US.
At the time, the report downplayed fears of an emerging religious right, concluding that Britain’s religious conservatives lacked both the numbers and the political infrastructure to become a major force.
2025: What’s Changed?
More than a decade later, several trends suggest a noticeable shift in how religion intersects with politics in Britain.
1. The Rise of Christian Identity Politics
Figures like Nigel Farage are increasingly framing politics in Judeo-Christian terms. In recent speeches, Farage has spoken about declining birth rates and the need to preserve ‘Christian culture’, mirroring US-style fears of demographic and cultural decline.
And he’s not alone. Boris Johnson has also raised concerns about the Church of England, suggesting that it has become too ‘woke’ and has strayed from its spiritual mission in the pursuit of progressive politics. This point aligns with a broader sentiment among American conservatives who feel similarly about liberal Christianity and the changing landscape of traditional religious institutions.
In a recent opinion piece in the Times, columnist Giles Coren, known for his conservative viewpoints, revealed his decision to give up atheism for Lent. He reflected on his journey toward faith and expressed a renewed appreciation for the rich traditions of the Church of England.
Controversial celebrity-turned-activist, Russell Brand’s recent public comments and actions indicate a shift towards incorporating religious themes that align with certain right-wing narratives. His public baptism, his association with Tucker Carlson and Jordan Peterson, and so on. At a rally supporting Donald Trump in 2024, Brand emphasised the importance of traditional Christian values, echoing sentiments common in right-wing religious discourse.
Former staunch atheist Ayaan Hirsi Ali announced her conversion to Christianity in November 2023 (albeit ‘cultural’). In her essay ‘Why I am now a Christian,’ she argued that secular approaches are inadequate against threats like authoritarianism, global Islamism, and the spread of ‘woke ideology.’ Her husband and notable historian Niall Ferguson has joined her, describing himself as a ‘lapsed atheist’.
Even the most infamously staunch evolutionary biologist and atheist Richard Dawkins has recently described himself as a ‘cultural Christian’ or ‘cultural Anglican.’ While he maintains his atheistic beliefs, Dawkins acknowledges the cultural significance of Christian traditions in shaping Western society.
There are so many.
The thing is, as a 50 something Gen-X-er, this was unheard of twenty or thirty years ago. Religion in politics was (or seemed) irrelevant. The very thought of Russell Brand or Richard Dawkins ‘coming out’ would have seemed bizarre in the 90’s or early 2000’s. Of course, we could rudely write this off as a few attention-thirsty celebrity commentators being controversial, but nonetheless it marks a huge shift in how Christianity is discussed in British politics and it’s potential impact on shaping societal values. Back then, in 2013, religious debates were rooted in moral or theological issues. Today, Christianity is increasingly framed as a cultural and national identity — part of a national defence against ‘the other’. It’s fair to say that here in the UK, we don’t have the deep-rooted evangelical movement that defines US Christian nationalism (the Mega Churches, the media figures), but the growing rhetoric of ‘Judeo-Christian values’ suggests a shift toward religion as an identity marker rather than just a belief system.
Whether this leads to greater political mobilisation remains to be seen.
2. The Influence of US Culture Wars
Social media and transatlantic conservative networks have made the UK more exposed to American-style culture wars. Issues like trans rights, free speech, and criticism of ‘woke’ universities and their alleged cancel culture have gained prominence in UK right-wing discourse, often borrowing directly from US arguments.
Religious figures who were once peripheral in British politics are now gaining influence, often through YouTube and social media. Some British conservative influencers have also begun aligning themselves with American evangelical talking points, particularly around gender and family issues. Think Calvin Robinson, although he was recently fired by the Anglican Catholic church in the US for seemingly imitating Elon’s ‘raised hand gesture’. Was it a Nazi salute? While we still have freedom of interpretation, I know my own thoughts on that one.
3. A Conservative Christian Revival Among Gen Z?
One of the most surprising developments is a resurgence of interest in religion among some young Brits. The Times recently reported that Gen Z is turning to faith at higher rates than Millennials, and some are even embracing a more socially conservative version of Christianity.
This again follows trends seen in the US, where young people are pushing back against progressive social values and ‘rediscovering’ traditional frameworks. Influencers like Jordan Peterson and Andrew Tate — who appeal to young men in particular — frequently invoke religious morality and discipline as antidotes to the challenges of modern life. For young women, we have the ‘Trad Wife’ movement, which romanticises and glamourises traditional gender roles and homemaking, has gained traction through TikTok and Instagram. While it appeals to those seeking escape from workplace stress and economic instability, it also reflects a deeper nostalgia for an imagined past — a curated vision of femininity, stability, and moral clarity in an uncertain world. This yearning is not just personal but political, with some tradwife influencers linking their aesthetic ideals of cupcakes and floral aprons to broader conservative narratives about family, gender roles, and a perception of societal decline.
Is this just another passing trend? A passing bit of income and TikTok notoriety for Pearly? Or, could a younger, more politically engaged generation in the UK create the foundations for a future religious right?
So is it happening here, now? Not quite, but…
While Christianity is, without doubt, gaining more visibility in UK right-wing discourse, Britain still lacks many of the structural conditions that made the US religious right so powerful:
- The Church of England remains divided, and most UK Christians are still politically disengaged.
- Christian groups do not yet have a strong foothold in party politics, and there is no equivalent to the Republican-Evangelical alliance.
- Evangelical Christianity is much smaller in the UK than in the US, making mass political mobilisation difficult.
However, the political language of Christian identity is clearly changing, and conservative religious ideas are far more visible in public discourse than they were in 2013. Britain may never develop a religious right on the scale of the US, but the signs of change are undeniable. Christianity is no longer just a matter of faith, it is becoming a political tool, a cultural identity, and a rhetorical weapon in right-wing discourse. It is slowly embedding itself into Britain’s everyday political language.
In 2013, scholars confidently declared that Britain was too secular and too politically different from the US for a religious right to emerge. While that may still be true in the strictest sense, today’s rhetoric tells a different story.
Whether this remains a fringe development or the start of a more organised movement is something that will become clearer in the years ahead.
Is it a positive thing? Well, it depends who you are and how you are impacted. For that vast majority it’s not a good thing. I’m not a fan but I’ll save that for another blog.