Accountability Now

James Orr

Person
James Orr
Person

James Orr is Associate Professor of Philosophy of Religion at Cambridge University's Faculty of Divinity and Head of Policy for Reform UK, having been appointed Senior Adviser to Nigel Farage in October 2025 before taking up the Head of Policy role in February 2026. A self-described former "functional atheist", he rediscovered Christianity via the Alpha course at Holy Trinity Brompton and says his politics "followed" from that conversion. Before joining Reform he chaired the advisory board of Centre for a Better Britain. Orr and US Vice President J.D. Vance have reportedly been friends since 2019; Vance has described Orr as his "British sherpa". Orr has criticised "the so-called rainbow people — hyper-liberal sexual progressives pushing identity politics", described the 1967 Abortion Act as having "sanctioned the killing of 10 million innocents", described asylum seekers crossing the Channel as "invaders", and dismissed Russia's invasion of Ukraine as "a regional Slavic conflict". In January 2026, he hosted Palantir co-founder Peter Thiel at Cambridge for a series of "Antichrist Lectures". Critics have raised concerns about conflicts of interest between his Cambridge role - through which he teaches hundreds of students - and his active recruitment of "allies" in academia for Reform.

10 connections

Centre for a Better Britain former Orr was Advisory Board chair of Centre for a Better Britain, before leaving to become a senior advisor to Nigel Farage [src]
Alliance for Responsible Citizenship advisory board Orr sits on the advisory board of ARC [src]
Free Speech Union advisory board Orr sits on the Advisory Council of the FSU [src]
Reform UK senior adviser Orr is a senior adviser to Nigel Farage and Reform [src]
Nigel Farage senior adviser Orr is a senior adviser to Nigel Farage and Reform [src]
Great British PAC former James Orr was previously on the advisory board for GB PAC [src]
Prosperity Institute former Orr was previously listed as sitting on the Advisory Board of Prosperity Institute, as recently as 18th September 2025 [src]
Danny Kruger Orr and Kruger are colleagues at Reform, and both attended an intimate BBQ in the Cotswolds together in August 2025 after being personally invited by U.S. Vice President JD Vance. They also both sit on the advisory board for the Alliance for Responsible Citizenship. [src]
New Social Convenant Unit Orr sits on the Advisory Board of the New Social Covenant Unit [src]
Roger Scruton Legacy Foundation Orr co-runs the Roger Scruton Legacy Foundation and sits on its board of directors [src][src]

James Orr's network

11 connected actors.

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