Tory and Labour MPs at odds with party views over Brexit, poll finds

The official Conservative and Labour positions on Brexit are at sometimes stark odds to the views of many of the parties’ MPs, according to polling.

Theresa May faces particular problems reconciling her MPs to the idea of continued free movement of people and a role for the European court of justice (ECJ) during a transition period, something she has suggested could happen, according to the study by The UK in a Changing Europe.

Of the Tory MPs polled by Ipsos Mori, 74% said continued free movement would be unacceptable during a transition period, with 63% saying the same on a role for the ECJ.

Jeremy Corbyn fares no better – despite his insistence the UK will need to leave the EU’s single market after Brexit, 90% of the Labour MPs polled believe this is not the case.

Diverging views on Brexit between the party leaderships and grassroots has been highlighted before, especially with Labour. A study published earlier this month found 87% of Labour members want the UK to remain in the single market, 85% in the customs union, and 78% support a new Brexit referendum.

But the views of MPs, based on in-person interviews with 105 MPs in November and December, potentially spells more disruption given it is they who will vote on any final deal.

The study found a hardening of attitudes among Conservative MPs in the past year over future single market membership. In a parallel poll in December 2016, 44% of them felt the referendum ruled this out, the figure has now risen to 76%.

When offered a choice of four varieties of Brexit, ranging from single market membership to no deal, 80% of Tory MPs backed the second-softest option of a comprehensive trade deal, aligning with EU rules – 40% supported this on the Labour side, with 56% seeking single market access.

There was a big split on party lines on the idea that “no deal is better than a bad deal”. This was rejected by 77% of Labour MPs, but 65% of Tories concurred.

Anand Menon, professor of politics at King’s College London and director of The UK in a Changing Europe, said: “Brexit presents a stark challenge to the leaderships of both major political parties. Their views are at odds with those of their own MPs.

“This promises to cause significant problems for both Theresa May and Jeremy Corbyn. The prime minister, in particular, might face considerable opposition from her own backbenchers when it comes to securing the kind of transitional deal she has indicated she wants.”