Press release: Polling Conservative Party members 2024

58% CONSERVATIVE PARTY MEMBERS THINK ISLAM IS A THREAT TO BRITISH WAY OF LIFE

HOPE not hate has polled Conservative Party members, finding large support for extreme anti-immigration and anti-Muslim views.

A new poll of Conservative Party members conducted by HOPE not hate demonstrates they are fertile ground for the Party to move further to the Radical Right.

The poll of 521 Conservative Party members conducted by Opinium asked questions about Islam, immigration, multicultural Britain and favourability towards minority communities.

The poll also asked about leadership preferences were Rishi Sunak to resign.

Nick Lowles, CEO of HOPE not hate said:

“Conservative Party members hold a view of Britain that lays the ground for the Conservative Party to shift further to the Radical Right.

Our findings are deeply disturbing and alarming. They underscore the problem that the Conservative Party has with Islamophobia. It’s not just that they are tolerating senior politicians making anti-Muslim statements, but that their membership holds opinions that are out of step with the values of modern Britain.

It’s time that the Conservative Party confronts this issue head on, especially at a time when tensions are fraught and communities are being divided.”

Views of Conservative Party members:

Views on Islam

• 58% of members think Islam is a threat to the British way of life. 18% of members think that Islam is generally compatible with the British way of life. According to a poll of 25,000 by HOPE not hate in December 2023 – January 2024, 30% of the UK think this statement is true.
• 52% of members think it’s true that “Parts of many European cities are under the control of Sharia Law and are ‘no-go’ zones for non-Muslims”, 21% think it’s false. According to a poll of 25,000 by HOPE not hate in December 2023 – January 2024, 30% of the UK think this statement is true.

Conspiracy theories

• 45% of members think it’s true that “Globalist elites are encouraging immigration into Europe as part of a plot to weaken European identity”, 26% think it’s false. 27% of the UK think this statement is true.
• 41% think it’s true that “The threat of climate change is being exaggerated by Governments and the media in order to control our lives”, 36% think it’s false. 27% of the UK think this statement is true.

Positive/negative view of groups

• 20% of members have a positive view of immigrants, 45% have a negative view.
• 19% of members have a positive view of Muslims, 40% have a negative view.
• 13% of members have a positive view of Roma/Travellers, 49% have a negative view.
• 57% of members have a positive view of Jews, 7% have a negative view.
• 28% of members have a positive view of LGBT+ people, 30% have a negative view.
• 21% of members have a positive view of feminists, 28% have a negative view.

Views on the Government’s immigration policies

• 80% of members think that the UK should be prepared to ignore and/or overrule human rights legislation and the European Convention of Human Rights to ensure asylum seekers are sent to Rwanda.
• Conservative Party members described the Government’s approach to immigration as not strong enough (52%), ineffective 41% and weak (28%).

Statements about values – immigration, multiculturalism, British Empire, feminism, transgender rights, taking the knee

• 72% of members said ‘On the whole, immigration into Britain has been a bad thing for the country’, 28% said it had been a good thing.
• 74% of members said that ‘Britain’s multicultural society isn’t working and different communities generally live separate lives’, 26% disagreed.
• 54% of members disagreed with the statement ‘To move forward as a nation, we must acknowledge the mistakes during the period of the British Empire’, 24% agreed.
• 40% of members agreed that ‘Feminism has gone too far and makes it harder for men to succeed’, 28% disagreed.
• 48% of members disagreed that ‘People should be able to identify as being of a different gender to the one they had recorded at birth’.
• 58% of members disagreed that ‘Footballers should be supported in taking the knee in opposition to racism’, 21% agreed.

Views on a future Conservative Leader and Nigel Farage

• 55% of members would support Nigel Farage joining the Conservative Party, 23% would oppose.
• When asked ‘If Rishi Sunak resigned tomorrow, who would you support to replace him’ they chose:
  • Penny Mordaunt – 22%
  • Suella Braverman – 16%
  • Kemi Badenoch – 8%
  • James Cleverly – 6%
  • Tom Tugendhat – 4%
  • Liz Truss – 3%
  • Miriam Cates – 0%
  • 40% of members, when presented with the list of candidates chose don’t know or none of the above.

Media outlets that Conservative Party members are most likely to get political news from (asked to select three media outlets)

• BBC – 43%
• ITV News – 28%
• Daily Mail/Mail on Sunday – 25%
• GB News – 21%
• Sky News – 18%
• Daily Telegraph/Sunday Telegraph – 15%
• Conservative Home – 7%
• Sun/Sun on Sunday – 6%
• Daily Express/Sunday Express – 6%
• Financial Times – 5%
• The Spectator – 5%
• TalkTV – 4%
• Guardian/Observer – 3%
• Channel 4 News – 3%
• Metro – 2%
• Other – 13%

Notes to editors:

• Spokespeople from HOPE not hate are available for interview on request.
• The poll of 521 Conservative Party members was conducted by Opinium from 7 to 16 February 2024. Tables are available on request.
• HOPE not hate has previously contributed to the Singh Investigation into the Conservative Party.
• HOPE not hate has written about the Conservative Party’s lurch to the Radical Right in ‘Turning Right: The dangerous transformation of the Conservative Party’.

Contact:  

hopenothate.org.uk | @hopenothate | [email protected] | 0207 952 1183 

HOPE not hate builds hope and counters the politics of hate through research, campaigning and community engagement. We focus on the organised far right, the communities who are susceptible to them and the issues and policies which give rise to them.