The majority of the Labour party is against strikes, a survey claims (Picture: PA) Jeremy Corbyn has been urged to order his MPs to vote against air strikes on Islamic State (IS) in Syria after a survey of members indicated overwhelming opposition to extending the UK’s bombing campaign.

One of Mr Corbyn’s closest allies in the shadow cabinet urged him to ‘show leadership’ by imposing a whip on Labour MPs after the survey indicated 75 per cent of grassroots members opposed RAF strikes in Syria.

Ahead of a potentially explosive meeting of the shadow cabinet, Diane Abbott said ‘the party as a whole’ is opposed to the bombing and ‘looking to Jeremy to show leadership’.



MORE: Woman on Question Time has a great argument for why we shouldn’t say ‘Islamic State’


Signs flies above at least 4,000 people attend a protest in central London ahead of parliament’s vote looms (Picture: PA)

Syrian civil defence members search for survivors in the rubble of a building following the Russian airstrikes (Picture: Mohammed Amin Qourabi/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images)

MORE: Here’s the terrorist group more deadly than Islamic State…

However, in a statement the party said it received more than 100,000 responses.

And a footnote at the statement reveals that the figures are based on an ‘initial sample’ of just 1,900 responses.

Labour members' stance on air strikes based on 1,900 of 100,000 responses to survey Against 74.75% In favour 13.13% Undecided 12.12% Share

The small sample showed 75 per cent opposed to bombing, 13 per cent in favour of the air strikes and 11 per cent undecided.

The fact that we should take the latest figures with a pinch of salt is compounded by a recent YouGov report which revealed only 58 per cent of Labour members were opposed to air strikes in Syria.

Here’s the Labour party statement:

If any statistics professors need a case study for their undergraduates, the Labour party has kindly provided one. pic.twitter.com/cuGasc3E9t — John McDermott (@johnpmcdermott) November 30, 2015

To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video