Most Conservatives back the death penalty as punishment for some serious crimes, a major study of political activists has found.

Academics have branded Tory members a "breed apart" from their Labour, Liberal Democrat and SNP counterparts after research revealed stark differences between them on a range of issues.

The report by Queen Mary University of London found 54% of Conservatives were in favour of the death penalty, compared to 23% of SNP supporters, 9% of Labour activists and 8% of Lib Dem backers.

Some 84% of Tories believed schools should teach children to obey authority, while 38% of SNP and Lib Dem members backed such a move and 31% of Labour members.

Just 41% of Tory members supported gay marriage, while at least eight of 10 members of the other three parties surveyed backed it, according to the report, which was based on polling by YouGov.


Meanwhile, only 11% of Conservatives believed austerity had gone too far, compared to 98% of Labour members, 93% of SNP supporters and 75% of Lib Dems.

Image: Pic: Queen Mary University of London

Image: Pic: Queen Mary University of London

On Brexit, 25% of Tories said Britain should remain in the single market, compared with 87% of Labour members, 96% of Lib Dems and 95% of SNP members.

Just 14% of Conservative supporters said there should be a second referendum on the Brexit deal, while the figure rose to 78% of Labour members, 91% of Lib Dems and 87% of SNP members.

Tim Bale, professor of politics at Queen Mary University of London, said: "Britain's party members are the lifeblood and the footsoldiers of our democracy. But that doesn't necessarily mean they look like or think like their parties' voters - or, indeed, look or think like each other.

"The Tory grassroots in particular are something of a breed apart from their Labour, Lib Dem and SNP counterparts."

According to the report, just 28% of Conservatives believe they have a significant say on policy compared to three quarters of Lib Dems and SNP members and 61% of Labour members.

Tory members were also less likely to have stepped up campaigning for their party during recent elections and the difference was "particularly marked" for use of social media, it said.

"The Lib Dems will be glad to know that they are still very much the top dogs when it comes to pushing leaflets through our letterboxes," the report said.

The report, called Grassroots: Britain's Party Members, surveyed 4,117 members of the four parties shortly after the 2017 general election.