Tory members back death penalty, believe Islam is a threat and think Trump would make a good PM, poll finds

Survey comes as Islamophobic Facebook posts by Conservative members revealed: ‘I would ban all Muslim (sic) from entering the whole of Great Britain’

Conservative Party members want to bring back the death penalty, believe Islam is a threat to the British way of life and think Donald Trump would make a good prime minister, a new poll has revealed.

The YouGov survey suggested 58 per cent of Tory members believe the death penalty should be allowed for certain crimes, against 37 per cent who do not back the return of capital punishment.

Some 56 per cent of members surveyed said Islam was “generally a threat” to the British way of life, while just 22 per cent thought it was “generally compatible”. It comes as the party struggles to shake off accusations it has failed to deal with Islamophobia.

On the question of Mr Trump’s leadership, 54 per cent said they believed he would make a good prime minister of the UK, with 43 per cent saying he would be bad.

The survey, commissioned for Channel 4’s Dispatches, also found that 42 per cent thought having people from a wide variety of racial and cultural backgrounds has damaged British society.

The programme, which will be broadcast at 8pm on Monday, highlights Islamophobic posts on Facebook from self-identifying members of the Tory party.

One member of the Boris Johnson Supporters Group said: “I would ban all Muslim (sic) from entering the whole of Great Britain.”

A member of the Jacob Rees Mogg Appreciation Society said: “Two mega mosques agreed planning permission in Maidstone and Worcester, how we feel about this?” Another person posted: “WRONG.”

The YouGov poll also reveals scepticism about the threat posed by climate change, with 46 per cent of Tory members saying concerns about climate change had been exaggerated, while 45 per cent said the danger is every bit as real as scientists have said.

Some 49 per cent of members said schools should not be required to educate children about LGBT relationships, and 51 per cent thought most people on benefits could get a job if they tried hard enough.

Hunt arrives at the Tory leadership hustings in Cardiff (PA)

YouGov questioned 892 of the Tory members – currently choosing between Boris Johnson and Jeremy Hunt as party leader and the next prime minister – between 11 June and 14 June.

A later study by the same firm, carried out after Mr Johnson and Mr Hunt had made it through to the final stage of the process, found the majority of members thought the former London mayor would make the “most trustworthy” prime minister.

The poll of 1,119 members carried out between 1 July and 5 July found 52 per cent backed Mr Johnson to make the most trustworthy premier, with 32 per cent favouring Mr Hunt.

A Conservative spokesman responded to the social media posts highlighted by Dispatches.

“Those people making these posts that we have found to be members of the party have been suspended pending investigation,” he said. “Discrimination or abuse of any kind is wrong and will not be tolerated.”

Mr Rees-Mogg said the Jacob Rees Mogg Appreciation Society Facebook group is not an official supporters’ group, adding: “I absolutely condemn such behaviour. Anyone who behaves in such a way is not one of my supporters and should be reported.”

In June ex-Tory chairwoman Sayeeda Warsi welcomed Conservative leadership contenders pledging to hold an internal inquiry into Islamophobia in the party, but said it was shame they had to be dragged “kicking and screaming”.

Miqdaad Versi, a spokesperson for the Muslim Council of Britain (MCB), last month revealed he had documented “hundreds of cases” showing Islamophobia in Tory ranks.

The MCB has submitted more than 20 pages of evidence to the Equality and Human Rights Commission, urging independent investigators to launch an official probe into accusations within the party.

Additional reporting by PA