The Brexit Party is popular because it only stands for one thing – and that's a big problem

Will the party whip its members, or will it be a free for all? What if some candidates believe in the safeguarding the NHS in its current form, while others believe in privatisation of the health service?

For some time now it’s been apparent that the widening divisions in British politics were opening up an opportunity to be exploited – not by a new centrist party, but by a new brand of Eurosceptic filling the void created by both Labour and the Conservatives in their Brexit wranglings.

The pace of change may be slow – it is already three years since the referendum to leave the European Union was held – but Nigel Farage’s Brexit Party has finally filled that void. Already polling at nearly 20 percent ahead of the EU elections next month, the new group is outstripping both the Tories and Change UK, the new party of Remain defectors, in London.

But there is a problem: beyond Brexit, the Brexit Party doesn’t have any policies.

Single issue parties are nothing new, from the Greens to the SNP to Ukip, but all have, in the past, at least had some formal policies on issues away from their main area of interest. The Brexit Party, however, has not published a manifesto and nor does it plan to ahead of the European ballot.

In the short term, this may not appear a significant issue. Voters are justifiably fed up of how the government has handled Brexit and are equally despondent over the Labour Party’s internal politicking. They feel betrayed. The emergence of the Brexit Party is a legitimate response to that anger and will represent, to an extent, a protest vote in May's elections.

But for the sake of the slightly longer term, the party needs to be more transparent right now about how its members intend to vote on a raft of other issues. One of the strengths of the Brexit Party is supposedly that it represents a broad church. From the very conservative founder, Nigel Farage, to left-wing intellectual Claire Fox, it is a congregation united on the principle of democracy and seeing through Brexit. That gives its core cause real gravitas.

But if the party stands candidates at a general election, as it is threatening to, and takes seats in the House of Commons, well what then? They will be asked to represent constituents on issues aside from Brexit.

Will the party whip its members, or will it be a free for all? What if some candidates believe in the safeguarding the NHS in its current form, while others believe in privatisation of the health service? Could the party come up with a policy to satisfy both? To have no policy would be to betray those who voted for Brexit with one eye on the NHS, but to then swing one way or the other would be to betray those who voted for it for precisely the opposite reason.

For the time being, the Brexit Party is running solely on the commitment to see through a hard Brexit. That’s fine – but standing for parliament must necessarily mean taking on responsibilities beyond one’s own pet projects. You cannot be selfish, and just stick to one thing, yet claim to represent all areas. That is the deal you make with your voters. Reducing things down to single issues does nothing to rectify the fractures in our political system, and drags us further away from a more mature political environment we so desperately need — one where people aren't trapped howling at each other because they can’t agree on one irreconcilable thing.

The Brexit Party is doing Eurosceptics a noble service by standing up for their views on leaving the EU. It does us all a disservice, though, for as long as it stays silent elsewhere.