The danger of member-driven parties is that they can take our politics to the extremes

Party democracy may be having its moment now – but parliamentary democracy is ultimately superior

(PA)

Party democracy sounds like a good thing, and in many ways it is, but it has its dangers. We report today on the findings of Professor Tim Bale’s research into Conservative Party members. These are the people who will decide next month who will be our prime minister, and 77 per cent of them support Britain leaving the European Union without agreement.

In this respect, as in others, they are unrepresentative of the country for whom they are choosing a leader. Among the whole nation, support for a no-deal Brexit is a minority view – the view of a large and enthusiastic minority, but a minority nonetheless.

That is why this Conservative leadership election could end in tears. It will be the first time the members of any political party choose a prime minister without that choice being subjected to approval by the voters in a general election. Yet their choice is likely to set up a conflict between the new prime minister and parliament – a parliament that is more representative of the nation in its opposition to a no-deal Brexit.