More than half of Tories want Theresa Mays Brexit deal to be scrapped in favour of a no-deal, a survey has found.
When asked if they would want to leave with or without a deal only 29% of Tory members supported their own leader, with 64% preferring a no-deal.
And 57% thought that a no-deal would actually be better for the UK than the deal Mrs May has managed to get onto the table.
The number jumped to 76% in favour of a no-deal when they were asked if they would prefer to scrap Brexit altogether and remain in the EU.
These figures have emerged as Whitehall prepares to publish guidance so people can get ready for a choatic split from Europe.
Research leader Professor Tim Bale said that 76% of members believed warnings that a no-deal Brexit would cause serious disruption are exaggerated or invented.
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He said: Tory members – like Tory voters – are utterly unconvinced, despite their own Governments best recent efforts – that a no-deal Brexit would cause serious disruption.
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Some 72% of voters currently intending to support the Conservatives think the warnings are exaggerated or invented – a figure that rises to 76% among Tory members.
Meanwhile, those members are convinced by a margin of 64% to 19% that leaving without a deal would have a positive rather than a negative effect on Britains economy in the medium to long term.
The latest findings are bad news for Mrs Mays hopes of winning support for her deal, Professor Bale added.
She is due to attempt to get her deal through the House of Commons on January 14, after having to cancel the December 11 vote because she did not have enough support.
He said: If Theresa May is hoping that her MPs will return to Westminster having been persuaded by their constituency associations to back her Brexit deal, shes going to be disappointed.
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It appears that those members are in no mood for compromise.
Moreover, the Tory rank and file, it seems, are convinced that no deal is better than Mays deal.
He suggested there were two specific issues behind the opposition to Mrs Mays deal, the first being the Irish backstop.
Tory members have become convinced that the Irish backstop is a bad idea, he said, citing that 40% think it is a reason in itself to reject a deal, and 21% think it is irrelevant because Mrs Mays deal is a bad one anyway.
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Nearly half (48%) of Tory members think Mrs May is doing fairly badly or very badly as Prime Minister, and 44% think she should quit if Parliament votes to reject her deal.
In short, Mrs May has failed not only to convince the country, and quite probably Parliament, that her Brexit deal is a good one, she has also failed to convince the party faithful,” Professor Bale said.
If anything, grassroots Tories are even less impressed than Tory MPs.
If some of those MPs can be persuaded to back the Prime Ministers deal, it wont be because theyve come under pressure to do so from their local party members over the Christmas break.
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