Parties are in the grip of ‘fringe opinion’, says Major

FORMER PRIME Minister Sir John Major said the Tory and Labour parties are both being manipulated by fringe opinion as he launched a blistering attack on hardline Conservative Brexiteers.

Sir John branded some members of the Jacob Rees-Mogg-led European Research Group (ERG) as “zealots” who are determining Government policy through intransigence.

Speaking last night at the University of Glasgow’s John Smith Centre for Public Service, the exTory leader said: “Currently, both the Conservative and Labour parties are being manipulated by fringe opinion.

“The rationale for extremists joining mainstream parties is logical: from within them, they can influence policy; from without, they very rarely can. At the moment, there are people who – for now – may have their boots within the Conservative or Labour parties – but not in their minds, nor their hearts.”

Sir John attacked the “more extreme” members of the ERG for having no affinity to tolerant conservatism. The former PM said: “In Parliament, the European Research Group has become a party within a party, with its own whips, its own funding and its own priorities.

“Some of its more extreme members have little or no affinity to moderate, pragmatic and tolerant Conservatism.”

Sir John said Labour had a “different dilemma”, as control of policy is now at “the mercy of a passionate, active, far-Left base rather than the centre-Left.”

The ex-PM said he admired the courage of the seven Labour MPs who quit the party.