Abstract
This paper charts the evolution of the dividing line within the parliamentary Conservative Party (PCP) over European policy. Using datasets of opinion amongst their parliamentarians since 1992 - based on extensive and long-standing research on their voting behaviour and public statements - the paper tracks the numeric strength of the different factions. In doing so, the paper notes how the dividing line over European policy reconfigured over time, from Europhiles versus Eurosceptics; to soft versus hard variants of Euroscepticism; to remainers versus leavers; and then a three-way division between soft and hard Brexiteers and Bremainers. The paper then places these debates within their wider context, noting the centrality of positioning on the European divide to leadership selection within the Conservative Party.
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