Labour HQ says a 1900 sample of almost 65,000 responses from party members has shown 75 per cent say they are opposed to extending air strikes to Syria. 

This could prove crucial in determining whether or not Jeremy Corbyn whips his front and backbenches against the UK Government's parliamentary motion, now being drafted, on bombing Islamic State in Syria.

Frontbencher Diane Abbott, his close ally, has urged her leader to order Labour MPs to oppose airstrikes, suggesting that if he did, then David Cameron would stand back from holding a vote.  She said the grassroots were looking to him "to show leadership".

But other colleagues are urging a free vote, warning that to do otherwise would spark a mass of resignations; most Shadow Cabinet members are believed to be in favour of airstrikes.

The party said there were 107,875 responses, of which 64,771 were confirmed as full individual Labour members.  The remainder included affiliated supporters and registered supporters. 

Random sampling, of full individual Labour Party members who responded to the email, showed: 75 per cent were against extending airstrikes, 13 per cent were in favour and 11 per cent were undecided.