The Conservatives were embroiled in another policy shambles yesterday as new polling revealed the gulf between David Cameron’s views and those of many of his fellow Tory MPs.

Hugo Swire, the Shadow Culture Secretary, denied that the party would reintroduce admission fees to museums and galleries after being quoted as saying that they “should have the right to charge if they wish to”.

He told The Mail on Sunday: “They could use the money to make their facilities even better and could have special arrangements allowing continued free access for children, students and others.” His remarks drew heavy fire from Tessa Jowell, the Culture Secretary, who said that the number of people visiting museums and galleries had increased sharply since entry fees were scrapped in 2001.

An aide to Mr Swire, who was educated at Eton and is a former auctioneer at Sotheby’s, said that he was setting out previous policy. “It is not our policy to bring back admission fees to museums and galleries and we are committed to the principle of free admission,” Mr Swire said in a statement.

The controversy threatens to derail attempts by Mr Cameron to re-energise his party after a demoralising spat over grammar schools. The row over selective education brought to the fore tensions between the party’s leadership and MPs and activists on the Right. David Davis, the Shadow Home Secretary, regarded by some as a champion of the grassroots, was said to be among Shadow Cabinet critics of the attack on the 11-plus.

Mr Davis, however, insisted at the weekend that Mr Cameron was not seeking to be an “heir to Blair”, in what appeared to be a concerted attempt to calm internal fears.

The Tory leader will himself address MPs, candidates and activists in South London today before a stream of announcements from the party’s policy review groups over the next few weeks.

Speaking at the same event, George Osborne, the Shadow Chancellor, is expected to say that the Tories must be relentlessly positive if they are to win the next election.

“We have to show that social responsibility is not a slogan but a way of governing. We have to show that we have real answers to the problems of social breakdown, poor public services and a deteriorating quality of life.”

The extent to which Mr Cameron has failed to persuade a large number of Conservative backbenchers to accept his liberal views on morality and race is, however, revealed by a new survey by Populus of the attitudes of MPs.

The survey, undertaken from May 9 to June 1, shows that Tory MPs disagree far more sharply than Labour members, and, on key social issues, many disagree with their own leadership.

Fewer than half of Tory MPs (46 per cent) agree with Mr Cameron that gay couples should have exactly the same rights as heterosexual couples, with 54 per cent disagreeing. By contrast, 83 per cent of Labour MPs agree

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