Party ‘will vanish’ if it doesn’t appeal to the young

THREE senior Tories in their 40s brandished their youth appeal yesterday as they pitched to be the ‘next generation’ leader to succeed Theresa May.

Health Secretary Matt Hancock, 40, International Development Secretary Penny Mordaunt, 46, and Foreign Affairs committee chairman Tom Tugendhat, 45, are all expected to run for PM when Theresa May steps down.

All three have endorsed a report which warned the Conservative Party faces an ‘existential’ crisis unless it appeals to the young.

The report by think-tank Onward found the ‘tipping point’ at which voters are more likely to vote Conservative is now 51, up from 47 at the last election.

Speaking at the report’s launch in Westminster, Mr Hancock warned Tory voters are getting older and back the party ‘when they get their first Winter Fuel Allowance’ – not when they ‘get their first pay cheque’.

Mr Hancock, a former Bank of England economist, yesterday set out the case for ‘Caring Conservatism’, saying: ‘ Enough about being just comfortable with modern Britain,

‘We are facing an existential crisis’

we need to be champions of modern Britain. We need to champion a Britain that is positive and optimistic and gregarious and outwardfacing and community-building and inclusive, and perhaps above all, caring.’

Previously seen as a rank outsider, Mr Hancock’s odds of winning have shortened markedly in recent weeks.

A former chief of staff to George Osborne, he won the West Suffolk seat in 2010 and has been a minister since 2013.

Mr Tugendhat, a former intelligence officer in the British Army, told the event the next leader should be someone under 50.

Calling for more focus on technical education and cheaper childcare, Mr Tugendhat said: ‘We need to look like the people who people want to associate with. And if we don’t get that right we will be in real trouble.’

Miss Mordaunt said Onward’s report was a ‘kick up the a***’ for the Tories. The MP for Portsmouth North worked in business and public relations before entering Parliament and rising up the ministerial ranks.

The ‘ Generation Why’ report, based on polling by Hanbury Strategy, found 16 per cent of under-35s would vote Conservative. Just 17 per cent of Tory voters are under 45, and only 4 per cent under 25.

Henry Deedes - Page 26