Conservatives: Aliens

The Conservative Party cannot win a majority unless it wins around young people by “shouting from the rooftops” about liberal policies like gay marriage, a Tory minister has said.

Nick Boles, an ally of David Cameron, said that the Conservatives will struggle to win a Commons majority because “a significant number of people will not even contemplate voting Conservative”.

Because the Conservative Party image still repels many voters, the party should consider running candidates under a new National Liberal banner, Mr Boles said.

The minister was a strong supporter of Mr Cameron’s attempts to modernise the image of the Conservative Party and reach out to new voters. His comments reflect concern among senior Tories that the modernisation project has stalled in recent years.

Speaking to the Bright Blue Tory think tank, Mr Boles said that young voters will only back the Conservatives if they highlight their socially liberal policies including allowing gay marriage.

“The Conservative Party will only win office on its own when it has established beyond doubt its commitment to the advance of freedom and found the courage to stake its claim as the party that all liberals should vote for," he said.

“This new group of voters represents a fantastic opportunity for our party. But we have no hope of securing their support if we approach them with the same proposition that we use to woo our stalwart supporters.” 

Mr Boles said that the Conservatives should campaign among young voters by emphasising policies like gay marriage, free schools and tax cuts for low earners.

“We should not shy away from those achievements but shout them from the rooftops. They should make us proud,” he said. “Having taken the pain, not to be proud of them is completely pointless.”

Daily Telegraph.

How MPs voted then and now...

PS Alex Massie in The Spectator replies - with links to what various other right-wing types think.

"Nick thinks being a bit wary of gay marriage and opposing immigration is toxic' to voters. That can only mean one thing to me.

"He’s never, actually, met a voter in his life."

Rod Liddle, The Sun. 

His point is most voters "couldn’t give a monkey’s one way or the other".
Sort of.