Tory Former Minister Accuses Own Party Of "Fatalistic Attitude" To Younger Voters

Conservative MP and former Home Office minister Robert Jenrick has accused his party of having a "fatalistic attitude" towards young people and suggested that they should attempt to follow the example of similar parties in Europe and North America where they have done better in courting younger voters.

Jenrick, who has held a number of ministerial positions over the last few years, including as housing secretary, health minister, and immigration minister, addressed a room of young Conservatives at a Westminster event hosted by the grassroots Next Gen Tories group.

The former minister has been subject to speculation over whether he might make a bid for the Tory leadership after the next general election. Having resigned as immigration minister in December in protest against the government's emergency Rwanda legislation, which he argued "does not go far enough", Jenrick has said the government needs to do more to prove it will do "whatever it takes" to stop small boat crossings. He has also been a long-time advocate for housing reform.

When he was elected in a by-election in 2014 aged 32, Jenrick was the second youngest Conservative MP after Chloe Smith. The MP told the event on Tuesday night that 10 years later, he wanted to make the case for the future of the party that it should prioritise inspiring younger voters.

YouGov polling in January showed that only 10 per cent of voters under the age of 50 intend to vote Conservative in the next general election, expected by the end of this year. This included just 4 per cent of those aged between 18 and 24 and 12 per cent of 25- to 49-year-olds.

"The polling is terrible amongst young people, but not just even young people, people under the age of 50... we have to change that,"