The Tories paraded two young apprentices at party HQ today as they fought to change the upper class image of David Cameron’s top team.
Party chairman Grant Shapps said the appointments of Jacob Double, 19, and Ruth Barron, 20, were “inspired” by the Evening Standard’s Ladder for London campaign.
But an attempt to paint the Tories as a “Workers Party” was mocked by Labour - and marred by backbenchers complaints at the elitist image of David Cameron’s inner circle.
London Tory MP Robert Halfon said a name change and a low £1 joining fee would “give working people a real reason to join the new Workers’ Party”.
Former Prime Minister John Major was drafted in to make a speech recalling his working class roots in Brixton. Opening the new Tory HQ he told how he “worked during the day, studied at night and joined a political party which would help give me a step up in life, rather than a hand out”.
But Labour shadow minister Jonathan Ashworth jeered: “You can’t pose as the ‘workers’ party’ when you’ve made working people £1,600 worse off while cutting taxes for the wealthiest.”
No 10 were stung last week when a Tory MP told the FT: “There are six people writing the manifesto and five of them went to Eton; the other went to St Paul’s.”
Another, Pauline Latham, protested: “Everything is looked at through the prism of London.”
Senior Tories today denied their 2015 manifesto will promise not to form another coalition with the Liberal Democrats.
The Telegraph said Mr Cameron wanted to give a clearer choice between Tory and Labour rule.
But a senior source said such a public pledge would be a “distraction” from the key message on policies.
As sitting PM Mr Cameron has a constitutional right to seek to govern as a minority government leader if he falls short of victory by a few seats.
Currently polling in the low 30s, the Tories would need to boost their share of the vote closer to 40% to hope to govern alone.
