THERESA May has begun the process of trying to modernise the Conservative Party following a disastrous General Election campaign with the appointment of a new Chairman and promoting ethnic minority and younger MPs at Tory HQ.

However, one of the promotions, making Maria Caulfield the party’s vice-chair for women, has sparked controversy.

Pro-choice activists condemned the appointment of the Sussex MP because in March she led parliamentary opposition to proposals to decriminalise some later abortions, arguing that any attempts to change the law would bring "unjust and oppressive change" and put women and unborn children at risk.

The British Pregnancy Advisory Service said it was "shocked" by her new role while the Women’s Equality Party said: “For the Conservatives to appoint as vice-chair for women someone who seeks to limit women’s reproductive rights runs counter to the purpose of that role and makes a mockery of this weekend’s briefing that this reshuffle is designed to boost equality.”

Arguably the most significant change in the Prime Minister’s frontline team was the appointment of Brandon Lewis as party Chairman, succeeding Sir Patrick McLoughlin, who had been widely tipped to be axed following the Tories’ election campaign debacle.

Mr Lewis, who moved from his role as Immigration Minister, is well-liked on the backbenches and is expected to make his priority, making the party more attractive to younger voters and upscaling Central Office’s social media strategy.

Mrs May promoted a raft of women, ethnic minority and 2017 intake MPs lower down the ranks at CCHQ in response to the surge in support for Labour among young people.

The moves follow an internal review of the Tories' election performance by former cabinet minister Sir Eric Pickles, which recommended changes to attract more young people and ethnic minority voters to join and support the party.

Among the new appointments, media-friendly mixed race backbencher James Cleverly takes over as Mr Lewis’s deputy.

Kemi Badenoch, the black MP who entered Parliament in June and introduced Mrs May's ill-fated party conference speech in October, becomes vice-chair for candidates.

And there is another place for a 2017 intake MP as Ben Bradley, who is in his late twenties, becomes vice-chair for youth.

Elsewhere, Pakistan-born Rehman Chishti and mixed-race former sport minister Helen Grant become vice-chairs for communities.

Chris Skidmore, Andrew Jones and Marcus Jones gave up junior ministerial positions to take up roles as vice-chairs for policy, business and local government respectively while James Morris becomes vice-chair for training and development.

Announcing his resignation in a letter to Mrs May, Sir Patrick said: "Some important changes have already been made and following the Pickles Review, the party needs to consider how it will go forward.

"We have so much talent right now in the junior ministerial ranks and on the backbenches and I know you need to bring them on to secure the future of our party and the country as a whole."

In response, the PM said: "As party Chairman, my decision to hold a snap general election last year presented a challenge for you, just as it did for every other member of the Conservative Party.

"Like them, you responded with vigour, raising record sums, hitting the streets, and securing the highest vote share since 1983, even if the result was not the one we expected or wanted.

"Since the election, you have overseen important work to learn the lessons of that election - commissioning, with me, Sir Eric Pickles's report, and overseeing the preparation of a business plan which will put the party on a strong footing to fight and win the next general election.

"It is now the right time for a new Chairman who can implement the plan and important changes over the long-term," she added.