THE scale of the task the Conservative Party faces in winning over young voters has been laid bare by a new report, which says fewer than four per cent of under-25-year olds would vote Tory.
The level of Conservative voters aged under 45 is just 17 per cent.
The figures have led to a string of potential successors to Theresa May to insist that garnering younger voters at the next General Election is a top priority.
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According to the online poll of 10,000 people conducted last November for the centre-right think-tank Onward, only 16 per cent of under-35s said they would currently vote for the Tories.
In another stark illustration of the electoral mountain the Conservatives have to climb, the study found that the “tipping point” age at which voters turn from Labour to Tory has risen from 34 before the Prime Minister took office in No 10 to 47 at the 2017 General Election to 51 now.
Onward's director Will Tanner, a former aide to Mrs May, said: "Everyone is focusing on Brexit but the growing age gap in vote intention is a bigger threat to the Conservative Party's future.
"The only way to regain a majority is to focus on winning over a younger generation of voters; if the Conservatives do not, they risk being pushed to the sidelines, unable to govern.
"But there is hope, with our report showing that there are three million young undecided voters who would consider voting for the party," he added.
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The think-tank set out a series of policies aimed at rejuvenating the centre-right, including keeping taxes low, punishing rogue companies, controlling immigration, winning votes from ethnic minority groups and protecting the environment.
Michael Gove, the Environment Secretary, said: "It's clear that young people want to see Government taking action on the environment. That's why at Defra we are working to improve air quality in the most polluted areas, tackling the scourge of harmful single-use plastics and leading the way in protecting the world's oceans and precious marine life.
"These are policies which everyone can get behind as we seek to leave the environment in a better state for future generations."
Matt Hancock, the Health Secretary, said: "We need to be a party that isn't just comfortable with modern Britain but champions modern Britain. The alternative is Jeremy Corbyn and the Labour Party in No 10 with the catastrophic consequences for our security and people's livelihoods that would bring."
Jeremy Hunt, the Foreign Secretary, said: "It's up to us to demonstrate our priorities are connected with the lives of young people today."
Sajid Javid, the Home Secretary, said: "Unless we can win over younger and ethnic minority voters we cannot achieve a majority at the next election. It's as simple as that."
Penny Mordaunt, the International Development Secretary, said: "The party needs to refocus on winning over younger generations who are turning away from the centre right in unprecedented numbers, especially the many young women who will now not even consider voting Conservative."
Liz Truss, the Treasury Chief Secretary, claimed young people shared Tory values and said: "Far from being commune-dwelling Corbynistas, this research shows young people more in favour of low taxes, enterprise and public service reform than their parents."
Dominic Raab, the former Brexit Secretary, added: "This polling sends a very clear message about the challenge for the Conservatives, but also the opportunity to broaden our appeal amongst young aspirational voters. It is absolutely crucial we grasp it."
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