A Tory idea of winning over young people with a Nandos discount card was humiliatingly snubbed by the restaurant chain today.
The bizarre move had been floated by senior Conservatives as part of efforts to broaden the party’s appeal.
Sources suggested members could be offered a discount card for outlets including Nandos as a way to draw people on.
However, the restaurant chain made clear today that it would not agree because it had ‘no political affiliations’.
The restaurant chain made clear today that it would not agree to a discount card because it had ‘no political affiliations’
Fewer than one-in-five ethnic minority voters chose Theresa May’s Conservatives at the last general election. The PM is pictured at the Chelsea Flower Show today
The embarrassing rejection came as a group of up-and-coming Tory MPs warned that the party will be ‘finished for at least a generation’ unless it reaches out beyond core voters.
Strategists have become increasingly alarmed at the party’s growing reliance on older supporters and failure to win over ethnic minorities.
While the Tories have around 125,000 members, Labour has well over 500,000, giving them a crucial advantage in swing seats.
Launching a new think tank called Onward, former No10 advisers Neil O’Brien and Will Tanner said the Conservative party risked ‘forfeiting its political relevance’.
Mr Tanner said: ‘The Conservative Party will not win from its ideological fringes.
‘It can only regain a serious majority by putting forward a positive agenda in the mainstream of public opinion and appealing to as broad a range of people as possible.
‘We need to be the party of both traditional working class voters who are disillusioned with Corbyn’s Labour and the party of younger, metropolitan voters at ease with the modern world.
‘If we don’t, we will forfeit our political relevance and be finished for at least a generation.’
According to the Times, one of the ideas that has been looked at by the party is a members’ discount card for restaurants.
‘The discount card is a very real possibility,’ a senior party source said. ‘These are early discussions: we don’t know how many businesses would want to take part, but we’re keen to give members more in return for their membership.’
However, a message posted on the chain’s Twitter feed said: ‘This is incorrect as we have no political affiliations as a brand and no political discount card exists.’
Senior Tory sources told MailOnline the party had not been formally considering the discount card plan.
Environment Secretary Michael Gove (pictured at a Brexit event today) insisted the party was ‘at its best when it appeals beyond its core vote’
Scottish Conservative leader Ruth Davidson warned at the weekend that the party should embrace a more open and liberal outlook to win the backing of younger voters
Environment Secretary Michael Gove, who is backing the new think-tank, insisted the party was ‘at its best when it appeals beyond its core vote’.
He said: ‘The Conservative Party is at its best when it appeals beyond its core vote and puts forward a reforming, forward-looking agenda that responds to the concerns of the entire nation.
‘At last year’s general election, we proved that our values and policies resonate in places once thought impenetrable Labour strongholds, but we need to go further to convince more people that we understand the need for change.’
Fewer than one-in-five ethnic minority voters chose Theresa May’s Conservatives at the last general election.
Only 9 per cent of people between the age of 25 and 39 said they will back the party next time round, according to research highlighted by the think tank.
Scottish Conservative leader Ruth Davidson warned at the weekend that the party should embrace a more open and liberal outlook to win the backing of younger voters.
Neil O’Brien, Tory MP for Harborough and board member of Onward, said: ‘We are the only party committed to delivering Brexit.
‘We must also be the party which brings bring prosperity to parts of the country that feel left behind, ensures a strong NHS, and takes action to reduce the cost of living.’