Young Tories have lent their support to former prime minister David Cameron after he said the Conservative Party must do more to inspire people.
Mr. Cameron, who is currently writing his memoirs, told the Evening Standard that his party should not focus entirely on economics, but continually modernise and inspire people. However, he ruled out a return to front-line Politics.
Members of Conservative Future, the Tories' youth wing, have spoken out in favour of the former prime minister's comments. Adam Lawless, who joined the Conservatives at the age of 12, said: 'I think the real goal should be about reinvigorating the young Tory spirit.
If this means having youth groups in the party, then that means that.
'Stop them from supporting Corbyn's unrealistic socialist paradise.'
'We need a wider message to get our young Tories out there and be active. I also believe the young are clearly the next generation of voters, so trying to stop them from supporting Corbyn's unrealistic socialist paradise, or at least that way of thinking, is key.'
Some members of the Tory youth wing are less convinced by Mr. Cameron's intervention. Leon Nicholls said: 'He is the reason why the Conservative Party has lost millions of voters to both Labour and UKIP.'
Other CF members were quick to come to the former Tory leader's defence. Liam Pem said: 'I completely agree with Cameron.
I believe the Conservative Party should endeavour to broaden its message to young people like myself.
'We could be bound to a lifetime on the opposition benches.'
'The general consensus from people who attend my school would be that they endorse the policies of Labour: scrapping tuition fees and free sweets. We need to make young people aware that scrapping tuition fees and fixing the NHS can't all be solved by throwing money at it; these things take time.'
Alexander Willis, a young Tory who has written to both Theresa May and Conservative Party Chairman, Patrick McLoughlin, about how the party needs to start changing its tactics by appealing to younger people, said: 'I think David Cameron is absolutely on point.
We could be bound to a lifetime on the opposition benches after the next election.
'It's imperative for the survival of our party. The Conservatives give young people the opportunity to succeed in life, no matter what background, and we need to capitalise on that.'
'David Cameron is not a proper Tory.'
However, Mr. Nicholls insisted the former Tory leader's comments do not matter.
He dubbed the Cameron years as a period in the Conservatives' history all Tories should just walk away from. He added: 'Our die-hard supporters are in UKIP, or worse, nowhere on the radar. Why, one might ask? They are alienated. David Cameron is not a proper Tory. He is a Heseltinian Tory (in reference to former deputy prime minister, Michael Heseltine). That's the huge difference.'
Essex CF campaigner Cameron Winstanley said the Tories need to be more positive and less focused on anti-Corbyn rhetoric.
But active CF activist Ben Walker said the young are not really different to the old. He said the Conservatives should appeal to all sections of the population with good ideas based on integrity, honesty and responsibility.
He added: 'Cameron's "hug a hoodie" b******s was only ever cringey.
'The Tories can do more to appeal to young people. Firstly, they should end the war on drugs by regulating substances better. They could also advocate a nationalist spirit that inspires today's youth. Jacob Rees-Mogg is probably the most popular MP among young people. Housing is the number one priority, as he says. Most people just want a house and a family, not world peace, equality or anything like that.'
Wellow Conservative councillor Harmeet Singh Brar welcomed Cameron's statement, saying the Tories need to work for everyone. He added that his association in Romsey has managed to combat the decline in young members throughout the party.
Despite this, Mr. Nicholls said the former Conservative leader is doing nothing more than 'throwing rocks from the sidelines.'
David Cameron became leader of the Conservative Party in 2005 after beating David Davis to the role. He formed a coalition with the Liberal Democrats after the 2010 General Election due to his failure to achieve a working majority that year. He went on to lead his party to victory in the 2015 General Election. He resigned last year after failing to win the EU Referendum on the Remain side.
