A Conservative MP has admitted they cannot remember a single "real announcement" made this week at the party's annual conference.

Ben Bradley, an outspoken member of the newer intake, criticised the announcements put out by the Tories in their biggest political set-piece of the calendar year.

He added it was "frustrating" that the party had made it "very difficult to build a narrative around a story from conference that is positive and inspirational for young people".

The comments will come as a blow to Prime Minister Theresa May, who hoped the four-day event in Birmingham would bring Conservatives together after fractious rows over Brexit.

Mr Bradley was promoted quickly after being elected to parliament, being appointed by Mrs May as the party's vice-chair for youth.


But he quit the role after just seven months as part of a wave of ministerial resignations over the Chequers proposal.

Image: Theresa May is trying to heal division in the party

He was dogged by controversy after a series of online posts were uncovered, where he suggested unemployed people should have vasectomies and called for police to play "splat the chav".

Speaking at a fringe event on convincing young people to vote Conservative, Mr Bradley was asked if he could name any "real announcements" from the conference.

Shaking his head, he replied: "None."

The Mansfield MP went on to complain about the Conservatives' main conference slogan, which is plastered all over the walls at this year's event: opportunity.

Image: The theme of this year's Conservative conference is opportunity

"I think opportunity is the right word, but we're guilty as ever as a Conservative party of just repeating a word that means something to people," he told the IPPR event.

"It means something but it doesn't.

"We have to be relatable and we have to be genuine that's what [Labour leader Jeremy] Corbyn is, whether you agree with him or not.

"He is relatable and he believes what he says - we just repeat lines too often."

Image: Mr Bradley praised Jeremy Corbyn for being 'genuine'

Clarifying his comments to Sky News later, Mr Bradley said: "The challenge is we've not used the conference to put across a set of positive policies as [the event chair] laid out.

"And actually that means that it's very difficult to build a narrative around a story from conference that is positive and inspirational for young people - so frustrating.

"I think opportunity is the right word, I said that, but you've got to explain that and have a set of policies that work."

Among the announcements from this week's event are a vow from Theresa May to crack down on low-skilled immigration, targeting middle-class drug users and £240m extra pledged for the social care system to ease pressure on the NHS this winter.