THERESA MAY ordered a total overhaul of the Tories busted war machine with a burst of new blood in key party roles.

The Prime Minister promoted Essex man Brandon Lewis to be new Party Chairman, with black former Army Officer James Cleverly as his deputy.

And Downing Street appointed a further dozen unpaid vice chairs in a bid to shake up the badly under-resourced party HQ, still reeling from last year’s election disaster.

Previously serving as Immigration Minister – where he approved a return to Britain’s much loved blue passports – popular Mr Lewis was hotly tipped for the job.

But his promotion was briefly overshadowed by an embarrassing Twitter gaffe when the party’s official account announced the job had actually gone to Transport boss Chris Grayling.

Mr Lewis took over from veteran minister Sir Patrick McLoughlin, who has taken some blame for the party losing its House of Commons majority in June, and stepped down.

His job will be to spearhead a shakeup of Conservative Campaign Headquarters and stem decline in party membership – suspected to have slumped to just 75,000 paid up members.

Mrs May also appointed 12 MPs from diverse ethnic backgrounds and the 2017 intake MPs in a bid to see of a surge in support for Labour among young people.

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

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

But she also used the positions to soften the blow of sacking Junior minister Chris Skidmore, Andrew Jones and Marcus Jones.
Ms Badenoch said “there are always challenges ahead, but we are up for it.”

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