The Tories have been criticised over a lack of diversity among their Parliamentary candidates - as nearly three quarters of them are men.
Of those hoping to join Theresa May’s team on Friday, the majority are white males and more than a fifth went to private school - compared to just 7% of the population as a whole.
Labour said the Tories’ selection of candidates ‘stands in stark contrast’ to the demographics of UK voters.
A full analysis of the Conservatives’ 639 candidates shows:
- 28% are women.
- Over a fight (22%) were privately educated.
- 17% went to Oxbridge (compared to just 1% of the general population).
- A tenth have previously worked in the financial services industry.
- About 15%have previously worked as Conservative Party staff or for Tory politicians.
Theresa May has previously said her party needs to ‘show a different face’ to voters and improve diversity among candidates.
Speaking at the Conservative Party conference in 2014, when she was Home Secretary, the PM said: “It’s really important we have good women coming forward in the party and we show that different face of the party, the different experience, a greater diversity of people in the House of Commons, able to actually show people that the Conservative Party is the party that understands their issues, that understands the things that really matter to them, because we’ve got the people who are going though the same experiences, who know what it’s like, who can relate to them.”
Jon Trickett, shadow cabinet office minister for Labour - which has put forward female candidates in just over 40% of the constituencies it’s contesting - said: “The Tories haven’t changed. Theresa May’s supposed team remains a boy’s club of privileged individuals, all cut from the same Tory mould that has been producing candidates for decades.
“How can the Tories expect to unify our country, and represent the interests of the British people, when the party’s make-up stands in such stark contrast to the wonderful and diverse make-up of our society.
“The Tories are the party for a privileged few. Only Labour will stand up for the many.”