THE “nasty party” is getting a facelift. The number of women and gay Tory MPs is set to increase threefold at the general election.

David Cameron’s “class of 2010” is also expected to see four times as many members of ethnic minorities taking up seats on the Conservative benches of the Commons under current polling trends.

The new Tory intake could include a single mother and former Greenpeace activist, a trade union official and a university lecturer who could become the party’s first female Muslim MP.

The backgrounds of most of Cameron’s candidates suggest the Tories are rapidly leaving behind

the nasty party tag once mocked

by Theresa May, the shadow work and pensions secretary. The new batch have vowed to clean up

politics in the wake of the expenses scandal.

An analysis of the marginal seats the Tories are likely to take if they win the next election reveals that 37 new women MPs will enter parliament — compared with just 18 now — as well as six new gay and seven new black and Asian MPs. There are just three openly gay and two ethnic minority Tory MPs at the moment.

Half the new Tory MPs are also likely to be aged 40 or under. However, more than 50% of the Tory hopefuls — most of whom were selected before May when Cameron called for outsiders to stand — have previously contested national polls.

Since the Tory leader’s plea, dozens of would-be MPs have put their names forward for safe seats that have become vacant following the expenses row.

The analysis is based on projections by Colin Rallings and Michael Thrasher, the electoral experts. With polls predicting the Tories will get 42% of the vote and factoring in boundary changes, the party’s seats would rise from 195 to 371.

Last night Phillip Lee, a general practitioner, won an open primary to be the Tory candidate for Bracknell, Berkshire. He beat six challengers including Iain Dale, a prominent blogger, and Rory Stewart, a former diplomat who once taught princes William and Harry.

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