Theresa May told the Conservative conference yesterday that Tories had become branded the "nasty party".

Rejecting a traditional rallying cry, the Conservative chairman opted for tough-talking, telling delegates that "there's a way to go before we can return to government".

"There's a lot we need to do in this party of ours. Our base is too narrow and so, occasionally, are our sympathies, You know what some people call us: the nasty party," she said.

Alongside a photo splash of May's leopard skin shoes, the Telegraph runs the banner headline, "A stiletto in the Tories' heart".

The recently appointed party boss went on to denounce figures from the past whose misdemeanours have hit the headlines.

"In recent years a number of politicians have behaved disgracefully and then compounded their offences by trying to evade responsibility. We all know who they are. Let's face it, some of them have stood on this platform," she said.

May also hit out at the party's failure to recruit more female candidates and recruits from ethnic minorities.

She argued: "At the last general election 38 new Tory MPs were elected. Of that total only one was a woman and none was from an ethnic minority. Is that fair? Is one half of the population entitled to only one place out of 38?"