The Conservatives have been "complacent" in the face of political competition, party chairman Theresa May has acknowledged.

Mrs May said the party had allowed itself to be "outflanked" by the Liberal Democrats.

She was talking to the annual conference of the Conservative Future group, the party's youth wing.

It was as if we expected the country to be forever grateful for the reforms of the 1980s

Theresa May

At the meeting in Bath on Saturday, Mrs May appealed to the party's younger members to help reform its image.

She told delegates: "Part of our recent problem has been a certain complacency throughout the party.

"It was as if we expected the country to be forever grateful for the reforms of the 1980s: as if it was only a matter of time until the public realised the error of their ways and turned to us again.

"I'm sure I don't need to tell you that that view is simply wrong."

Inclusive

She added that the party had allowed itself to be over-taken by "our opponents".

"The Liberal Democrats in particular have increased their support simply by virtue of campaigning better locally than we do," she added.

"Now it's time for us to go after them as we never have before."

Mrs May told the conference that the party had to be more inclusive, and representative of all areas of the community.

"If we want to be the party of the vulnerable, we have to include them in our ranks," she went on.

"If we want to be the party of public services, we have to attract public servants to our midst.

"If we want to be the party of Britain, we have to represent Britain in our party.

"That means representing the old and the young, the male and the female, the black and the white, and making no distinction between the two."