Theresa May insists to Cabinet she is 'positive and uplifting' in a rebuke to Ruth Davidson's jibe she is 'joyless and hectoring'

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Theresa May insisted to Cabinet she is 'positive and uplifting' in a direct rebuke to Ruth Davidson's jibe she is 'joyless and hectoring', it emerged today.

The Prime Minister made a point of insisting she had made a 'forward looking' speech on science at Jodrell Bank during a meeting of her political cabinet attended by Ms Davidson.

The Scottish Tory leader was not invited to speak during Mrs May's meeting in Downing Street yesterday.

Theresa May insisted to Cabinet she had made a 'positive and uplifting' at Jodrell Bank this week (pictured) in a direct rebuke to Ruth Davidson's jibe she is 'joyless and hectoring'

Ms Davidson made her jibe at a think tank launch on Monday night, urging Mrs May to brighten the party's image if it wanted to win. 

The Times revealed Mrs May then told her colleagues: 'I gave a forward-looking, positive, uplifting speech on science yesterday . . . and the first question from the BBC was on Brexit.'

One source said that it was an 'interesting, if pointed, contribution' following Ms Davidson's jibe.  

The warning - at the launch of a Tory think-tank in parliament - came with the anniversary of Mrs May's disastrous snap election approaching.

It saw the PM stripped of her overall majority after being branded the 'Maybot' during a bungled campaign.

Ruth Davidson (pictured yesterday in Downing Street) made her jibe at a think tank launch on Monday night, urging Mrs May to brighten the party's image if it wanted to win 

Tory strategists have become increasingly alarmed at the party's reliance on older supporters and failure to win over ethnic minorities.

While the Tories have around 125,000 members, Labour has well over 500,000, giving them a crucial advantage in swing seats.

Fewer than one-in-five ethnic minority voters backed the party last June, and just 9 per cent of those aged 25 to 39 said they vote Tory next time round, according to research.

Speaking at the Onward launch in parliament, Ms Davidson said: 'Sometimes as Tories we just look a bit dour.

'We look a bit joyless, a bit authoritarian sometimes. We don't get to win if we start hectoring the people we need to vote for us.'

She added: 'When you do it with a smile, they actually get behind you.'

Ms Davidson is often championed as a future Tory leader, after dramatically reviving the party's fortunes north of the border.

Ms Davidson is often championed as a future Tory leader, after dramatically reviving the party's fortunes north of the border - fuelled by a willingness to have fun on the campaign trail (she is pictured last week with a Royal Artillery gun in Scotland) 

The dozen new MPs in Scottish constituencies was essential for Mrs May to hold on to power after the election.

Ms Davidson's humour and lively style has won her legions of fans, and put Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon on the back foot.

The 39-year-old - often tipped as a possible successor to Theresa May - announced last month that she partner Jen Wilson will be welcoming their baby in the autumn after undergoing IVF.

She posted a photo on Twitter of the couple beaming alongside their cocker spaniel, Wilson, with the message: 'Our little family of three is becoming four...' 

Ms Davidson made clear last night that radical changes were needed to fend off a challenge from the Left.