His party's last prime minister was known as the grey man but colourful young Tory Nicholas Boles is anything but.

While John Major loved warm beer and cricket, Mr Boles prefers clubbing and in-line skating.

With his good looks and 6ft 6in frame, the openly gay company chairman intends to erase the stereotypical Conservative image and breathe fresh life into the party.

Mr Boles, 37, has been chosen as the prospective parliamentary candidate for Hove and will pit his wits against Labour's Ivor Caplin at the next general election.

He said: "People have to look at you and they have to think, 'He sounds like a nice guy and he would be fun to have a pint with'.

"The Tory party in the past has not understood how important it is that people are seen as human and see life in a normal way."

Mr Boles lives in London, where he is chairman of Longwall Holdings, which sells decorating equipment.

More than 100 people applied to be the candidate for Hove and at the final selection meeting Mr Boles beat Brighton and Hove City Council Tory group leader Brian Oxley.

Mr Boles, who is also a director of the Tory thinktank Policy Exchange, intends to throw himself into the Brighton and Hove scene.

He said: "I don't know the clubs in Brighton so I am looking forward to finding out where the best places are to go.

"I particularly like music gigs and I know there is a big music scene in Brighton and Hove."

The Hove seat was true Tory blue until 1997 when Mr Caplin won a shock victory.

Mr Boles said: "Hove is one of those seats we took for granted and we should never have lost it. We will not take it for granted again."