A FORMER Bolton schoolgirl is set to become the youngest person ever to speak at a Tory party conference.

Jemma Nichols was born into a long line of Conservative activists in Bolton.

The 14-year-old, who was a pupil at The Oaks County Primary School, Sharples, will make a tough speech to the Bournmouth conference next month , when she will urge John Major to get tough on young offenders and drug dealers and spurn a single currency.

Her late grandad is former Bolton councillor and magistrate Jim Lees and her grandma Connie Lees, of Churchill Drive, Great Lever, normally looks after Jemma while her parents attend the conference.

Proud Connie said: "She is in the Young Conservatives but she also has other interests and a social life. "What she wants now is to get her GCSEs, go to university and become a doctor. Maybe a political career will come later.

"She's very, very confident and determined but really she is just a normal school girl - she's just my Jemma."

The pensioner rejects any suggestion that daughter Susan, Jemma's mum, and Lawrence Robertson, Jemma's step-father and a prospective parliamentary candidate for Tewksbury, have forced their political views on her.

Widow Susan met Mr Robertson at Little Lever Conservative Club and she has supported his two previous unsuccessful attempts to win a parliamentary seat.

Mrs Lees said: "Obviously, Jemma has developed an interest in politics because it has always been around her. We talk politics as a family and she has helped deliver leaflets.

"But she is very much her own young woman."

And the doting grandma believes Jemma has the ability to follow in the footsteps of the current youngest conference speaker, William Hague, now Secretary of State for Wales.

"That would be up to Jemma but obviously we would love her to," said delighted Mrs Lees.

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