Housing minister tables bid to become prime minister

Housing minister Kit Malthouse has thrown his hat into the ring for the leadership of the Conservative party – and ultimately to be prime minister.

Malthouse (pictured) is among 11 Tory MPs to table a bid to lead both the party and the country following Theresa May’s announcement last week that she would step down as leader on 7 June.

He was appointed housing minister in July last year, the fourth in May’s premiership, and was behind the Building Better, Building Beautiful Commission which was led by philosopher Roger Scruton until his dismissal in April.

Malthouse, a former deputy mayor of London, has been an MP since 2015.

As housing minister he has lambasted developments that he believes will end up being torn down in only a few years due to being poorly built and has acknowledged the need for the public sector to be empowered to take up the slack to meet the rising demand for housing across the country.

May’s position as leader and prime minister had become increasingly untenable as her efforts to steer her Brexit Withdrawal Agreement foundered on the rocks of opposition from her own MPs as well as those in the Labour party and others at Westminster.

Her plan to return the agreement for parliamentary approval for the fourth time proved to be her undoing.