Kit Malthouse selected to stand as MP in safe seat once tipped for Boris Johnson

 
Kit Malthouse: will take over the Tory North West Hampshire seat from Sir George Young.

Boris Johnson's own deputy has bagged the super-safe Tory North West Hampshire seat that was long tipped to be lined up for the Mayor’s return to Westminster politics.

Kit Malthouse, Deputy Mayor of London for business and enterprise, takes over a 18,500 majority from retiring grandee Sir George Young.

His selection last night by an overwhelming vote raises intriguing questions, not least over where Mr Johnson may quietly be planning to stand as an MP in 2015.

The latest flurry of speculation — including rumours that Mr Johnson might stand for Hertsmere, whose sitting MP James Clappison announced he is retiring last night — was dismissed by friends, who say the Mayor is keen to run for a London seat if he can.

Westminster gossips suggest Uxbridge and South Ruislip, or Hornchurch and Upminster are possible options.

Dame Angela Watkinson, 72, looks close to retirement in Hornchurch and Upminster. But John Randall, MP for Uxbridge and South Ruislip, has been reselected and denies any intention of retiring.

Most of the safe Tory London seats, such as Croydon South, have been snapped up.

Sir Malcolm Rifkind at Kensington and Chelsea and John Howell at Henley are also hoping to stay put.

Mr Malthouse, 47, is expected to hand over his deputy mayoral duties before the general election, forcing Mr Johnson to find a new heavyweight for the City Hall team.

“I’m slightly in shock,” said the Liverpool-raised father-of-two, whose wife Juliana is Canadian. “I’m very happy, it is a wonderful place which, like London, has a growing population and important small businesses.”

As MP, he said he would campaign for small business support and for measures to protect children from cruelty and corrupting internet sites.

“I have had the pain and pleasure of running a small business myself for 20 years so I understand their needs,” Mr Malthouse added.

An official spokesman for Mr Johnson said: “The Mayor is absolutely delighted at Kit’s selection.

“Over five years Kit has driven the Mayor’s agenda on policing a crime, and on business and enterprise, with great success. The Mayor believes he will make an exceptional MP.”

The selection rules Mr Malthouse out as a potential Tory mayoral candidate in 2016, leaving the Tories searching for a big name after rebuffs from Olympics supremo Lord Coe and businesswoman Karren Brady.

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