ANDOVER’S MP has backed his mayoral colleague to ‘do what he did for London for the whole of Britain’ if he wins the Conservative leadership contest.

Kit Malthouse is backing Boris Johnson to be the new leader of the Conservative party and therefore the country’s next prime minister.

The North West Hampshire MP worked in Mr Johnson’s cabinet when the leadership frontrunner was major of London from 2008 to 2016 and says the former mayor’s record in the capital is the main reason he will be supporting him.

“I will be backing Boris,” said Mr Malthouse.

“I worked with him when he was mayor of London and I saw the leadership he showed, the team he built, and the policies we delivered first-hand; tackling poverty, cutting crime — particularly knife crime, building the homes people need and delivering a cleaner, greener city.

“What he did for London he can do for the whole of Britain.”

Conservative party members will choose between Mr Johnson and Jeremy Hunt to become their new leader, with the winner to become the next prime minster after Theresa May stepped down on June 7.

Mr Malthouse had previously entered his name into the leadership race on May 28, but seven days later

withdrew

, noting “there is an appetite for this contest to be over quickly and for the nation to have a new leader in place as soon as possible.”

The winner of the contest is set to be announced on July 23.