THE MAN aiming to follow in the footsteps of Sir George Young to become the new North West Hampshire MP has resigned from his position as Deputy Mayor of London.

As previously reported by The Gazette, Kit Malthouse has been selected as the Conservative candidate in the battle to win the North West Hampshire seat at the General Election on May 7.

The father-of-three was selected by the party after current MP, Sir George Young, announced that he would be standing down at this year’s General Election, in December 2013.

Mr Malthouse will be up against Labour hopeful Andrew Adams, UKIP contender Diane James and Liberal Democrats candidate Alex Paynton.

But Mr Malthouse has now announced that he has resigned from his position as the Deputy Mayor of London responsible for Business and Enterprise to allow him to spend more time in the North West Hampshire constituency.

The 48-year-old was first elected to the London Assembly in May 2008, where he was appointed as Deputy Mayor for Policing, and following his re-election in 2012, London Mayor Boris Johnson appointed him as the Deputy Mayor for Business and Enterprise.

In a statement posted on the North West Hampshire Conservatives Association website on February 6, Kit said: “As I pledged when I was selected as the Conservative candidate for North West Hampshire, this week I tendered my resignation as Deputy Mayor for Business & Enterprise to Boris Johnson, the Mayor of London.

“After seven years as part of his leadership team, the time has come for me to concentrate all my efforts on my candidacy in the General Election.

“I enter the race for North West Hants with what I believe is a solid record of achievement in two particularly difficult areas, policing and the economy.”

He added: “In both of my positions at City Hall, I learned a great deal, experience that I am now keen to bring to bear in the service of the people of North West Hampshire.”