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 is the 10^th Tory MP 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.

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.