North West Hampshire's MP could be about to get a promotion to the cabinet, following reports that the PM is looking to replace the current Home Secretary.

Following the release of a bullying report into Priti Patel, which found that some of her behaviour was “in breach of the Ministerial Code,” Boris Johnson has reportedly been looking for a new person for the job.

According to the Sunday Times, Kit Malthouse is the one to fill the Home Secretary’s shoes, having been a long-time ally and colleague of the PM.

Malthouse's constituency covers a large swathe of Hampshire, from Baughurst and Oakley all the way to Shipton Bellinger. 

The pair have previously worked together when Boris Johnson was mayor of London, with Malthouse the deputy mayor for policing and then deputy mayor for business and enterprise. He subsequently was elected MP for North West Hampshire in 2015.

When Johnson became Prime Minister in mid-2019, Malthouse was appointed as Minister for Policing, as well as a Minister of State at the Ministry of Justice.

The potential promotion follows the release of a report into the current Home Secretary, Priti Patel, which found that her actions, including “shouting and swearing” at civil servants amounted to bullying under the Civil Service definition.

Patel subsequently issued an apology, saying: “I am sorry that my behaviour in the past has upset people. It has never been my intention to cause upset to anyone.”

However, she stopped short of resigning, with the PM deciding that she did not breach ministerial rules. As a result, Sir Alex Allan, the report’s author, resigned as the independent adviser on the ministerial code.

While Patel remains Home Secretary for now, there have been reports that during an upcoming reshuffle of the cabinet in 2021, she could be in line to be replaced, with Malthouse currently the favourite.

Kit Malthouse was contacted for comment.