The UK’s youngest MP Sam Carling has revealed that he will work in parliament to improve the lot of renters following his shock victory in the General Election.

The 22-year-old is now MP for North West Cambridgeshire after beating long-time Tory incumbent Shailesh Vara by 39 votes in what used to be a solid ‘safe seat’ for the party.

Carling has made headlines following his win largely due to his age – much to his frustration – and batted back questions during a BBC TV interview that asked whether someone of his age had the life experience to be an MP.

He revealed that he had been renting in secure housing within the private rented sector “for quite a while now” while working as a local councillor, saying that affordable housing was a key issue he was interested in, adding how “that’s an issue facing not just young people but all across the age spectrum”.

“It’s something I intend to do a lot of work on now that I’m in parliament,” he said, although his website and social media output during the campaign didn't mention the topic.

Affordable

During his campaign in North West Cambridgeshire, which is largely rural but includes parts of suburban Peterborough, he said more homes needed to be built and in particular affordable ones.

Carling grew up in a economically depressed NE of England town before attending Bamburgh Castle school as a boarder later winning a place at Cambridge University in 2020 to study nanotechnology. He then became a local councillor in Cambridge and recently completed his first stint representing the ward of West Chesterton.

Over the weekend Labour revealed its housing team, who Carling will no doubt be talking to. They are Angela Rayner as housing secretary and Matthew Pennycook as housing minister.