UK (Parliament Politics Magazine) – Tory leader Kemi Badenoch reshuffles party frontbench, bringing back James Cleverly in a major move to renew party unity and counter Labour.
As reported by The Guardian, James Cleverly will rejoin the Conservative frontbench as Kemi Badenoch reshapes her shadow cabinet to strengthen party leadership.
Tory insiders’ views on the frontbench shake-up
A party source said James Cleverly, once home secretary and a contender for party leadership, will return in a key position as part of the reshuffle.
A Tory insider confirmed that shadow health secretary Edward Argar is likely to resign from his role due to personal reasons, with frontbench changes expected today.
The source added,
“The changes reflect the next stage of the party’s policy renewal programme and underline the unity of the party under new leadership. Sir James Cleverly is expected to return in a prominent frontbench role to take the fight to this dreadful Labour government.”
According to an insider, Mel Stride is likely to remain as shadow chancellor, with full reshuffle details expected Tuesday afternoon.
How did Cleverly respond to rumours of replacing Badenoch?
James Cleverly, former foreign secretary, moved to the backbenches after losing the Tory leadership contest in the final round of MPs’ votes. This led to Kemi Badenoch facing Robert Jenrick in the party members’ vote, with Jenrick maintaining a high-profile role as Shadow Justice Secretary.
Last week, he urged the Tories to avoid copying Reform-style populism, warning it could damage the party’s long-term credibility.
He dismissed claims he wanted to replace Ms Badenoch, saying the party must
“get out of this habit of cycling through leaders in the hope that ditching this one and picking a new one will make life easy for us.”
Mr Cleverly had been linked to a potential bid for London mayor but declined to comment on his future ambitions during last week’s speech. He was awarded a knighthood in April last year.
At an IPPR event last week, the senior Tory rejected calls to “smash the system” and “start again from scratch,” calling them “complete nonsense.”
He appeared to diverge from the party leader’s stance on net zero, calling on the Tories to reject climate change “luddites” on the right who insist “the way things are now is just fine.”
Mr Cleverly added,
“We, the Conservative party, must embrace a future where environmental policies encourage investment in new technologies, support the development of new industries, and create the jobs of tomorrow.
What did Labour say about Badenoch’s Shadow Cabinet reshuffle?
A Labour source stated,
“After initially claiming her Shadow Cabinet would be in place until the next election, Kemi Badenoch has already hit the panic button.”
They added,
“The Tory leader can shuffle as many deckchairs as she likes, but it’ll still be the same old faces that were responsible for 14 years of failure. They crashed the economy and ran public services into the ground. The Conservatives haven’t changed. It’s the same old chaos.”
What did the Conservative Party say about James Cleverly’s climate stance?
A Tory party spokesperson stated,
“What James is saying about leaving the environment in a better place is exactly what Kemi said in her speech earlier in the year.”
They added,
“The fact is that James is a backbencher; he’s entitled to his views, but the policy of the Conservative party is that net zero is impossible – it will bankrupt the country and leave us dangerously reliant on countries like China for things like solar panels and heat pumps and car batteries.”
Kemi Badenoch faces backlash over net-zero U-turn
- Broken pledge claims: Chris Skidmore says Badenoch privately backed net zero in 2022 but now breaks that promise.
- Economic U-turn: Critics say her “net zero is impossible” claim contradicts her earlier 2% GDP cost estimate.
- Expert warnings ignored: Lord Deben says Badenoch dismissed advice and risks deterring green investment.
- Tory pushback: James Cleverly urges rejection of “climate luddites” and warns of losing ground to China.
- Record contradictions: Badenoch praised net zero under Johnson but now calls it “arbitrary,” raising trust issues.