James Cleverly

Lieutenant Colonel The Right Honourable Sir

James Cleverly

TD VR MP
Official portrait, 2024
Home Secretary
In office
13 November 2023 – 5 July 2024
Prime MinisterRishi Sunak
Preceded bySuella Braverman
Succeeded byYvette Cooper
Foreign Secretary
In office
6 September 2022 – 13 November 2023
Prime Minister
Preceded byLiz Truss
Succeeded byDavid Cameron
Secretary of State for Education
In office
7 July 2022 – 6 September 2022
Prime MinisterBoris Johnson
Preceded byMichelle Donelan
Succeeded byKit Malthouse
Minister without Portfolio
In office
24 July 2019 – 13 February 2020
Prime MinisterBoris Johnson
Preceded byBrandon Lewis
Succeeded byAmanda Milling
Shadow Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government
In office
22 July 2025 – 31 August 2026
LeaderKemi Badenoch
Preceded byKevin Hollinrake
Succeeded byKatie Lam
Shadow Home Secretary
In office
8 July 2024 – 5 November 2024
LeaderRishi Sunak
Preceded byYvette Cooper
Succeeded byChris Philp
Junior ministerial offices
Minister of State for Europe and North America
In office
8 February 2022 – 7 July 2022
Prime MinisterBoris Johnson
Preceded byChris Heaton-Harris
Succeeded byGraham Stuart
Minister of State for Middle East, North Africa and North America
In office
13 February 2020 – 8 February 2022
Prime MinisterBoris Johnson
Preceded byAndrew Murrison
Succeeded byAmanda Milling
Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union
In office
4 April 2019 – 24 July 2019
Prime MinisterTheresa May
Preceded byChris Heaton-Harris
Succeeded byOffice abolished
Party political offices
Chairman of the Conservative Party
In office
24 July 2019 – 13 February 2020
Serving with Ben Elliot
LeaderBoris Johnson
Preceded bySir Brandon Lewis
Succeeded byAmanda Milling
Deputy Chairman of the Conservative Party
In office
8 January 2018 – 4 April 2019
LeaderTheresa May
Preceded byAmanda Sater
Succeeded byHelen Whately
Member of Parliament
for Braintree
Assumed office
7 May 2015
Preceded byBrooks Newmark
Majority3,670 (7.5%)
Leader of the Conservative Party
in the London Assembly
In office
2011–2012
Preceded byRoger Evans
Succeeded byAndrew Boff
Member of the London Assembly
for Bexley and Bromley
In office
4 May 2008 – 5 May 2016
Preceded byBob Neill
Succeeded byGareth Bacon
Personal details
Born
James Spencer Cleverly

(1969-09-04) 4 September 1969 (age 57)
Lewisham, London, England
Political partyConservative
Spouse(s)
Susannah Sparks
​
(m. 2000)​
Children2
EducationColfe's School
Ealing College of Higher Education (BA)
Occupation
SignatureFile:James Cleverly signature.svg
Websitecleverly4braintree.com
Military service
AllegianceUnited Kingdom
Branch/serviceBritish Army (Reserve)
RankLieutenant Colonel
UnitRoyal Artillery
James Cleverly's voice
Cleverly outlines his foreign policy priorities as Foreign Secretary.
Recorded 15 December 2022

James Spencer Cleverly TD, VR, MP (born 4 September 1969) is a British Conservative politician. He is the Member of Parliament (MP) for Braintree since 2015.

Cleverly was the Home Secretary from 2023 until 2024. He was previously the Foreign Secretary from 2022 until 2023. In July 2019, he became Minister without Portfolio and Chairman of the Conservative Party for the Boris Johnson ministry. Cleverly was the Deputy Chairman of the Conservative Party from 2018 to 2019. In 2022, he served as the Secretary of State for Education.

Conservative Party leadership campaigns

On 29 May 2019, Cleverly launched his campaign to become the Leader of the Conservative Party in the 2019 election. On 4 June, he withdrew from the race.

On 23 July 2024, Cleverly announced he was running in the leadership election to be the new Conservative Party leader and Leader of the Opposition. He was eliminated on the fourth ballot of the election on 9 October 2024, despite coming in first place the previous ballot.

2028 London mayoral campaign

On 29 August 2026, he announced his resignation from the shadow cabinet of Kemi Badenoch to run for mayor of London in 2028.

Notes

  1. ↑ As Minister of State for Europe; Cleverly retained responsibility for North America
  2. ↑ As Minister of State for Europe. Rehman Chishti assumed responsibility for North America.
  3. ↑ Jointly with the Department for International Development until September 2020; Middle East and North Africa until December 2021.
  4. ↑ As Minister of State for Asia and the Middle East. The Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon assumed responsibility for North Africa; Cleverly retained responsibility for North America.

References

  1. ↑ "Party Structure and Organisation". Conservatives.com. Archived from the original on 5 October 2016. Retrieved 8 February 2019.
  2. ↑ "Tory leadership contest: James Cleverly joins contenders". BBC News. 29 May 2019. Retrieved 29 May 2019.
  3. ↑ Allegretti, Aubrey. "James Cleverly pulls out of Tory leadership race". Sky News. Retrieved 4 June 2019.
  4. ↑ "James Cleverly running for Conservative leadership". BBC News. Retrieved 23 July 2024.
  5. ↑ "James Cleverly becomes first to enter Tory leadership contest". ITV News. Retrieved 23 July 2024.
  6. ↑ Rogers, Alexandra. "Tory leadership race: James Cleverly knocked out - leaving Robert Jenrick and Kemi Badenoch as final two facing party membership vote". Sky News. Retrieved 2024-10-09.
  7. ↑ Goldsmith, Adam (29 August 2026). "Cleverly quits shadow cabinet to run for London mayor". BBC News. Retrieved 29 August 2026.