Sir James Cleverly has stormed back onto the Conservative front bench in a dramatic reshuffle that puts him head-to-head with Labour’s Angela Rayner — and signals a renewed Tory assault on Keir Starmer’s government.
The former foreign and home secretary has been appointed shadow housing, communities and local government secretary, according to The Telegraph, as Kemi Badenoch retools her top team amid growing unrest on the Right and dire poll numbers.
A senior Conservative source confirmed the appointment Tuesday, saying Sir James will “take the fight to Labour”, as he replaces Kevin Hollinrake in the influential brief.
‘The Comeback King’
Sir James, who served with distinction in Boris Johnson and Rishi Sunak’s cabinets, had returned to the backbenches following his failed bid for the Tory leadership last year, when he was eliminated ahead of the final showdown between Kemi Badenoch and Robert Jenrick.
Since then, the MP for Braintree has been a powerful voice on the backbenches, cautioning against the lure of populism and urging the Conservatives to steer clear of mimicking Nigel Farage’s Reform UK.
But his reappointment, just weeks after apparent disagreements with Badenoch over both the European Convention on Human Rights and net zero, has sent tongues wagging in Westminster.
In a pointed intervention earlier this month, Sir James said that other European countries who are signatories to the ECHR were “much better at deporting criminals” than Britain — a remark widely seen as a challenge to Badenoch’s growing flirtation with quitting the treaty altogether.
He also appeared to diverge from his leader’s environmental stance, urging the Tories to reject climate “luddites” and warning against ditching climate goals just to placate the Right. His remarks stood in stark contrast to Badenoch’s declaration that reaching net zero by 2050 is “impossible”.
Rayner Under Pressure
Sir James now faces off against Angela Rayner, who has faced fierce criticism over her handling of the housing brief since Labour took office.
The Labour deputy leader’s flagship pledge to build 1.5 million homes during this parliament is already floundering. She recently appeared to admit the target was not on track — sparking fury among campaigners and industry groups.
Even more controversially, she has stood by her claim that large swathes of green belt land are “incorrectly designated”, igniting fears among voters that Labour will concrete over the countryside.
On her communities brief, Rayner has also launched a consultation on defining Islamophobia, a move fiercely opposed by the Conservatives, who warn it will threaten free speech.
A Cabinet in Motion
Sir James’s appointment was one of several headline changes in Mrs Badenoch’s mini-reshuffle, designed to sharpen her team ahead of a brutal battle with Reform and Labour in the months to come.
- Kevin Hollinrake, the outgoing housing spokesman, was moved to Tory chairman, replacing Nigel Huddleston and Lord Johnson.
- Lord Johnson confirmed to GB News he had stepped down from the shadow cabinet.
- Stuart Andrew, previously shadow culture secretary, was promoted to shadow health secretary, after Edward Argar stood down due to health concerns.
In a heartfelt letter, Mr Argar wrote: “I have been well looked after, but have also listened to what the doctors said to me, and have listened to my family, and have concluded that lightening my front bench workload… is the sensible approach.”
Mrs Badenoch paid tribute to his “tireless work” and credited him with rebuilding public trust in the Tories on health policy.
Meanwhile, Mr Huddleston has been redeployed to his old stomping ground as shadow culture secretary, having previously held the post during the pandemic.
Poll Panic and Reform Fears
The reshuffle comes against a dire backdrop for the Conservatives, with the party still trailing Labour by five points — and, more alarmingly, Reform UK leading by ten.
Critics of Badenoch have accused her of being too slow to act, with one insider griping that she’s been “nowhere near public-facing enough to take on Farage”.
After a bruising set of local elections in May, Badenoch admitted the “political climate has changed” and vowed to be more assertive in her leadership — a pledge that seems to be playing out with this shake-up.
A spokesman had previously insisted her original shadow cabinet would remain in place for the full parliament, but sources now say that “thinking has shifted” following reports of discontent within the Tory ranks.
Sir James’s return is widely seen as a statement of intent: a heavyweight brought back to challenge Labour’s star player and provide ballast to a team still finding its feet.
One senior figure put it bluntly: “Cleverly knows how to land a punch — and Rayner had better watch out.”
Main Image: James Cleverly. Picture by Ravi Soodi / Home Office. CC BY 2.0 DEED
The remoaners never give up. Ben Bradshaw, Caroline Lucas and Alyn Smith took a case to the ECHR to try to force the government to investigate if there was Russian interference in the brexit vote. Luckily the court decided against them and they lost the case. See Guardian article