Cleverly quits shadow cabinet to bid for London mayor
Former UK home and foreign secretary James Cleverly has resigned from the Conservative shadow cabinet to run for mayor of London, aiming to become the party's candidate for the 2028 race against incumbent Sadiq Khan.
Conservative MP James Cleverly has stepped down from his shadow cabinet role covering housing, communities and local government to pursue a bid to become mayor of London. He confirmed the decision to the Sunday Times, saying it would take effect immediately.
Cleverly, who previously served as both home secretary and foreign secretary and who lost the Conservative leadership contest to Kemi Badenoch, is widely viewed as one of the more moderate figures in a party that has shifted rightward. He said Badenoch had taken the news well and had been gracious about his decision.
Explaining his move, Cleverly argued that Conservative success in London is essential to the party's broader ambitions of returning to government, pointing to the capital's importance as a hub for business, entrepreneurship, arts and culture. He rejected the notion that London is inherently a Labour stronghold.
His resignation comes ahead of the Conservative party conference in October, where he intends to make his case to party members for the nomination. Sources close to Badenoch reportedly said she was disappointed to lose him from the shadow cabinet but pleased that a politician of his standing wants to represent the party in the mayoral race.
Criticism of the incumbent
Current mayor Sadiq Khan is midway through his third term and has yet to say whether he will seek a fourth in the election scheduled for May 2028. The Conservatives' 2024 candidate, Susan Hall, lost to Khan, who won with 43.8% of the vote.
Cleverly criticised Khan, saying he had been "asleep at the wheel" and had used the mayoralty as a platform to seek higher office, citing frequent clashes with the US president and insufficient focus on tackling street crime. He suggested it would not be surprising if Khan chose not to run again in 2028.
Should Khan step aside, Labour MP Dawn Butler is expected to seek the nomination, having previously expressed interest in the role. Before leaving office, former prime minister Keir Starmer granted Khan a peerage, which could open a path to a future cabinet role under Andy Burnham, though Khan has reportedly told Burnham he has no interest in becoming a minister.
