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Conservative MP Sir James Cleverly has declared his intention to step down from the shadow cabinet in order to pursue the Conservative candidacy for the London mayoral election. In a piece published in *The Times*, he stated, “I am putting myself forward to be the Conservative candidate for mayor of London, because our capital needs more than an administrator.”
Sir James informed Tory leader Kemi Badenoch of his decision to resign from his role as shadow housing secretary, explaining, “I must be free to speak about every aspect of London’s future and concentrate fully on winning this race.” Although the next London mayoral election is not scheduled until May 2028, with current Labour Mayor Sir Sadiq Khan yet to announce whether he will seek a fourth term, the Conservatives have not yet selected their candidate for the contest.
As a senior figure within the Conservative Party, Sir James has held several ministerial roles under three different prime ministers, including positions as home secretary, education secretary, and foreign secretary under former Prime Minister Rishi Sunak. Prior to becoming MP for Braintree in 2015, he served on the London Assembly and was a reservist in the army. He previously contested the leadership of the Conservative Party in 2024 but was defeated by Badenoch. A source close to Badenoch described Cleverly as “a formidable politician” who “will out-campaign Khan,” while another noted that although Badenoch “really didn’t want James to leave shadow cabinet,” she believes “he will be a big asset in London.”
Sir James expressed his vision for the capital, emphasizing the need to restore London’s reputation as “the best place in the world to live, work, invest and build a business.” He accused the Labour administration of having “let down” the city and criticized Prime Minister Andy Burnham, saying that London has been treated as a “cash cow: somewhere to tax, regulate, raid and blame.” He highlighted the importance of affordable housing and reducing burdensome regulations to support entrepreneurs. In the previous mayoral election held in May 2024, Sir Sadiq Khan won decisively, defeating Conservative Susan Hall by over 275,000 votes and gaining 43.8% of the total vote share. Meanwhile, Reform UK has already named its candidate for the 2028 contest, Westminster City councillor Laila Cunningham, prompting Reform UK leader Nigel Farage to declare on social media that the Conservatives are “done for” and imply that Cleverly may be giving up on retaining his parliamentary seat, though Cleverly has not resigned as an MP
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