Cleverly launches bid for Conservative candidacy

Conservative MP Sir James Cleverly has resigned from the shadow cabinet to run for London mayor, announcing his intention in the Times. "I am putting myself forward to be the Conservative candidate for mayor of London, because our capital needs more than an administrator," he wrote.

Cleverly said he had informed Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch that he is stepping down as shadow housing secretary. "I must be free to speak about every aspect of London's future and concentrate fully on winning this race," he said.

The resignation takes effect immediately, as reported by the Guardian, which noted that it comes ahead of the Conservative party conference in October, where Cleverly is expected to make his case to party members.

Background and experience

Cleverly is a former foreign secretary under former Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and has also served as home secretary and education secretary, according to the BBC. He sat on the London Assembly before being elected MP for Braintree in 2015 and is a member of the Army Reserve.

In 2024, Cleverly ran for the Conservative party leadership but lost to Badenoch. A source close to Badenoch told the BBC that Cleverly "is a formidable politician and will out-campaign Khan." Another source said Badenoch "really didn't want James to leave shadow cabinet" but believed "he will be a big asset in London."

Vision for London

Cleverly wrote that he intends to "make London a city to be proud of again" and that "we must rebuild its reputation and make it, once again, the best place in the world to live, work, invest and build a business."

He argued that the capital has been "let down by Labour" and accused Prime Minister Andy Burnham of treating London as a "cash cow: somewhere to tax, regulate, raid and blame."

"Londoners need homes they can afford to buy or rent," Cleverly said. "Entrepreneurs need to be able to start and grow businesses without being strangled by cost and regulation."

The road to 2028

The London mayoral election is scheduled for May 2028, as confirmed by both the BBC and the Guardian. The current mayor, Labour's Sir Sadiq Khan, is in his third term and has not yet indicated whether he will seek an unprecedented fourth term.