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Cleverly quits shadow cabinet
Archived — this story has rotated out of today’s deck. It is kept here in full.
The gist
James Cleverly quit shadow cabinet to run for London mayor. He faces Labour's Sadiq Khan in May 2028.
Background
James Cleverly, a senior Conservative MP and former home and foreign secretary, resigned from the shadow cabinet to run for London mayor. He announced his bid in the Sunday Times, saying he needs to be free to speak about London's future. The next mayoral election is scheduled for May 2028, and Labour incumbent Sadiq Khan has not yet confirmed whether he will seek a fourth term.
How it unfolded
- Sat, 29 Aug 2026James Cleverly announced his resignation from the shadow cabinet and his intention to run for London mayor in an op-ed for the Sunday Times.
- Sun, 30 Aug 2026Cleverly's resignation took effect, and he said he would not seek re-election in his constituency at the next general election.
- Mon, 31 Aug 2026Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch began a reshuffle of the shadow cabinet, with Tom Tugendhat expected to replace Priti Patel as shadow foreign secretary.
Who’s saying what
- Official
- A source close to Badenoch said Cleverly 'is a formidable politician and will out-campaign Khan'.
- Analysts
- The Guardian reported that if Khan steps down, Labour MP Dawn Butler is expected to enter the race.
Still unverified
Speculation that Cleverly's resignation was due to a shift to the right under Badenoch's leadership, which he denied.