James Cleverly Declares Bid for Tory Leadership

Then-Home Secretary James Cleverly arriving in Downing Street for a Cabinet meeting in London on May 14, 2024. (Lucy North/PA)

Shadow home secretary James Cleverly became the first contender to declare his bid for the Tory leadership on Tuesday.

Mr. Cleverly said he believes he could “unite the Conservative Party and overturn [Prime Minister Sir Keir] Starmer’s loveless landslide” as he made his opening pitch.

In a video post on social media platform X shortly before 8 p.m. on Tuesday night, he said he was running to “restore the confidence of the British people in us as a party” and “re-establish our reputation” as a party that “helps grow the economy, helps people achieve their goals, their dreams and their aspirations.”

During morning media rounds on Wednesday, Mr. Cleverly said the Tories need to “expand our base of support.”

However, when asked about a poll indicating nearly half of Conservative members favoured joining forces with Nigel Farage’s Reform UK, Mr. Cleverly said the party “doesn’t do mergers.”

He is likely to face a crowded field in the race to replace former Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, which will formally get underway this evening after weeks of unofficial jockeying for position in the wake of a catastrophic general election result.

Former Home Secretary Suella Braverman, widely perceived as the most right-wing potential candidate, has warned the Tories not to become “a collection of fanatical, irrelevant, centrist cranks.”

However, she has not yet confirmed she is in the race.

Other contenders include shadow communities secretary Kemi Badenoch, former Work and Pensions Secretary Mel Stride, another ex-home secretary in Dame Priti Patel, shadow security minister Tom Tugendhat, and former immigration minister Robert Jenrick.

Nominations for Mr. Sunak’s replacement will officially kick off on Wednesday evening and close on the afternoon of July 29.

To qualify, each candidate will require a proposer, a seconder, and eight nominations.

Once all candidates have been nominated, the parliamentary party will slim down the field to four, who will each make their case at the party conference, which runs from Sept. 29 to Oct. 2 in Birmingham.

The final two will then be put to the party membership in an online ballot, which closes on Oct. 31, and the result will be revealed to the public on Nov. 2.

Bob Blackman, chairman of the 1922 Committee, said he was determined that the leadership debate be “respectful and thorough” and warned against the contest descending into “personal attacks.”

Mr. Sunak, who will remain acting leader until his successor is in place, has said a “smooth and orderly transition” is in the “national interest.”

PA Media contributed to this report.