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Could James Cleverly return to Tory front bench in shadow cabinet reshuffle?

Could James Cleverly return to Tory front bench in shadow cabinet reshuffle?

ITV News22-07-2025
Sir James Cleverly may be about to return to the Conservative front bench as Kemi Badenoch is expected to announce changes to her shadow cabinet.
The Tory leader is set to announce the shake-up to her senior team on Tuesday afternoon.
Cleverly served as both foreign secretary and home secretary while the Conservatives were in government.
He was previously in the running to lead the party, but lost out on the top job ahead of the final round between Badenoch and her Shadow Justice Secretary, Robert Jenrick.
Since then, Cleverley has made a return to the back benches, serving as MP for Braintree.
A Conservative source told the PA news agency: 'The Leader of the Opposition will be making some changes to her frontbench team today.
'The changes reflect the next stage of the party's policy renewal programme and underline the unity of the party under new leadership.
'Sir James Cleverly is expected to return in a prominent frontbench role to take the fight to this dreadful Labour Government.'
Cleverly has warned against pursuing populist politics akin to Nigel Farage's Reform Party.
While appearing at the Institute For Public Policy Research (IPPR) think tank last week, the former foreign secretary hit back at calls to "smash the system" and "start again from scratch," describing them as complete nonsense.
He also appeared to take a different stance on net zero from the Tory leader, urging the party to reject climate change "luddites" on the right who believe the "way things are now is just fine".
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