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New Statesman
8 hours ago
- Politics
- New Statesman
James Cleverly's shadow Tory leadership bid heats up
Photo byIs James Cleverly making another bid for the Conservative leadership? That's certainly how his speech at the Conservative Environment Network's Sam Barker Memorial Lecture on Wednesday night, in which he talked about 'rejecting both the Luddite left and the Luddite right', has been interpreted by Tory watchers. 'James Cleverly takes on Kemi Badenoch over decision to ditch net zero targets', read the Guardian headline. The Mail went with 'Kemi Badenoch faces Net Zero revolt as Tory big beast James Cleverly warns her to ignore climate change 'luddites''. The Telegraph, meanwhile, wrote it up as 'Former home secretary directly challenges Kemi Badenoch on net zero'. Cleverly himself has pushed back hard against the suggestion that his speech was in any way a rebuke of the current Tory leader, calling it 'fake news'. In a punchy Twitter thread, he pointed out that he never once mentioned the term 'net zero' in the speech (he also didn't mention Badenoch), and claimed protecting the environment ('like Margaret Thatcher once did') was 'in our economic and security interests'. Indeed, the text of the speech itself was far more about foreign policy (in particular the threat of Chinese dominance and mass migration caused by climate change) than it was about carbon emission targets. But the fractured state of the Conservative party is such that any intervention from a high-profile figure will be read as a tacit (or not so tacit) criticism of Kemi Badenoch's leadership and attempt at positioning to be her successor. That applies to Cleverly's environmental speech just as much as it applies to Robert Jenrick's viral videos on confronting fare-dodgers on the London Underground. It is the latter who has drawn the most attention in the seven months since Badenoch became leader. Partly, this is due to the fact that Jenrick was the runner-up, after a mix-up over vote-swapping meant Cleverly was knocked up before he had the chance to face the membership. Partly it's down to Jenrick's place in the shadow cabinet, whereas Cleverly has taken a break from frontbench politics. And partly it's to do with visibility – once dubbed 'a very ambitious blur' by Andrew Marr, no one watching Jenrick's frenetic activity in opposition has any doubt that he still covets the top job. Jenrick's stance, in the leadership contest and since, has been to shift rightwards and attempt to neutralise Nigel Farage by moving onto Reform's turf. But as the Tory party grapples with having to rebuild from an election calamity that saw it lose hundreds of seats to Labour and the Liberal Democrats, Cleverly's name is increasingly being whispered by moderate Conservatives anxious about both the polls and the Reform-wards tilt. Cleverly's positioning as the 'One Nation' candidate in the 2024 leadership race came as something of a surprise to those close to him. A Brexit-backer first appointed to the role of foreign secretary by Liz Truss, he assumed the role of the moderates' champion almost by default, with both Jenrick and Badenoch running from the right. One friend in the party described his politics as 'to the left of Kemi, but not by much – his heroes are Thatcher and Regan', and called the One Nation label 'grossly simplistic'. Subscribe to The New Statesman today from only £8.99 per month Subscribe But it is true that Cleverly saw himself as a unifier, someone who could bring different strands of the party together after its worst ever defeat and who understood that parties can only win by building a broad coalition of support. Another ally said his pitch to the membership, had he got to that stage, would have been to argue there is more mileage in listening to voters who abandoned the Conservatives over concerns about competence and values rather than chasing people who have found a new home in Reform. At the time, the received consensus was that Tory members always pick the more right-wing candidate of the pair offered to them and would do again. That consensus is the reason Jenrick is the now bookies' favourite, seen as the likeliest successor to Badenoch. But something interesting may be happening to the Conservative membership. Tory members are notoriously hard to poll (we don't even know how many there are), but Reform now claims to have over 200,000. A substantial chunk of these are understood to be former Tories who have quit the party since the 2024 election. That will inevitably have shifted the internal dynamics among those who remain, perhaps to the extent that more moderate members – those repelled by Farage who find Jenrick's talk of some kind of pact with Reform anathema – now hold the majority. A Cleverly candidacy now, I was told by an active member in one local association, would have a much higher chance of success than in autumn 2024. (Others have different perspectives.) The parliamentary party too is more nuanced than current narratives about the Tories' rightwards tilt suggest. In the penultimate round of MP voting, the two candidates coded as more centrist – Cleverly and Tom Tugendhat – received 59 votes together; Jenrick and Badenoch got a combined 61. (On the environmental front, the Conservative climate caucus in parliament boasts 49 MPs.) A former Tory MP referred to the remaining One Nation cohort as the 'sleeping giant' of the Conservative party – a group that, were it to band together, could be a serious force in parliament. It will not have escaped their notice that the Tories are spiralling situation under Badenoch. A poll last month put the Conservatives fourth – below Reform, Labour and the Lib Dems – on a popularity level not seen since 2019 and Theresa May's Brexit deadlock. One Tory insider called the figures 'extinction-level'. Some Conservatives are getting desperate: rumours are swirling of various plots to oust Badenoch, possibly even before her year's grace period as leader is up in November. A Survation poll last week suggested 60 per cent of 2024 Conservative voters thought bringing back Boris Johnson would be better than keeping Badenoch as leader. Against this backdrop, any signs of dissent are being seized upon. Earlier this week, eight Tory MPs (including Father of the House Edward Leigh) wrote to Keir Starmer saying they would support him if the government were to move to recognise a Palestinian state – another move interpreted as an attempt to 'defy' Badenoch. Cleverly gave his Conservative Environment Network speech the following day, and was similarly read as a rebuke. The rumour persists that a coup is just around the corner, and every intervention plays into that narrative. Any hint of a Cleverly revival, however, should be tempered with a few caveats, both personal and political. His wife Susie, who is herself much loved in Conservative circles, came through a difficult battle with an aggressive form of breast cancer two years ago, which would caution anyone considering what's widely considered one of the worst jobs in politics to think twice. 'I'm not sure he's really been able to be in that headspace,' was the assessment of one friend. More generally, while frustration with Badenoch is growing, even her fiercest critics acknowledge that changing leaders yet again would do 'irreparable damage' to the already wounded party and be 'a colossal act of self-harm'. And that's without taking into considering how difficult it is to rebuild so soon after an election. One former MP who lost their seat in July put it bluntly: 'She's doing an impossible job badly.' Even Jenrick, for all his obvious ambition, doesn't want a leadership challenge now. His video efforts are aimed firmly at attacking Labour figures (Keir Starmer, Richard Hermer, Sadiq Khan). Yes they can be viewed obliquely as presenting an alternative pattern for leadership, but it isn't Badenoch in the direct crosshairs. Axing a leader so soon would fuel Labour and Reform narratives that the Tory party is too dysfunctional to be taken seriously, and the new leader – whether Jenrick, Cleverly, or someone else entirely – would be facing the exact same challenges and the same uphill battle. Boris Johnson has in past years likened himself to Cincinnatus, the Roman statesman who 'returned to his plough' after leading the state at a time of crisis and was then called back to assume power a second time. But years before that the then London mayor described his ambition to be PM with the line that 'Obviously, if the ball came loose from the back of a scrum – which it won't – it would be a great, great thing to have a crack at.' A passionate rugby fan himself, this was the comparison made by several people close to Cleverly about his leadership hopes. That doesn't mean that the former home secretary was clueless as to how his speech might be interpreted. One of the major criticisms of Badenoch is not merely the direction in which she seems to be taking the Tories, but the fact this seems to be down to 'drift' as opposed to a conscious and deliberate strategy, leaving the party undefined and chaotic. 'The first stage of surviving is defining yourself,' one centrist Tory put it. They then quoted the line from the musical Les Miserables: 'It is time for us all to decide who we are.' Cleverly's bold defence of a Conservative environmental agenda – one that takes in both economic and national security concerns – should be read, they argued, as a reminder that there is another way of doing leadership, one that isn't afraid of taking stances that come with trade-offs, 'and someone has to be a flag-bearer for it'. Finally, there is the personality issue. While Badenoch's management style veers towards abrasive and her media appearances lack cut-through, Cleverly is respected from all wings of the party as a strong media performer who can bring people together. 'James was pointing out that charismatic leaders are available,' one Tory insider quipped. 'He can't help being likeable and human.' What the speech does reveal is how far perceptions of the Tory party have travelled in a very short space of time. When Badenoch announced the party's U-turn on net zero in March, Sam Hall, director of the Conservative Environment Network, noted the decision 'undermines the significant environmental legacy of successive Conservative governments'. Six years ago Theresa May was signing the UK's net zero commitments into law; three and a half years ago Boris Johnson was championing Britain's climate leadership at the Cop26 summit in Glasgow. Back then, Cleverly's insistence that 'the idea that we must choose between a strong economy and protecting our environment is outdated and wrong' or support of climate commitments as 'defences against energy shocks and geopolitical instability' would not have been considered remotely controversial in Tory circles. Now, it's interpreted as a leadership challenge. And until the situation improves the Conservatives, so will everything else. [See also: Kemi Badenoch is in a hole – and she keeps digging] Related
Spectator
2 days ago
- Politics
- Spectator
What James Cleverly gets wrong about net zero
The Conservatives were nearly wiped out at last July's general election, and the party is currently trailing Nigel Farage's Reform in the polls. You might think then that the handful of remaining 'big beasts' on the Tory benches would decide to try and work together. Instead, a split appears to be emerging in the party over net zero. James Cleverly took a thinly-veiled swipe at Kemi Badenoch's green policy in a speech to the Conservative Environment Network (CEN) last night. In one of her first major policy interventions as leader, Badenoch abandoned the Conservatives' support for the country reaching net zero emissions by 2050. But Cleverly has now argued that the party should not give up on the climate agenda. In his speech, he took aim at what he called 'neo-luddites' on the right who seem scared of using green technologies to protect the environment:
Spectator
2 days ago
- Politics
- Spectator
Cleverly splits from Kemi on climate
Tree-hugging isn't just for the Greens, it seems – as former Tory leadership contender James Cleverly will insist this evening. At a London event tonight, the ex-Foreign Secretary will make the case that Conservatives should care about the climate and urge his colleagues to reject 'both the luddite Left and the luddite Right' on green policy. 'Conservative environmentalism doesn't mean a choice between growth and sustainability,' Cleverly will tell the Conservative Environment Network tonight in a dig at both the Labour government and Reform UK. The former Cabinet Secretary will speak this evening at the annual Sam Baker Memorial Lecture – where he will award Tory MP Andrew Griffith for championing the marine environment of Chagos. Cleverly will tell his audience that the country must 'push further, faster and smarter' on green tech, before going on:
South Wales Argus
3 days ago
- Politics
- South Wales Argus
Tories must reject climate change ‘luddites' on left and right, warns Cleverly
In a speech to the Conservative Environment Network (CEN), the former home secretary is expected to urge his party to 'push further, faster and smarter' and 'set the pace' internationally on green technology. As first reported in the Daily Telegraph, he will argue that the UK is 'caught between two tribes of neo-luddites', criticising a 'negative right' that claims 'the way things are now is just fine' and a 'negative left' that is 'suspicious of technology'. Sir James warned against a right wing insisting 'everything is fine' and a left wing suspicious of new technology (Jacob King/PA) He will say: 'The 'let's not move forward' tribe is in a bidding war with the 'let's move backwards' tribe. They're both wrong.' The intervention, Sir James's first major speech since last year's Tory leadership election, comes after Kemi Badenoch declared herself a 'net zero sceptic'. The Conservative leader kicked off her party's policy renewal process in March by saying it was 'impossible' to reach net zero by 2050, a target the Tories had been committed to since 2019. Meanwhile, Reform UK has pledged to scrap net zero entirely and its deputy leader, Richard Tice, has claimed there is 'no evidence' for man-made climate change, contrary to scientific consensus. In his CEN speech, Sir James is expected to urge a different course, saying the Conservatives 'must embrace a future where environmental polities encourage investment in new technologies, support the development of new industries, and create the jobs of tomorrow'. Drawing on Britain's 'proud history of innovation', he will say: 'We can lead once again, this time in the realm of green technology. 'While government plays a role, the private sector must be the engine driving this green revolution. 'The UK is advancing rapidly in renewable energy generation, clean transport, and carbon capture. But we must push further, faster and smarter.' The former foreign secretary will also call for the UK to play a leadership role on climate and export new technologies around the world. And he will warn that nations such as China could take the lead internationally if Britain steps back. Sir James will say: 'It's in our national interest to ensure no country – whether China or anyone else – monopolises the resources powering tomorrow's industries.'
Powys County Times
3 days ago
- Politics
- Powys County Times
Tories must reject climate change ‘luddites' on left and right, warns Cleverly
The Conservatives must reject climate change 'luddites' on both the right and the left, Sir James Cleverly will warn on Wednesday. In a speech to the Conservative Environment Network (CEN), the former home secretary is expected to urge his party to 'push further, faster and smarter' and 'set the pace' internationally on green technology. As first reported in the Daily Telegraph, he will argue that the UK is 'caught between two tribes of neo-luddites', criticising a 'negative right' that claims 'the way things are now is just fine' and a 'negative left' that is 'suspicious of technology'. He will say: 'The 'let's not move forward' tribe is in a bidding war with the 'let's move backwards' tribe. They're both wrong.' The intervention, Sir James's first major speech since last year's Tory leadership election, comes after Kemi Badenoch declared herself a 'net zero sceptic'. The Conservative leader kicked off her party's policy renewal process in March by saying it was 'impossible' to reach net zero by 2050, a target the Tories had been committed to since 2019. Meanwhile, Reform UK has pledged to scrap net zero entirely and its deputy leader, Richard Tice, has claimed there is 'no evidence' for man-made climate change, contrary to scientific consensus. In his CEN speech, Sir James is expected to urge a different course, saying the Conservatives 'must embrace a future where environmental polities encourage investment in new technologies, support the development of new industries, and create the jobs of tomorrow'. Drawing on Britain's 'proud history of innovation', he will say: 'We can lead once again, this time in the realm of green technology. 'While government plays a role, the private sector must be the engine driving this green revolution. 'The UK is advancing rapidly in renewable energy generation, clean transport, and carbon capture. But we must push further, faster and smarter.' The former foreign secretary will also call for the UK to play a leadership role on climate and export new technologies around the world. And he will warn that nations such as China could take the lead internationally if Britain steps back. Sir James will say: 'It's in our national interest to ensure no country – whether China or anyone else – monopolises the resources powering tomorrow's industries.'
