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The Independent
9 hours ago
- Politics
- The Independent
With her Tory reshuffle, what is Kemi Badenoch really up to?
Kemi Badenoch faced a fork in the road. She needed to embrace one of her previous rivals and use either James Cleverly or Robert Jenrick to prop up her leadership of the Conservative Party. Luckily, she chose correctly, welcoming back Cleverly, the sensible centrist, while keeping Jenrick, the Reform-lite offering, at arm's length. This decision makes use of the authentic person-of-the-people communication skills of Cleverly, pitching them against the authentic p-of-the-c ditto of Angela Rayner. By installing Cleverly as the deputy prime minister's shadow, Badenoch hints that he is her deputy without actually giving him that title. We are told that she will continue to rotate shadow cabinet ministers to stand in for her against Rayner at Prime Minister's Questions when Keir Starmer is away, but Cleverly is clearly 'second among equals'. Badenoch needs a big hitter to help keep the Tory party anchored to the centre ground. By keeping Mel Stride as shadow chancellor – the post that Jenrick wants – and recruiting Cleverly to the top team, she keeps the party on the path of fiscal responsibility and compassionate realism. The road not chosen was the one that zigzags off the beaten track towards the mirage of imitating Nigel Farage. She could have thrown her lot in with Jenrick and gone all-out to try to out-Reform Reform. That would have failed to convince those former Tory voters who have defected to Reform, and it would have sounded shrill to loyal Tory voters – some of whom are in danger of defecting to the Liberal Democrats. Jenrick has shown himself to be a good communicator, too, of course, with his brilliant videos explaining the Chagos deal and intercepting fare-dodgers. But he lacks Cleverly's authenticity: Jenrick was an ambitious junior minister who paved the way for Boris Johnson's premiership, and who reinvented himself (too late!) under his former ally Rishi Sunak as a tough-on-immigration dissident within government. If Badenoch had tried to hug him close, politically, it would have done her no good. Reform voters would not have been impressed, and One Nation Tories would have been put off. Much better, from her point of view, to keep her options open on the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) and to draft in reinforcements to take on Labour on policies such as housing. She should leave Suella Braverman, the former home secretary whose stock in the party is low, to publish her pamphlets about leaving the ECHR. Badenoch's position, of 'moving towards' leaving the ECHR is one that can hold the party together for a long time: she can be moving towards leaving without ever actually getting there. Jenrick, who also wants to leave the ECHR, remains a semi-detached licensed rebel on the subject. Is Jenrick more likely to launch a challenge to Badenoch's leadership from this semi-detached position after her immunity expires at the end of her first year in November? I doubt it. Giving him a higher-status job would only give him a better platform from which to launch his bid; this way, she locks Cleverly into her defence. So Badenoch has strengthened her position – slightly. But Mark Garnier, a shadow Treasury minister, said on Times Radio at the weekend that he didn't think there was much point in a reshuffle of the Tory deckchairs until Keir Starmer had reshuffled the government team. Oops. 'Deckchairs' was not the best choice of words, given its association with a common saying about the Titanic. But maybe he was reflecting a deeper truth, which is that there is very little that Badenoch can do, having taken over at a time when the Tory party is doomed. I don't think that a different leader would have made much difference. And I don't think a different shadow cabinet line-up is going to be decisive. The Tories' problem is fundamental: they lost control of immigration when they were in government, which means they are now vulnerable to an anti-immigration party to their right. But if the Tory party is going down, as the Liberal Party did in the 1920s, it might as well go down fighting – and that means trying to cling to the centre ground. Cleverly is the right choice.
The Independent
10 hours ago
- Politics
- The Independent
Sir James Cleverly set to return to Tory front bench as shadow housing secretary
Sir James Cleverly is set to return to the Conservative front bench as the shadow housing secretary, as Kemi Badenoch shakes up her top team. The former foreign secretary is understood to be joining the shadow cabinet in the job shadowing Angela Rayner in the housing, communities and local government brief. Sir James served in the foreign office and as home secretary when the Conservatives were in power. He stood as a candidate in last year's Conservative leadership election, but lost out on the Tory top job ahead of the final heat between Mrs Badenoch and her now shadow justice secretary Robert Jenrick. Since the leadership contest, he had returned to the Tory back benches as the MP for Braintree. As well as Sir James's appointment, it is understood Kevin Hollinrake will move to the role of party chairman, replacing Nigel Huddleston, who will become shadow culture secretary. Mr Hollinrake was previously in the shadow MHCLG job, which will be filled by Sir James. Stuart Andrew will become shadow health secretary, replacing Edward Argar, who resigned citing health reasons. Further changes are expected to be confirmed later on Tuesday, and a Conservative source said earlier that they will 'reflect the next stage of the party's policy renewal programme and underline the unity of the party under new leadership'. Allies of shadow chancellor Sir Mel Stride believe he will remain in his post, while attention will be focused on whether Mrs Badenoch keeps Mr Jenrick in his current role. The former leadership contender has strayed well beyond his justice brief, building a prominent social media presence with campaigns on a range of issues from tackling fare dodgers on the London Underground to the impact of immigration on housing. Since moving to the backbenches, Sir James has used his influential position as a former minister to warn against pursuing populist agenda akin to Nigel Farage's Reform UK. Appearing at the Institute For Public Policy Research (IPPR) think tank last week, the senior Tory hit out at calls to 'smash the system' and 'start again from scratch', branding them 'complete nonsense'. He also appeared to take a different position on net zero from party leader Mrs Badenoch in a recent speech, urging the Conservatives to reject climate change 'luddites' on the right who believe 'the way things are now is just fine'. Earlier on Tuesday, Mrs Badenoch said she was 'saddened' that Mr Argar feels 'unable to continue' in his position, but agreed 'that you must put your health first'. In a letter to the party leader dated July 9 and shared by Mrs Badenoch on X on Tuesday, Mr Argar said: 'I had a health scare earlier this summer and remain grateful to the doctors and hospital staff who looked after me.' He added: 'I have been well looked after, but have also listened to what the doctors said to me, and have listened to my family, and have concluded that lightening my front-bench workload over the coming months, in order to complete my recovery and fully restore my health in that period, is the sensible approach.'
Yahoo
11 hours ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Sir James Cleverly set to return to Tory front bench as shadow housing secretary
Sir James Cleverly is set to return to the Conservative front bench as the shadow housing secretary, as Kemi Badenoch shakes up her top team. The former foreign secretary is understood to be joining the shadow cabinet in the job shadowing Angela Rayner in the housing, communities and local government brief. Sir James served in the foreign office and as home secretary when the Conservatives were in power. He stood as a candidate in last year's Conservative leadership election, but lost out on the Tory top job ahead of the final heat between Mrs Badenoch and her now shadow justice secretary Robert Jenrick. Since the leadership contest, he had returned to the Tory back benches as the MP for Braintree. As well as Sir James's appointment, it is understood Kevin Hollinrake will move to the role of party chairman, replacing Nigel Huddleston, who will become shadow culture secretary. Mr Hollinrake was previously in the shadow MHCLG job, which will be filled by Sir James. Stuart Andrew will become shadow health secretary, replacing Edward Argar, who resigned citing health reasons. Further changes are expected to be confirmed later on Tuesday, and a Conservative source said earlier that they will 'reflect the next stage of the party's policy renewal programme and underline the unity of the party under new leadership'. As he prepares for his last parliamentary oral questions from the front bench, I want to put on record my sincere thanks to Ed Argar for serving in my Shadow Cabinet. I wish him the very best for a speedy recovery and return to full health, and so I will be making a few changes… — Kemi Badenoch (@KemiBadenoch) July 22, 2025 Allies of shadow chancellor Sir Mel Stride believe he will remain in his post, while attention will be focused on whether Mrs Badenoch keeps Mr Jenrick in his current role. The former leadership contender has strayed well beyond his justice brief, building a prominent social media presence with campaigns on a range of issues from tackling fare dodgers on the London Underground to the impact of immigration on housing. Since moving to the backbenches, Sir James has used his influential position as a former minister to warn against pursuing populist agenda akin to Nigel Farage's Reform UK. Appearing at the Institute For Public Policy Research (IPPR) think tank last week, the senior Tory hit out at calls to 'smash the system' and 'start again from scratch', branding them 'complete nonsense'. He also appeared to take a different position on net zero from party leader Mrs Badenoch in a recent speech, urging the Conservatives to reject climate change 'luddites' on the right who believe 'the way things are now is just fine'. Earlier on Tuesday, Mrs Badenoch said she was 'saddened' that Mr Argar feels 'unable to continue' in his position, but agreed 'that you must put your health first'. In a letter to the party leader dated July 9 and shared by Mrs Badenoch on X on Tuesday, Mr Argar said: 'I had a health scare earlier this summer and remain grateful to the doctors and hospital staff who looked after me.' He added: 'I have been well looked after, but have also listened to what the doctors said to me, and have listened to my family, and have concluded that lightening my front-bench workload over the coming months, in order to complete my recovery and fully restore my health in that period, is the sensible approach.'
Daily Mail
15 hours ago
- Politics
- Daily Mail
Tory reshuffle: Dramatic comeback for James Cleverly as Kemi Badenoch overhauls her top team - but who is getting the axe?
Kemi Badenoch is moving to overhaul her top team today with James Cleverly making a dramatic comeback. The Tory leader has launched a reshuffle saying it will kick-start the 'next stage' of 'renewal' after the disastrous election defeat. But current frontbenchers will be waiting nervously with Mrs Badenoch's former leadership rival Sir James expected to take one of the biggest jobs. Shadow chancellor Mel Stride, shadow home secretary Chris Philp, and shadow foreign secretary Priti Patel are currently in the key portfolios. Robert Jenrick is in the justice brief, but has ruffled some feathers by roaming widely across topics. Some other senior figures are believed to want to stand down for personal reasons, with speculation that ex-Cabinet minister Lord Maude could also return to the front line. A Conservative source said: '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.' Sir James served as both foreign secretary and home secretary when the Conservatives were in power. He stood as a candidate in last year's Conservative leadership election, but lost out on the Tory top job ahead of the final heat between Mrs Badenoch and her now-shadow justice secretary Robert Jenrick. Since the leadership contest, Sir James has returned to the Tory back benches as the MP for Braintree. He has been warning against pursuing populist agenda akin to Nigel Farage's Reform UK. Appearing at the Institute For Public Policy Research (IPPR) think tank last week, the senior Tory hit out at calls to 'smash the system' and 'start again from scratch', branding them 'complete nonsense'. He has also appeared to strike a different tone on Net Zero from Mrs Badenoch, urging the Conservatives to reject climate change 'luddites' on the right who believe 'the way things are now is just fine'.
The Independent
16 hours ago
- Politics
- The Independent
Sir James Cleverly to make frontbench comeback as Kemi Badenoch reshuffles team
Sir James Cleverly is expected to return to the Conservative front bench as Kemi Badenoch makes changes to her senior team. The Leader of the Opposition is expected to reshuffle her shadow cabinet on Tuesday. A Conservative source said: '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.' Sir James served as both foreign secretary and home secretary when the Conservatives were in power. He stood as a candidate in last year's Conservative leadership election, but lost out on the Tory top job ahead of the final heat between Mrs Badenoch and her now-shadow justice secretary Robert Jenrick. Since the leadership contest, Sir James has returned to the Tory back benches as the MP for Braintree. He has used his influential position as a former minister to warn against pursuing populist agenda akin to Nigel Farage's Reform UK. Appearing at the Institute For Public Policy Research (IPPR) think tank last week, the senior Tory hit out at calls to 'smash the system' and 'start again from scratch', branding them 'complete nonsense'. He also appeared to take a different position on net zero from party leader Mrs Badenoch in a recent speech, urging the Conservatives to reject climate change 'luddites' on the right who believe 'the way things are now is just fine'. A list of full changes to the Conservative frontbench team will be announced on Tuesday afternoon. Allies of shadow chancellor Sir Mel Stride believe he will remain in his post, while attention will be focused on whether Mrs Badenoch keeps Mr Jenrick in his current role. The former leadership contender has strayed well beyond his justice brief, building a prominent social media presence with campaigns on a range of issues from tackling fare dodgers on the London Underground to the impact of immigration on housing.
