Kemi Badenoch has brought former leadership rival Sir James Cleverly back to the Conservative frontbench as part of a targeted reshuffle aimed at strengthening party unity and sharpening opposition lines ahead of the summer recess.
Cleverly (main picture), a former home and foreign secretary, has been appointed shadow secretary of state for housing, communities and local government. He replaces Kevin Hollinrake, who has been named Conservative Party chairman.
In his new role, Cleverly will go head-to-head with Labour’s deputy leader Angela Rayner, who currently holds the Cabinet brief. His appointment marks a return to frontline politics after narrowly coming third in the Tory leadership contest earlier this year.
Following that result, Cleverly said he intended to return to the back benches under Badenoch’s leadership – a stance now reversed as the party prepares for a critical period of policy repositioning.
SUMMER BREAK
The reshuffle comes days before MPs leave Westminster for the summer break. It also sees Stuart Andrew promoted to shadow health secretary, succeeding Ed Argar, who stepped down citing a “health scare”. Meanwhile, Nigel Huddleston has been moved from party co-chairman to shadow secretary for sport, culture and media, taking over from Andrew.
Party sources say Cleverly’s return is a signal of Badenoch’s intent to consolidate support across Conservative factions and present a united front following the leadership contest.
KEY BATTLEGROUNDS
Housing and local government are expected to be key battlegrounds in the next election cycle, with Labour pledging sweeping reforms to planning, rental rights and council funding. Cleverly’s appointment suggests Badenoch wants a high-profile, experienced operator in place to challenge Labour’s approach and reconnect with voters on core domestic issues.
Cleverly’s return is expected to sharpen the Conservatives’ message on housing and localism, areas where business and investor confidence are closely linked to political stability and regulatory direction.
PRIVATE RENTAL SECTOR BOOST
Nathan Emerson, chief executive at Propertymark, said: “Propertymark welcomes Sir James Cleverly as Shadow Housing Secretary.
“We look forward to working with him in ensuring that the private rental sector sees a boost in the supply of affordable homes to meet growing demand levels and that moving forward, the market and any future legislative changes are fit for purpose and make the sector fairer for all.
“We also need to see policies that help continue to encourage the number of properties being built whilst protecting the ethos of Green Belt land and the wider environment in general, and continuous improvement to help reform the leasehold system.”
