Former home secretary returns to frontbench as party reorganises shadow cabinet
James Cleverly (pictured) has been appointed shadow housing secretary in the latest Conservative shadow cabinet reshuffle led by Kemi Badenoch.
Cleverly, who has also served as foreign secretary, returned to the backbenches after losing the leadership contest in the final round of MPs’ votes.
In a recent speech, Cleverly cautioned the party against adopting a populist approach similar to Reform UK, led by Nigel Farage. He also dismissed speculation about seeking to replace Badenoch, stating the party should “get out of this habit of cycling through leaders in the hope that ditching this one and picking a new one will make life easy for us.”
Cleverly was previously mentioned as a possible Conservative candidate for mayor of London but did not comment on his future ambitions during his recent speech. He was awarded a knighthood in April last year as part of Rishi Sunak’s resignation honours.
Meanwhile, Edward Argar has resigned as shadow health secretary after medical advice, following a health issue earlier in the summer. Stuart Andrew, formerly shadow culture minister, will take over the health brief. Kevin Hollinrake, who had been shadow housing and communities secretary, will become party chair, replacing Nigel Huddleston. Huddleston is set to become shadow culture secretary.
A Conservative spokesperson told The Guardian that Cleverly, who previously served as home secretary and was a candidate in the party’s leadership contest, will have a “prominent role” in the new team.
Industry observers note that Cleverly’s appointment could influence the direction of housing policy, with potential effects on mortgage availability, affordability, and regulation. Stakeholders are particularly interested in how the new shadow housing secretary will address ongoing challenges such as housing supply, affordability, and support for first-time buyers.
Nathan Emerson, chief executive officer at property industry body Propertymark, has welcomed the appointment of 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,” Emerson said.
“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.”
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