James Cleverly will return to the Conservative frontbench as Kemi Badenoch reshuffles her shadow cabinet on Tuesday.
A Conservative source said the former leadership contender who served as home secretary would have a “prominent role” in the reshuffled team.
The shadow health secretary, Edward Argar, is expected to step down from his role due to personal issues. “The leader of the opposition will be making some changes to her frontbench team today,” a Tory source confirmed.
“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.”
A source close to the shadow chancellor, Mel Stride, said they believed he would be staying in post. The full changes are expected to be announced on Tuesday afternoon.
Cleverly, who also served as foreign secretary, had returned to the backbenches after losing the leadership contest in the final round of MPs’ votes, meaning Badenoch faced Robert Jenrick in the members’ vote. Jenrick, who is still ambitious for the leadership, has maintained a prominent public profile as shadow justice secretary.
In a speech last week, Cleverly warned the Conservatives against pursuing a populist agenda that would try to ape Nigel Farage’s Reform UK.
He also discounted the idea that he hoped to replace Badenoch, saying his party had to “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”.
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Cleverly had been linked to a run as the Tory candidate for mayor of London and would not be drawn on his future ambitions when he gave the speech last week. He received a knighthood in April last year.
