Sir James Cleverly resigns from shadow cabinet to run for Mayor of London
The former foreign secretary said the UK capital needs a "champion, someone who understands its potential and is prepared to fight for its future”
Sir James Cleverly has resigned from the shadow cabinet to run for Mayor of London.
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The shadow minister for housing, communities and local government will leave his role with immediate effect.
Sir James will be the Conservative candidate to challenge Labour's Sir Sadiq Khan in the Mayoral election in May 2028.
It is unknown who will replace the MP for Braintree in the shadow cabinet ahead of an anticipated reshuffle next month.
Announcing his decision to run in The Times today, Sir James positioned himself as someone who "understands its potential and is prepared to fight for its future".
He warned that London "could not take its global standing for granted" and vowed to "rebuild" its reputation making it "the best place in the world to live, work, invest and build a business".
Sir James accused Sir Sadiq, who has been Mayor since May 2016 and is yet to confirm whether he will run for a fourth term, of using city hall as a "springboard into No 10" and allowing its reputation to "slip".
"Now Andy Burnham treats London as a cash cow: somewhere to tax, regulate, raid and blame," he said.
"Of course London has problems that need fixing. But it also has huge opportunities, extraordinary reserves of talent and almost limitless potential....That means creating a London that is both aspirational and affordable."
James Cleverly will not be the first Tory MP to give up any hope of winning their seat in Essex. They are done for.
— Nigel Farage (@Nigel_Farage) August 29, 2026
He added: "We cannot tax and subsidise our way to prosperity. We must reduce the cost of building homes and running businesses and remove the barriers holding people back."
Sir Sadiq Khan is half way through his third term as Mayor of London and has not confirmed whether he will run for a fourth time in May 2028.
Sir James, who lost to Badenoch in the 2024 Tory leadership contest, told The Times that the leader had taken his resignation 'graciously'.
Reacting to news of Sir James's resignation, Reform UK leader Nigel Farage said: "James Cleverly will not be the first Tory MP to give up any hope of winning their seat in Essex. They are done for."
Farage's party announced former Westminster City councillor Laila Cunningham as its candidate for Mayor earlier this year.