James Cleverly

**James Spencer Cleverly**  (born 4 September 1969) is a British Conservative politician. He was the Home Secretary from 2023 until 2024. He was previously the Foreign Secretary from 2022 until 2023. In July 2019, he became Minister without Portfolio and Chairman of the Conservative Party for the Boris Johnson ministry. He is the Member of Parliament (MP) for Braintree since 2015. Cleverly was the Deputy Chairman of the Conservative Party from 2018 to 2019. In 2022, he served as the Secretary of State for Education.

On 29 May 2019, Cleverly launched his campaign to become the Leader of the Conservative Party in the 2019 election. On 4 June, he withdrew from the race.

On 23 July 2024, Cleverly announced he was running in the leadership election to be the new Conservative Party leader and Leader of the Opposition. He was eliminated on the fourth ballot of the election on 9 October 2024, despite coming in first place the previous ballot.

## Infobox (officeholder)

- **embed**: yes
- **office3**: Minister of State for Europe and North America
- **primeminister3**: Boris Johnson
- **term start3**: 8 February 2022
- **term end3**: 7 July 2022
- **predecessor3**: Chris Heaton-Harris
- **successor3**: Graham Stuart (politician), Graham Stuart
- **office4**: Minister of State for Middle East, North Africa and North America
- **primeminister4**: Boris Johnson
- **term start4**: 13 February 2020
- **term end4**: 8 February 2022
- **predecessor4**: Andrew Murrison
- **successor4**: Amanda Milling
- **office7**: Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union
- **predecessor7**: Chris Heaton-Harris
- **term end7**: 24 July 2019
- **primeminister7**: Theresa May
- **termstart7**: 4 April 2019
- **successor7**: _Office abolished_


## Infobox (officeholder)

- **embed**: yes
- **office5**: Chairman of the Conservative Party
- **leader5**: Boris Johnson
- **alongside5**: Ben Elliot
- **term start5**: 24 July 2019
- **term end5**: 13 February 2020
- **predecessor5**: Brandon Lewis
- **successor5**: Amanda Milling
- **office8**: Deputy Chairman of the Conservative Party
- **leader8**: Theresa May
- **term start8**: 8 January 2018
- **term end8**: 4 April 2019
- **predecessor8**: Amanda Sater
- **successor8**: Helen Whately


## Infobox (officeholder)

- **embed**: yes
- **office10**: Leader of the London Conservatives, Conservative Party
in the London Assembly
- **term start10**: 2011
- **term end10**: 2012
- **predecessor10**: Roger Evans (London politician), Roger Evans
- **successor10**: Andrew Boff
- **office11**: Member of the London Assembly
for Bexley and Bromley
- **term start11**: 4 May 2008
- **term end11**: 5 May 2016
- **predecessor11**: Bob Neill
- **successor11**: Gareth Bacon


## Infobox (officeholder)

- **honorific prefix**: Lieutenant Colonel (United Kingdom), Lieutenant Colonel The Right Honourable
- **name**: James Cleverly
- **image**: Official portrait of James Cleverly MP crop 2, 2024.jpg
- **caption**: Official portrait, 2024
- **office**: Shadow Home Secretary
- **leader**: Rishi Sunak
- **term start**: 8 July 2024
- **predecessor**: Yvette Cooper
- **term end**: 5 November 2024
- **successor**: Chris Philp
- **office1**: Home Secretary
- **primeminister1**: Rishi Sunak
- **term start1**: 13 November 2023
- **term end1**: 5 July 2024
- **predecessor1**: Suella Braverman
- **successor1**: Yvette Cooper
- **office2**: Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs
- **term start2**: 6 September 2022
- **term end2**: 13 November 2023
- **predecessor2**: Liz Truss
- **successor2**: David Cameron
- **office3**: Secretary of State for Education
- **primeminister3**: Boris Johnson
- **term start3**: 7 July 2022
- **term end3**: 6 September 2022
- **predecessor3**: Michelle Donelan
- **successor3**: Kit Malthouse
- **office6**: Minister without portfolio (United Kingdom), Minister without Portfolio
- **term start6**: 24 July 2019
- **term end6**: 13 February 2020
- **predecessor6**: Brandon Lewis
- **successor6**: Amanda Milling
- **primeminister6**: Boris Johnson
- **office9**: Member of Parliament (United Kingdom), Member of Parliament
for Braintree (UK Parliament constituency), Braintree
- **term start9**: 7 May 2015
- **predecessor9**: Brooks Newmark
- **majority9**: 3,670 (7.5%)
- **birth name**: James Spencer Cleverly
- **birth place**: Lewisham, London, England
- **residence**: Blackheath, London
- **party**: Conservative Party (UK), Conservative
- **children**: 2
- **alma mater**: Ealing College of Higher Education
- **allegiance**: United Kingdom
- **branch**: British Army (Army Reserve (United Kingdom), Reserve)
- **serviceyears**: 1989–present
- **rank**: Lieutenant colonel (United Kingdom), Lieutenant colonel
- **unit**: Royal Artillery