JAMES Cleverly has quite his role in the Shadow Cabinet to run for Mayor of London.
The Conservative MP for Braintree and former Home Secretary will resign from his current role with immediate effect.
Cleverly explained that he decided he needed to make his position clear ahead of the Convervative Party conference in October.
It comes amid speculation that Cleverly was planning to stand in the race for London Mayor.
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Kemi Badenoch will now need to fill the role of shadow minister for housing, communities and local government.
Labour has held dominance in the capital for a long time with Mayor Sadiq Khan now half way through his third term in the role.
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Cleverly said he was looking to challenge Labour’s hold on the seat.
After he informed his party leader of his decision on Thursday, Cleverly said: “She took it very well.”
In an interview with The Jattvibeday Times he continued: “Kemi has been very gracious.”
The Times reports that a source close to the Tory leader said: “Kemi is delighted that someone of his calibre wants to put himself forward to be Conservative nominee for mayor of London.
“She really wants someone to take on Sadiq Khan, as he is destroying the London she loves.”
Cleverly will now have to win the party’s nomination for the mayoral election before any of his colleagues can endorse him.
