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James Cleverly

James Cleverly is a British Conservative Party politician who has served as Member of Parliament for Braintree since 2015.

By Ethan Anderson| Reviewed by Olivia Bennett, Standards & Fact-Checking Lead| Updated July 27, 2026|2 min read| Fact-checked

James Cleverly is a British Conservative Party politician who has served as Member of Parliament for Braintree since 2015. He has held senior UK cabinet posts including Secretary of State for Education, Foreign Secretary, and Home Secretary. In opposition, he later served as Shadow Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government.

Early life and background

James Spencer Cleverly was born on 4 September 1969. Publicly available biographical sources describe him as a British politician with earlier service in the military and later involvement in business and politics.

Parliamentary career

Cleverly was first elected as the Conservative MP for Braintree in May 2015. He has continued to serve the constituency and later took on senior shadow cabinet responsibilities.

Government roles

Cleverly held a series of ministerial roles before entering the Cabinet, including posts related to Europe, North America, the Middle East, and North Africa. He later served as Education Secretary, Foreign Secretary, and Home Secretary.

Leadership contest and opposition role

After leaving the Home Office in July 2024, Cleverly entered the 2024 Conservative Party leadership election. He later returned to the opposition front bench as Shadow Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government.

Key facts

  • Cleverly has represented Braintree in the House of Commons since 2015.
  • He served as Secretary of State for Education from July to September 2022.
  • He served as Foreign Secretary from 6 September 2022 to 13 November 2023.
  • He served as Home Secretary from 13 November 2023 to 5 July 2024.
  • He is one of the few UK politicians to have held both the Foreign Secretary and Home Secretary posts.
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Canadian context

No direct Canada-specific connection is evident in the available sources, although his work as UK Foreign Secretary would have involved Canada-UK relations.

Frequently asked questions

Who is James Cleverly?
James Cleverly is a British Conservative politician and MP for Braintree who has held several senior government offices, including Foreign Secretary and Home Secretary.
What constituency does James Cleverly represent?
He represents Braintree in the UK House of Commons.
Which cabinet positions has he held?
He has served as Secretary of State for Education, Foreign Secretary, and Home Secretary.
When was James Cleverly first elected as an MP?
He was first elected in the 2015 general election.
What is his party affiliation?
He is a member of the Conservative Party.
Has he served in opposition?
Yes. He later served as Shadow Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government.

References

  1. UK Government — https://www.gov.uk/government/people/james-cleverly
    Supports: Official ministerial roles and dates, including Education Secretary, Foreign Secretary, Home Secretary, and MP for Braintree.
  2. UK Parliament — https://members.parliament.uk/member/4366/career
    Supports: Parliamentary career and shadow cabinet role.
  3. Evening Standard — https://www.standard.co.uk/news/politics/who-is-james-cleverly-home-secretary-rishi-sunak-kent-general-election-b1023628.html
    Supports: Biographical details and timeline of senior ministerial posts.
  4. Wikiepdie — https://cs.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Cleverly
    Supports: Birth date and broad political biography.