Junior ministerial offices

Minister of State for Europe and North America
In office 8 February 2022 – 7 July 2022
Prime Minister	Boris Johnson
Preceded by	Chris Heaton-Harris
Succeeded by	Graham Stuart
Minister of State for Middle East, North Africa and North America
In office 13 February 2020 – 8 February 2022
Prime Minister	Boris Johnson
Preceded by	Andrew Murrison
Succeeded by	Amanda Milling
Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union
In office 4 April 2019 – 24 July 2019
Prime Minister	Theresa May
Preceded by	Chris Heaton-Harris
Succeeded by	Office abolished

Party political offices

Chairman of the Conservative Party
In office 24 July 2019 – 13 February 2020 Serving with Ben Elliot
Leader	Boris Johnson
Preceded by	Sir Brandon Lewis
Succeeded by	Amanda Milling
Deputy Chairman of the Conservative Party
In office 8 January 2018 – 4 April 2019
Leader	Theresa May
Preceded by	Amanda Sater
Succeeded by	Helen Whately

Member of Parliament
for Braintree

Incumbent

Assumed office
7 May 2015

Preceded by

Brooks Newmark

Majority

3,670 (7.5%)

London Assembly offices

Leader of the Conservative Party in the London Assembly
In office 2011–2012
Preceded by	Roger Evans
Succeeded by	Andrew Boff
Member of the London Assembly for Bexley and Bromley
In office 4 May 2008 – 5 May 2016
Preceded by	Bob Neill
Succeeded by	Gareth Bacon

Personal details

Born

James Spencer Cleverly

4 September 1969 (age 55)
Lewisham, London, England

Political party

Conservative

Spouse

Susannah Sparks

(m. 2000)

Children

Residence

Blackheath, London

Alma mater

Ealing College of Higher Education

Occupation

Politician
Army Reserve officer

Signature

Military service

Allegiance

United Kingdom

Branch/service

British Army (Reserve)

Years of service

1989–present

Rank

Lieutenant Colonel

Unit

Royal Artillery

James Spencer Cleverly (born 4 September 1969) is a British politician and an officer in the Army Reserve. He has held important roles in the UK government. From November 2023 to July 2024, he was the Home Secretary. Before that, he served as Foreign Secretary from 2022 to 2023.

Cleverly is a member of the Conservative Party. He has been the Member of Parliament (MP) for Braintree since 2015. He also served as Education Secretary for a short time in 2022. He was also a leader of the Conservative Party from 2019 to 2020.

Born in Lewisham, London, Cleverly went to Riverston School and Colfe's School. He studied hospitality management before joining the Army Reserve in 1991.

Early Life and Education
Military Service and Career
London Assembly Role (2008–2016)
Parliamentary Career (2015–Present)
Personal Life
Honours and Awards
See also

Early Life and Education

James Cleverly was born in Lewisham, London, on 4 September 1969. His father was British and worked as a surveyor. His mother was from Sierra Leone and worked as a midwife.

He attended private schools in Lee, London: Riverston School and Colfe's School. He started training in the army in 1989, but a leg injury stopped his training early. He then studied hospitality management at Ealing College of Higher Education. He earned his degree in 1991.

After college, Cleverly worked for several publishing companies. He joined Informa in 2002 as an international sales manager. Later, he became an advertising manager for Crimson Publishing. In 2006, he worked for Caspian Publishing. The next year, he helped start a web publishing company called Point and Fire.

Military Service and Career

Cleverly's army training at Sandhurst was cut short in 1989 due to a leg injury. On 6 October 1991, he became an officer in the Army Reserve. He was promoted to second lieutenant in 1993.

He continued to rise through the ranks. He became a lieutenant in 1993, a captain in 1998, and a major in 2003. Until 2005, he was a Battery Commander for a Royal Artillery unit. On 1 March 2015, Cleverly was promoted to lieutenant colonel. He currently serves with the 100 (Yeomanry) Regiment, Royal Artillery. He works as a Staff Officer in the 1st (UK) Division.

London Assembly Role (2008–2016)

In March 2007, James Cleverly was chosen as the Conservative Party candidate for the Bexley and Bromley area in the London Assembly. He won the election on 1 May 2008. He received many votes, showing strong support.

In January 2009, he became the Mayor of London's youth ambassador. This new role focused on helping young people in London. He also became the chairman of the London Waste and Recycling Board in February 2010.

Cleverly was re-elected to the London Assembly in 2012. He continued to represent Bexley and Bromley. After this election, he became the chairman of the London Fire and Emergency Planning Authority.

Parliamentary Career (2015–Present)

Becoming an MP (2015)

In January 2015, Cleverly was chosen as the Conservative candidate for Braintree. He was elected as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Braintree in the 2015 general election. He won with a large number of votes. After becoming an MP, he left his role in the London Assembly.

In November 2015, some people criticized Cleverly for supporting the closure of 10 fire stations in London. He stated that it was not possible to link the closures directly to specific incidents.

In March 2016, a charity called Advocacy for All asked him to step down as their patron. This happened after he voted on a policy related to benefits for disabled people.

Key Government Roles (2019–2022)

Cleverly supported Brexit in the 2016 EU membership referendum. He was re-elected as MP for Braintree in the 2017 general election. In January 2018, he became a deputy chairman of the Conservative Party. In April 2019, he became a junior minister in the Department for Exiting the European Union.

Cleverly as Minister of State for Middle East & North Africa in 2020.

In May 2019, Cleverly announced he would run to become the leader of the Conservative Party. However, he later withdrew from the race. When Boris Johnson became Prime Minister, Cleverly was appointed Co-Chairman of the Conservative Party. He served alongside Ben Elliot. He was re-elected as MP in the 2019 general election with an even larger majority.

In 2020, Cleverly was moved from the Cabinet. He became the Minister of State for the Middle East and North Africa. Later, he became Minister of State for Europe and North America. In March 2021, he spoke about the serious humanitarian crisis in Yemen. On 7 July 2022, Cleverly became the Secretary of State for Education. He held this position for about two months.

Foreign Secretary (2022–2023)

Cleverly receiving a guard of honour as Foreign Secretary at the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Paris, 2023

On 6 September 2022, James Cleverly was promoted to Foreign Secretary by Prime Minister Liz Truss. As Foreign Secretary, he attended a UN Security Council meeting. He urged countries to reject the annexation referendums in Russian-occupied areas of Ukraine. On 20 October 2022, he announced sanctions against Iran. This was for supplying drones used to attack civilian targets in Ukraine.

Cleverly with Ethiopia's Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed on 8 December 2022

When Rishi Sunak became Prime Minister in October 2022, Cleverly kept his role as Foreign Secretary. During the 2022 Football World Cup in Qatar, Cleverly suggested that visitors should respect the culture of their host nation. He said Qatar is an Islamic country with different cultural norms.

Cleverly with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem, 11 September 2023

In December 2022, Cleverly met with his Norwegian counterpart. They discussed military cooperation. He also called Saudi Arabia a strategic partner. In January 2023, he met with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken. They discussed the Russian invasion of Ukraine and other global issues. Cleverly visited China in August 2023. This was the first visit by a UK government minister since 2018. The trip aimed to promote trade and discuss climate change.

Cleverly with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, 13 September 2023

On 13 September 2023, he met Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan. Cleverly stated that Turkey is an "indispensable partner" to the UK. He also expressed support for Israel during the Israel–Hamas war. He visited Israel on 11 October 2023 to show solidarity. He supported "humanitarian pauses" to help civilians in the Gaza Strip.

Home Secretary (2023–2024)

Cleverly with Dutch Minister for Migration Eric van der Burg in March 2024

In November 2023, James Cleverly was appointed Home Secretary. This is a very important role in the government. He took over from Suella Braverman. As Home Secretary, he worked on plans to manage migration to the UK.

In Opposition (2024–Present)

Logo used for Cleverly's 2024 leadership bid

In the 2024 general election, Cleverly was re-elected as MP for Braintree. After the Conservative Party lost the election, Cleverly became Shadow Home Secretary. This means he is the main opposition spokesperson for home affairs.

On 23 July 2024, he announced he would run to become the new leader of the Conservative Party. He wanted to reform the party. He performed well in some rounds of voting by MPs. However, he was eliminated in the final round of MP voting. He then decided not to take a frontbench role in the new Shadow Cabinet. He chose to return to being a regular MP.

Personal Life

James Cleverly married Susannah Sparks in 2000. They met nine years earlier at the University of West London. Susannah was diagnosed with breast cancer in December 2021. After treatment, she finished in April 2023. The couple has two sons. They live in Blackheath, south-east London.

Cleverly does not believe in God. He is a fan of the miniature wargame Warhammer 40,000. In 2022, he had a private YouTube channel. On it, he shared videos of himself painting the game's miniatures.

Honours and Awards

James Cleverly has received several honours for his service. He was awarded the Efficiency Decoration (TD) in January 2012. This was for 12 years of service as an officer in the Territorial Army. He has also received several Jubilee and Coronation Medals. These include the Queen Elizabeth II Golden Jubilee Medal (2002), the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal (2012), the Queen Elizabeth II Platinum Jubilee Medal (2022), and the King Charles III Coronation Medal (2023).

On 8 October 2019, he became a member of the Privy Council of the United Kingdom. This gave him the honorary title "the Right Honourable" for life.

Ribbon	Description	Notes
	Queen Elizabeth II Golden Jubilee Medal	2002 UK version of this medal
	Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal	2012 UK version of this medal
	Queen Elizabeth II Platinum Jubilee Medal	2022 UK version of this medal
	King Charles III Coronation Medal	2023 UK version of this medal
	Efficiency Decoration (TD)	2012 12 Years Commissioned Service in the Territorial Army
	Volunteer Reserves Service Medal (VR)	10 years Commissioned Service in the Territorial Army/Army Reserves