James Cleverly has been appointed the UK home Secretary as part of Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s effort to reset his premiership with a cabinet reshuffle.
Gatekeepers News reports that the Prime Minister’s reshuffle commenced with the dismissal of Suella Braverman after a weekend of remembrance ceremonies and protests.
Cleverly’s appointment to the crucial position comes just 48 hours before a significant supreme court decision on the government’s Rwanda deportation plan.
Known for his previous stance on the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR), Cleverly’s new role raises anticipation regarding potential policy shifts.
In July, Cleverly told the Aspen Security Forum he would have to be dragged out of his job “with nail marks down the parquet flooring”, after speculation he could be moved to the defence brief to replace Ben Wallace.
Cleverly told the US conference: “If anyone in the UK is watching, listening, particularly you prime minister, I very much want to stay put … I very much want to stay put as foreign secretary. It’s a job that I love, I think it’s an important job.
The 54-year-old MP for Braintree was appointed foreign secretary by Liz Truss and kept in the brief by Sunak.
The reshuffle is seen as Sunak’s attempt to strengthen his team for long-term decision-making and follows criticism of the government’s previous by-election defeats.
