Kemi Badenoch plans Tory shadow cabinet reshuffle with James Cleverly's return

Kemi Badenoch, leader of the Conservative Party and the opposition, is set to reshuffle her shadow cabinet, bringing back former Home and Foreign Secretary Sir James Cleverly to a prominent frontbench role. Cleverly, who had been a backbench MP since losing the Tory leadership race to Badenoch, is expected to help unify the party and strengthen its stance against the Labour government. The reshuffle reflects the next stage of the party's policy renewal program, focusing on lower taxes, a smaller state, reduced migration, and more housebuilding. Although the full list of changes has yet to be released, the move signals an effort to boost the party's credibility amid dissatisfaction with Badenoch's leadership and poor polling compared to Reform and Labour. Other notable figures such as Robert Jenrick, now shadow justice secretary, may also see changes in roles. This reshuffle happens amid challenging economic conditions, with UK borrowing costs recently reaching their second highest on record.