Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch is set to reshuffle her top team of shadow ministers later today.
Sir James Cleverly, who previously served in government as the foreign secretary and home secretary, is expected to return to the front bench as part of the changes, while Mel Stride is set to remain as shadow chancellor.
Badenoch had been expected to make small changes to her frontbench team in order to replace one or two shadow ministers who wanted to step down for personal reasons.
However, BBC News understands Badenoch has opted for a bigger shake-up, with about half a dozen changes expected, including bringing back former leadership rival Sir James into a high-profile role.
Shadow health secretary Edward Argar has said he will be standing down following a “health scare“.
In a letter to Badenoch, the Melton and Syston MP said he had “listened to what the doctors said to me… and have concluded that lightening my front bench workload over the coming months in order to complete my recovery and fully restore my health in that period, is the sensible approach”.
A full list of changes to Badenoch’s team is expected Tuesday afternoon.
No one from the 2024 intake of Conservative MPs is expected to get a promotion to the shadow cabinet.
Badenoch’s front bench currently includes shadow home secretary Chris Philp, Dame Priti Patel as shadow foreign secretary and Laura Trott in the education brief.
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A party source confirmed the reshuffle to the BBC, saying: “The changes reflect the next stage of the party’s policy renewal programme and underline the unity of the party under new leadership.
“Sir James Cleverly, is expected to return in a prominent front bench role to take the fight to this dreadful Labour government.”
Sir James has been a backbench MP since being eliminated from the Tory leadership election in October 2024, after which Badenoch went on to defeat her closest rival, the now-shadow justice secretary Robert Jenrick.
It is not yet known what role Sir James will take up in the shadow cabinet.
He received a knighthood in April 2025 as part of former Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s resignation honours list.
The reshuffle comes eight months into Badenoch’s leadership of the Conservatives, a period which has seen the party regularly poll third or fourth, behind Labour, Reform UK and sometimes the Liberal Democrats.
