James Cleverly Announces Bid to Lead Conservative Party After Election Defeat

Former British foreign minister James Cleverly has declared his candidacy for Conservative Party leadership following a devastating election loss to Labour. The announcement comes after Rishi Sunak's resignation as party leader. Cleverly aims to restore voter trust and unite the party.

Former British foreign minister James Cleverly announced on Tuesday his intention to run for leader of the Conservative Party, which lost to Keir Starmer's Labour Party in the recent election after 14 years in power. The new leader will be announced on Nov. 2, following the party's worst-ever election performance, which led to the resignation of former Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.

Cleverly, who has also served as Conservative Party chairman and interior minister, is the first to officially declare his candidacy. "The last election showed us that we had lost the trust of voters. They questioned our motives, our ability, and our commitment to delivering for them. That must change," Cleverly wrote in an article for the Telegraph newspaper.

He emphasized the need to choose the right leader and fully support them. "I am putting myself forward to be that leader because I can unite the Conservative Party and overturn Starmer's loveless landslide," said Cleverly, who has been a Member of Parliament since 2015 and previously ran for leadership in 2019 following Theresa May's resignation but was the first to exit the race.

(With inputs from agencies.)