James Cleverly quits shadow cabinet to run for London mayor

The Conservative MP for Braintree and former Home Secretary has put himself forward to be the Conservative candidate for the role.The former foreign secretary and Braintree MP said the capital needed “a champion, someone who understands its potential and is prepared to fight for its future”.In an op-ed for the Sunday Times, he wrote: “I have told Kemi Badenoch that I will leave the shadow cabinet. Serving there has been a privilege, and I know there will continue to be strong voices around that table.“But to run the most effective campaign possible, I must be free to speak about every aspect of London’s future and concentrate fully on winning this race.”He will not immediately be selected as the candidate and is expected to have to compete with others to be selected as the Tory candidate. Festus Akinbusoye, a current Tory Westminster councillor and former Police and Crime Commissioner, is expected to announce his candidacy in the coming weeks.This is a breaking new story. More follows.