James Cleverly becomes first MP to announce he will run for the Tory leadership in glossy new video

James Cleverly has become the first Tory MP to announce he will run for the Conservative leadership.

The shadow Home Secretary confirmed his bid to take over from Rishi Sunak in a glossy new video. 

In the near three minute video he speaks of his upbringing on hard times and how his parents were still living in the spare bedroom of his grandparents’ house when he was born. 

The short film cuts to Lewisham hospital where he and his children were born, before the clip rolls to other snaps from his childhood and of his parents.    

Mr Cleverly also revisits the first-floor flat he and his midwife mother and father moved in to in Hither Green in south east London. 

Facing down the lens of the camera to the backdrop of piano music, he says his parents were able to ‘realise their dreams’ while living under a Conservative government. 

The shadow home secretary confirmed his bid to take over from Rishi Sunak in a glossy new video (pictured here processing through the Central Lobby during the State Opening of parliament)

The short film cuts to Lewisham hospital where he and his children were born, before the clip rolls to other snaps from his childhood and of his parents

‘My mum had a long and successful career in the NHS and my dad’s business grew,’ he said.

‘And it’s providing the opportunity to other families that I had – that’s why I got into politics and that’s what the Conservative party needs to focus on. 

‘We need to re-establish our reputation as the party, who in government, helps grow the economy, helps people achieve their goals, their dreams, and their aspirations.’

He goes on to recount how he ‘stood up to our enemies’ while serving as foreign secretary and how he recognised it was important to get net migration figures down when he was home secretary.

Having laid out his credentials as to why he should become the next Tory leader, he ends the video with an impassioned rallying cry on how he would unseat the Labour government.

‘We can only do this together,’ he says. 

‘We can only do this as a united party. Focused on the needs of the British people, relentlessly working to make their lives better.

Mr Cleverly also revisits the first-floor flat he and his midwife mother and father moved in to in Hither Green in south east London

He says his parents (pictured) were able to ‘realise their dreams’ while living under a Conservative government

Mr Cleverly looks back at an old photograph of his family and said his parents were still living in the spare room of his grandparents’ home when he was born

Former PM Rishi Sunak will lead the Conservative Party until a new leader is elected in November. Pictured: Mr Sunak in the House of Commons on Monday

‘And if we do that, we can once again restore the confidence of the British people in us as a party. That is why I’m putting myself forward to be leader of the party.

‘That is why I ask for your support to make sure this party once again is properly able to serve the British people.’ 

Mr Cleverly published his video on X almost at the same time as a piece he had written for the Telegraph appeared on its website. 

In it, he says he can ‘unite the Conservative Party and overturn Starmer’s loveless landslide’ after just one term in power, saying he was ‘best placed to get us there’. 

‘Starmer is beatable. As they wrestle with the reality of government, their honeymoon period will quickly draw to a close,’ he wrote.

‘But to take advantage of Labour’s inevitable failure, we cannot go chasing after one set of voters at the expense of another, we must have broad appeal. This is how we have won elections before, as we did in 2019, and it will be how we do it again.’

It comes just hours after the 1922 committee drew up a ‘compromise’ plan which will see a new leader announced on November 2.

Some in the party had wanted a new leader in place by party conference, which gets underway on September 29.

Others had wanted it to run until Christmas to ensure the right candidate was chosen and to give the party the best chance of regaining power at the next election.

Nominations for the contest will open in the coming days, with leadership hopefuls needing the backing of at least ten MPs for the first round of votes.

The final four nominees will appear in front of the party conference in Birmingham to put forward their pitch, before the decision goes to a postal vote of members.

Former Tory leader Sir Iain Duncan Smith said rushing into a leadership election would be a ‘disaster’. Pictured: Sir Iain at the count for his Chingford and Woodford Green seat on July 5

Former Prime Minister Mr Sunak will remain acting party leader until November 2, when his successor will be crowned.

Former Tory leader Sir Iain Duncan Smith: ‘A September timetable would have been a complete and total disaster.

‘We need to debate what happened at the election. We need to talk about it and we need to let the public know that we get it.

‘At the moment I don’t think we do. I would have gone through November to Christmas but this is infinitely better than the even shorter contest that was being talked about.

‘What we don’t want to do is rush to make a decision. We need to make sure everyone gathers around and agrees.

‘We need to take our time, figure it out and vote for the person who we think can most resolve this and help us get through it.’