Rt Hon Sir James Cleverly

The Rt Hon Sir James Cleverly is a Member of Parliament for the Braintree consistency, and is one of the few ministers in modern politics to have served as the Foreign Secretary and Home Secretary.

His career spans local and national government, business, and military, giving him a unique perspective on leadership, decision making, and strategy at the highest levels. Whilst working in national government, he oversaw areas of policing, security, and immigration as Home Secretary; as Foreign Secretary he led diplomacy through Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the evolving UK-EU relationship, the Israel-Hamas conflict, and the Sudanese civil war.

Having navigated some of the most volatile periods in recent politics, he offers unique insights into domestic and global affairs, delivering speeches on resilience, decision making, and navigating uncertainty in a fast-changing world.

In April 2025, he received a knighthood for his political and public service.

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Type Of Speaker

Business & Finance Exploration & Military Leadership & Teamwork Politics Politics & Current Affairs Speaker

More About Rt Hon Sir James Cleverly

After graduation, Sir James Cleverley worked for the publishing company Verenigde Nederlandse Uitgeverijen, before joining Informa in a sales role in 2002. In 2004 he joined Crimson Publishing as an advertising manager and then moved to Caspian Publishing in 2006. The following year, he co-founded the web publishing company Point and Fire.

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JAMES CLEVERLY | MILITARY

Alongside his business responsibilities, James was commissioned into the Army Reserve in 1991 as a Second Lieutenant (acting), a position that was confirmed in 1993. He was promoted to lieutenant later that year, to Captain in 1998, and to Major in 2003. He was the Battery Commander of 266 (Para) Battery Royal Artillery (Volunteers) until 2005; he was promoted to lieutenant colonel in 2015; and currently serves with 100 (Yeomanry) Regiment, Royal Artillery, working as a Staff Officer in 1st (UK) Division.

He still serves in the Army Reserves, and in 2004 he was called up to support mobilised soldiers in Iraq, making sure they were able to get their jobs back when they returned to the UK.

JAMES CLEVERLY | POLITICS

He entered politics in 2007 when he was selected as the Conservative’s candidate for the Bexley and Bromley constituency. Two years later, he was appointed as the Mayor of London’s Youth Ambassador, a newly created role to help young people in the community. In 2010, he was appointed as the Chairman of the London Waste and Recycling Board whose aim is to turn London into a circular economy.

At the 2015 general election, he was elected to Parliament as the MP for Braintree, contributing to votes on fire station closures, changes to private landlord rules, and Brexit. He continued his position after being re-elected in 2017 with an increased vote share of nearly 63%. In 2018, he was appointed as a Deputy Chairman of the Conservative Party, and a Junior Minister at the Department for Exiting the European Union in 2019.

Once Boris Johnson was elected Prime Minister in 2019, James was appointed Co-Chairman of the Conservative Party. Throughout his time in government, he has worked as the Minister of State for the Middle East and North Africa; Minister of State for the Middle East, Northern Africa, and North America; Minister of State for Europe and North America; and Secretary of State for Education.

In 2022, he was appointed Foreign Secretary by Prime Minister Liz Truss, but moved to Home Secretary during Rishi Sunak’s cabinet reshuffle in 2023. Following the Conservative Party’s defeat in 2024, he was appointed Shadow Home Secretary. In the same year, he announced himself as running in the leadership election to be the new party leader, which Kemi Badenoch eventually won.

JAMES CLEVERLY | | HONOURS

James has a number of military and political awards, accolades, and honours, including:

– Efficiency Decoration (2012) for 12 years’ commissioned service in the Territorial Army

– Queen Elizabeth II Golden Jubilee Medal (2002)

– Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal (2012)

– Queen Elizabeth II Platinum Jubilee Medal (2022)

– King Charles III Coronation Medal (2023)

– Sworn of the Privy Council of the United Kingdom (2019)

– Knighted for Political and Public Service (2024)

JAMES CLEVERLY | CORPORATE WORK

With experience in local and national government, military, and business, he brings a unique insight into his speaking engagements, discussing everything from politics to strategy and leadership.

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