Cleverly increasingly strong contender to replace Rishi if he falls

James Cleverly on his G7 summit in Japan at Foreign Minister’s meeting

When James Cleverly was made Foreign Secretary by Liz Truss there were a lot of eye rolling emojis and disparaging comments from the Twitterati of social media and metropolitan types who saw it as a sign of the Tories scraping the barrel of talent. But roll on six months of confidently bestriding the world stage and the Cleverly surname is no longer deemed an oxymoron or preceded by “not so…”. Instead, he is being talked of as a potential next leader.

When he was asked directly this week whether he wanted to become Conservative leader, Mr cleverly gave the classic politician’s answer about loving his current job.

There was the usual expression of loyalty to the current leader: “Rishi is doing a fantastic job. He stepped in at a really difficult time. He’s massively steadied the ship. He’s focussed on the things which are going to win us the next election.”

However, he noticeably did not rule out running even though his aides were insisting he “is not interested in the job”.

After all, Cleverly made a two-day bid in 2019 quickly pulling out to support Boris Johnson who would win but it was a marker for where he wants his career to go.

Now with the continued uncomfortable polling for the Tories his name is now at the top of many people’s list as a replacement for Rishi Sunak should he go after a general election defeat next year.

Accompanying the Foreign Secretary at the G7 summit in Karuizawa in Japan it is easy to see why his stock has risen so much and so quickly in just six months.

For starters his officials at the Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), very clearly have enormous confidence in him.

But it is not as a politician who is easily led and be told what to do and think in the Yes Minister style – even though he along with EU deputy commissioner Marios Sefcovic is a huge fan of the BBC comedy.

Rather it is because he is clear in his thinking and direction, listens to advice and understands the complexities and subtleties of foreign policy in a way many people who did not know him well would not have expected.

Several officials talked about how the atmosphere of the department is a happy place under his leadership, reflecting a convivial personality. It was obvious people like working for him a lot and warm to him.

It is perhaps an under-rated part of leadership.

Then there is the way he has literally charmed his counterparts.

France’s foreign minister Catherine Colonna infamously was understood to have strongly disliked both Boris Johnson and Liz Truss when they were foreign secretary.

But it was impossible not to notice the chemistry between her and Cleverly in Japan chatting and laughing.

Charm has always been a strong Cleverly suit and he has deployed it with ruthless effectiveness over recent months.

A number of officials also mentioned the rapport he has with Germany’s foreign minister Annalena Baerbock, who in many ways has become an ally behind the scenes even though she is a Green.

It perhaps helps that Cleverly was a Brexiteer but understands that European leaders felt personally hurt and slighted by the UK’s EU exit.

He has an empathy, again another important leadership quality, which has helped break down barriers.

While Rishi Sunak did the big press conferences at the end with the Windsor Framework on Northern Ireland and first summit with the French in years, it was the work done by Cleverly in the run up to those key events this year which paved the way for success.

Neither could have been achieved without him and his role should not be underestimated.

In that sense he has helped European leaders turn a page on Brexit and move on.

But perhaps his most important achievement is maintaining a strong relationship with the US in strained times.

He and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken – or Tony as Cleverly calls him – has become pivotal and rather counteracts the concerns that President Biden is “anti-British”.

Mr Cleverly does not believe that of Biden but whether it is true or not it is also clear that Blinken is pro-British and pro-Cleverly.

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For someone being dismissed by critics back in the UK as a lightweight it was obvious in Japan that Blinken did not share that assessment at all.

An important moment in the summit came when fighting in Sudan hit the top of the agenda and a response was needed.

The US would be leading the response and Blinken could have made a statement by himself or asked the EU’s representative to stand with him. Instead, he chose Cleverly and the UK.

Cleverly did have background as a former Middle East and North Africa minister but British officials were also clear that the decision by Blinken was one made out of respect for the Foreign Secretary as well as the UK’s place on the world stage.

Later that evening Cleverly and Blinken were singing Beatles songs together at the karaoke evening hosted the Japanese foreign minister.

The foreign policy successes reflect the way Cleverly does politics.

He painstakingly builds relationships, almost never appears to lose his temper, keeps channels open, makes time for people and shows small acts of kindness which build goodwill for the future.

While a leader should not hanker after being liked it is certainly helpful if he is hugely likeable and Cleverly definitely is.

As reported by Express.co.uk previously, the Japanese have not forgotten when as a deputy mayor in London he made time for a prospective Tokyo Olympic bid team and gave them ideas which helped them win the 2020 games.

“All these small things and moments of generosity are money in the pot to be collected when needed,” an aide noted.

While Cleverly is not a hard line ideological Brexiteer in the way that a potential rival for the leadership Suella Braverman was as a Brexit Spartan refusing to back Theresa May’s deal, that does not mean he lacks principles.

He came out early in the blocks signing an open letter with other MPs elected in 2015 to oppose David Cameron’s deal in an open letter.

Afterwards he was told he had destroyed his political career. A fellow Brexiteer Rishi Sunak was told the same.

The gamble paid off and now they are Prime Minister and Foreign Secretary.

Cleverly is a healthy pragmatist as his approach to China underlines.

He does not take a Macron kowtow route to Beijing, but he refuses to close off diplomatic relations as China hardliners like former Tory leader Sir Iain Duncan Smith want.

He believes that keeping channels open and talking may not change minds immediately but maintain influence and pressure for change.

It is a long way from the time when a newly elected MP for Braintree made headlines with a radio interview where he admitted to having viewed porn and did a snog, marry and avoid question session about Theresa May and Yvette Cooper.

At the time he got away with it as a “breath of fresh air” a little like Obama did when he admitted to smoking dope and – in a dig at Bill Clinton – noted that “he did inhale” because “that’s the point.”

But the easy-going nature and charm, ability to talk off the cuff easily and the regular appearances on TV have not always endeared him to people.

He got a reputation as “a bit of a bullsh***er” at one point which fed into the narrative that he did not have the substance to be a party leader.

This may be why he asked Boris Johnson to move him from being party chairman – a role he was superb at in terms of campaigning and talking to activists.

That time as chairman during the 2019 election, despite an infamous brief falling out with Sky’s Kay Burley will be a major bonus in any leadership bid.

In the internicene fury at the way Boris Johnson was deposed it will also not harm his chances that he remained loyal to Johnson and Liz Truss afterwards.

In the meantime, he has more than answered his critics on substance by becoming one of the pre-eminent foreign ministers on the world stage.

If Sunak goes after the next election, then expect Cleverly’s name to be vying with Kemi Badenoch, Suella Braverman and others to be leader.

But it is hard to see a contender who is better prepared and suited for the role.

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