James Cleverly is not ruling out a bid to be the next leader of the Conservative Party. 

The shadow home secretary made clear this morning that he could decide to enter the race to replace Rishi Sunak but suggested he was yet to make a final decision. 

Nominations in the contest will open tomorrow and will close on July 29, with a winner then due to be appointed on November 2. 

Asked if he could be the next leader, Mr Cleverly told BBC Breakfast this morning: “The process has only just been announced. Obviously people will be having conversations with colleagues and a number of people will put themselves forward and we will have a competition over the summer and a new leader of the Conservative Party by November. 

“But I have, since become [shadow] home secretary, focused predominantly of course on holding the new Labour Government to account.. and that is what I will be continuing to do and we will see what happens once those nominations are open.” 

Told that that was “not a no”, Mr Cleverly laughed and said: “That is not a no. But also I am mainly here to talk about the disastrous start that the Labour Government has had in the home affairs portfolio.”

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