James Cleverly, the Conservative heavyweight who has held the titles of home secretary, foreign secretary, and shadow minister for housing, communities and local government, has resigned from the shadow cabinet with immediate effect. His new ambition? To become the mayor of London. Because why not add 'mayor' to a CV that already reads like a game of ministerial bingo?

The MP for Braintree, who lost his bid to lead the Tories to Kemi Badenoch, is seen as a more moderate voice in a party that has recently been competing in a right-wing lurching contest. Informing Badenoch of his departure, Cleverly told the Sunday Times: "She took it very well. Kemi has been very gracious." One can only imagine the graciousness required when a colleague quits to pursue a job that might overshadow your leadership.

Cleverly's rationale? "Our route to getting Kemi in No 10 has got to be through success in London," he explained. "It's a business city, entrepreneurialism, arts, culture. I don't buy the lazy idea that London is a Labour city. It represents the philosophical heart of the Conservative party." Because nothing says 'Conservative heart' like a city that has elected a Labour mayor since 2016.

The resignation comes ahead of the Conservative party conference in October, where Cleverly is expected to make his pitch to party members. Sources close to Badenoch told the Sunday Times she was "gutted" but "delighted that someone of his calibre wants to put himself forward." A complex emotional state, but politics does strange things to people.

Cleverly had kind words for his leader: "Frankly, Kemi is doing really well now. She's getting great cut-through. It took longer than any of us would have liked, but she's getting it." High praise indeed, delivered with the enthusiasm of a man already eyeing the exit.

Meanwhile, Sadiq Khan is halfway through his third term as mayor and hasn't said whether he'll run for a fourth in May 2028. Susan Hall was the Tory candidate in 2024 but lost to Khan, who won with 43.8% of the vote. If Khan steps down, Labour MP Dawn Butler is expected to enter the race, having previously expressed interest.

Cleverly is the most senior Tory to run for mayor in recent memory. He accused Khan of being "asleep at the wheel" and using the role as a stepping stone. "Sadiq has been trying to get out of that job for quite a while," Cleverly said. "He went in with the intention of doing what Boris [Johnson] did, using it as a high-profile platform to get him his next big job in government. There has been lots of posturing, very little delivery. Lots of picking rows with the president of America, less focus on bringing down street crime. It wouldn't surprise me if he bows out for 2028. He's lost the passion for the job."

Days before Keir Starmer stood down as PM, he gave Khan a peerage, potentially opening the door to joining Andy Burnham's cabinet. But Khan has reportedly told Burnham he has no wish to be a minister in his government. So the London mayoral race is shaping up to be a game of musical chairs, with Cleverly hoping the music stops in his favor.