James Cleverly rejects claims he is running scared of Reform with London mayor bid as he brands Nigel Farage a toddler

James Cleverly has dismissed suggestions he is running scared of Reform UK after announcing his bid to become the Conservative candidate for London Mayor. The former Home Secretary spoke to GB News following his decision to step down from Kemi Badenoch’s Shadow Cabinet.

Reacting to the news, Reform leader Nigel Farage claimed on X that Sir James was abandoning his Essex Braintree constituency over fears Reform would defeat him at the next general election. Mr Farage wrote that Tory MPs giving up hope of winning their seats mean they are done for.

Pressed on those claims by GB News, the former Shadow Justice Secretary insisted that Braintree had zero chance of returning a Reform MP. Sir James also argued that Reform was coming off the boil, suggesting voters were increasingly seeking concrete solutions rather than simple criticism of the Government.

The people in Braintree recognised and the people in London recognise that there’s no point in just having people who point at problems and just say, ‘Oh, I don’t like it, I don’t like it’ like a toddler.

— James Cleverly, Conservative MP, GB News

Sir James stated that voters want people who get a grip of situations and make a positive difference. He guaranteed that Reform’s high watermark was well behind them, adding that shouting at problems is entirely different from dealing with them.

Setting out his case to challenge Sadiq Khan, Sir James pointed to his previous experience at City Hall before he became an MP. He noted his work on the police authority, chairing the fire authority, serving on the Waste and Recycling Board, and proposing measures to reduce youth reoffending.

Meanwhile, Reform London Mayor candidate Laila Cunningham warned in the GB News studio that her new rival could prove to be another Sadiq Khan, noting that recent polling means he will have to beat her first.

Original source: Read the full report at GB News