James Cleverly has resigned from the Conservative shadow cabinet to run for mayor of London, according to the Guardian. The Tory heavyweight, who was once home secretary and foreign secretary and most recently served as shadow minister for housing, communities and local government, told the Sunday Times he would resign with immediate effect.

In a series of interviews on Sunday, Cleverly vowed to run a “classically Conservative” campaign to become mayor of London. He insisted that a victory in the capital would serve as a stepping stone for Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch to become prime minister.

Cleverly denied that he had resigned from the shadow cabinet to run for mayor as a response to a shift to the right under Badenoch’s leadership, according to the Guardian.

However, the report noted that in his Sunday interviews he avoided speaking about culture wars issues, which have been a focus for the Conservative leader.

Speaking to LBC, Cleverly took aim at his potential rivals and the current mayor, saying Sadiq Khan had “lost passion for the job” and describing Andy Burnham as “very anti-London”.

Cleverly’s move marks a significant shift for one of the most senior figures in the Conservative Party, positioning him to contest one of the most high-profile elected offices in the country.