Tom Tugendhat has been promoted to the Conservative front bench as Shadow Foreign Secretary in Kemi Badenoch's shadow cabinet reshuffle. The announcement was made ahead of Parliament's return on Tuesday.
This appointment means former Home Secretary Priti Patel will move to an “international role” focused on building alliances between the Conservatives and other centre-right parties globally. Patel stated this new position would offer her “greater freedom” to represent her Witham constituency. Badenoch described Patel as “exceptionally loyal, hard-working and supportive during a very difficult period for the party.”
A source close to Badenoch indicated that Tugendhat, a former security minister, received the news while engaging with Taiwanese officials regarding threats from China. Tugendhat previously served as security minister between 2022 and 2024 and has been a vocal critic of governments in Russia, Iran, and China.
The reshuffle was initiated by James Cleverly's resignation on Saturday night, as he announced his intention to seek the Conservative nomination for London mayor. Stuart Andrew, the shadow health secretary, is also set to leave his position. A replacement for Claire Coutinho, who is due to take maternity leave, could be confirmed in the coming days.