James Cleverly
Encyclopedia
James Spencer Cleverly (born 4 September 1969) is Leader of the Conservative group on the London Assembly
, the Chairman of the London Waste and Recycling Board and until February 2010 was the Mayor of London's Ambassador for Youth. He was elected for the Bexley and Bromley constituency
in May 2008 as a candidate of the Conservative Party
. He won by a majority of 75,237, by far the largest margin in any of the fourteen constituencies.
. He attended Riverston School and Colfe's School
, both in Lee, South East London and after a short time in the Army
gained a degree at Thames Valley University
(now known as the University of West London).
Before being elected he worked in the magazine and web publishing industry, he is the author of a long standing and well known blog
. He is a Major in the Territorial Army.
, these included the borough council elections 2002, a borough council by-election in 2003, for the Lewisham East
seat for the UK Parliament in the 2005 general election
and as the Conservative candidate for the directly elected mayor of Lewisham
in 2006.
In March 2007 he was selected as the candidate for the Bexley and Bromley constituency of the London Assembly in a very tightly fought selection contest. The London Assembly election was held on the 1st of May with the count and declaration on the 2nd, he received 105,162 votes (52.6% of the vote) and majority of 75,237.
In November 2010 James was reselected to be the Conservative candidate for Bexley and Bromley in the 2012 GLA elections.
. The creation of the role caused some controversy as it was not filled by a mayoral appointment but by a member of the assembly whose formal role is to scrutinise the Mayor. The decision was defended because of the precedent set by the appointment of Kit Malthouse
as Deputy Mayor for Policing.
In February 2010 James was appointed as the Chairman of the London Waste and Recycling Board replacing Boris Johnson
who stood down from the role at that point. James is also the Chair of the London Assembly's Health and Public Services Committee and also sits on the Transport, Budget & Performance and Environment Committees. He is also a member of the Metropolitan Police Authority and a board member of the London Development Agency.
London Assembly
The London Assembly is an elected body, part of the Greater London Authority, that scrutinises the activities of the Mayor of London and has the power, with a two-thirds majority, to amend the mayor's annual budget. The assembly was established in 2000 and is headquartered at City Hall on the south...
, the Chairman of the London Waste and Recycling Board and until February 2010 was the Mayor of London's Ambassador for Youth. He was elected for the Bexley and Bromley constituency
Bexley and Bromley (London Assembly constituency)
Bexley and Bromley is a constituency represented in the London Assembly.It consists of the combined area of the London Borough of Bexley and the London Borough of Bromley...
in May 2008 as a candidate of the Conservative Party
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
. He won by a majority of 75,237, by far the largest margin in any of the fourteen constituencies.
History
James Cleverly was born in Lewisham Hospital, his father is British and his mother from Sierra LeoneSierra Leone
Sierra Leone , officially the Republic of Sierra Leone, is a country in West Africa. It is bordered by Guinea to the north and east, Liberia to the southeast, and the Atlantic Ocean to the west and southwest. Sierra Leone covers a total area of and has an estimated population between 5.4 and 6.4...
. He attended Riverston School and Colfe's School
Colfe's School
Colfe's is a co-educational independent day school in Horn Park in the London Borough of Greenwich. The school is a member of the Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference. The official Visitor to the school is HRH Prince Michael of Kent.-History:...
, both in Lee, South East London and after a short time in the Army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
gained a degree at Thames Valley University
Thames Valley University
The University of West London is a public university based in London, United Kingdom, with campuses in Ealing and Brentford, London, and Reading, Berkshire....
(now known as the University of West London).
Before being elected he worked in the magazine and web publishing industry, he is the author of a long standing and well known blog
Blog
A blog is a type of website or part of a website supposed to be updated with new content from time to time. Blogs are usually maintained by an individual with regular entries of commentary, descriptions of events, or other material such as graphics or video. Entries are commonly displayed in...
. He is a Major in the Territorial Army.
Elections
He had previously stood unsuccessfully in a number of elections the London Borough of LewishamLondon Borough of Lewisham
The London Borough of Lewisham is a London borough in south-east London, England and forms part of Inner London. The principal settlement of the borough is Lewisham...
, these included the borough council elections 2002, a borough council by-election in 2003, for the Lewisham East
Lewisham East
Lewisham East is a borough constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election...
seat for the UK Parliament in the 2005 general election
United Kingdom general election, 2005
The United Kingdom general election of 2005 was held on Thursday, 5 May 2005 to elect 646 members to the British House of Commons. The Labour Party under Tony Blair won its third consecutive victory, but with a majority of 66, reduced from 160....
and as the Conservative candidate for the directly elected mayor of Lewisham
Directly elected mayor of Lewisham
The directly elected mayor of Lewisham is a directly elected mayor responsible for the executive function of Lewisham London Borough Council in London, England. The incumbent since the post was created in 2002 is Steve Bullock.-Referendum:-References:...
in 2006.
In March 2007 he was selected as the candidate for the Bexley and Bromley constituency of the London Assembly in a very tightly fought selection contest. The London Assembly election was held on the 1st of May with the count and declaration on the 2nd, he received 105,162 votes (52.6% of the vote) and majority of 75,237.
In November 2010 James was reselected to be the Conservative candidate for Bexley and Bromley in the 2012 GLA elections.
Political
In January 2009 James was appointed as the Mayor of London's Youth Ambassador a newly created role which was seen as being a replacement post for the Deputy Mayor for Young People, a post left vacant after the resignation of Ray LewisRay Lewis (youth worker)
Ray Lewis , is a Guyana-born youth worker in the United Kingdom and a former Deputy Mayor of London.-Career:Lewis was educated in a school in Walthamstow. He began his career as an administrative officer in the civil service, then studied Theology & Pastoral Studies at Middlesex University before...
. The creation of the role caused some controversy as it was not filled by a mayoral appointment but by a member of the assembly whose formal role is to scrutinise the Mayor. The decision was defended because of the precedent set by the appointment of Kit Malthouse
Kit Malthouse
Kit Malthouse is Deputy Mayor of London with responsibility for the Metropolitan Police. A politician, businessman and occasional writer, he is a Conservative and a member of the London Assembly representing the West Central constituency, which encompasses the City of Westminster, the London...
as Deputy Mayor for Policing.
In February 2010 James was appointed as the Chairman of the London Waste and Recycling Board replacing Boris Johnson
Boris Johnson
Alexander Boris de Pfeffel Johnson is a British journalist and Conservative Party politician, who has been the elected Mayor of London since 2008...
who stood down from the role at that point. James is also the Chair of the London Assembly's Health and Public Services Committee and also sits on the Transport, Budget & Performance and Environment Committees. He is also a member of the Metropolitan Police Authority and a board member of the London Development Agency.