Dame Priti Patel is taking on a new international role within the Conservative Party after leaving her position as Shadow Foreign Secretary, with Kemi Badenoch asking the former Home Secretary to strengthen the party's relationships with conservative and centre-right movements around the world.
Patel announced the move as Badenoch began reshaping her senior Conservative team, saying she would continue supporting the party while returning to the back benches in the House of Commons.
Badenoch has since described Patel's new position as International Secretary of the Conservative Party, giving the role a clearer title than was initially set out in Patel's own announcement.
Patel sets out new international mission
In her statement, Patel said she was pleased to continue supporting Badenoch and the Conservatives in a role focused on strengthening relationships with fellow conservatives and centre-right parties worldwide.
She argued that closer cooperation between conservatives is particularly important at a time of profound global uncertainty and threats to shared values and freedoms.
Patel also described leading the Conservative foreign affairs team as an honour, highlighting the party's opposition to the Government's Chagos Islands policy and its calls for stronger action in response to threats from China, Iran and Russia.
Badenoch names Patel International Secretary
Badenoch has now provided further detail about the appointment, saying she has asked Patel to serve as International Secretary of the Conservative Party.
The Conservative leader praised Patel as exceptionally loyal, hard working and supportive during what she described as a difficult period for the party.
Badenoch said Patel had entered the Shadow Cabinet at a time when experienced figures were needed and had performed an important job before being asked to take on another significant role for the party.
The new position is expected to focus on building and maintaining relationships between the Conservatives and ideologically aligned political parties and movements internationally.
Building links with centre-right parties overseas
Patel's appointment gives her a party role outside the Shadow Cabinet but one that draws heavily on the international relationships she developed as Shadow Foreign Secretary and during her previous Cabinet career.
Her statement emphasised cooperation between conservative movements at a time of heightened geopolitical uncertainty.
The precise programme attached to the International Secretary position has not yet been published in detail, so it is not yet clear which sister parties or international organisations will form the immediate focus of Patel's work.
What has been confirmed is the central purpose of the role: strengthening the Conservative Party's links with fellow conservative and centre-right parties internationally.
More freedom to represent Witham
Patel said returning to the back benches would also give her greater freedom to focus on her Witham constituency in Essex.
She criticised the Labour Government over local transport, education, policing and development issues and pledged to remain a vocal advocate for her constituents in the Commons.
That means Patel will combine her new party-level international responsibilities with a more independent parliamentary role outside Badenoch's frontbench team.
Tugendhat takes foreign affairs brief
Patel's departure comes as Tom Tugendhat returns to frontline Conservative politics to take over the foreign affairs brief.
BBC News reported on Monday that it had been told the former Security Minister would replace Patel as Shadow Foreign Secretary, following the original report in The Telegraph.
Tugendhat previously chaired the House of Commons Foreign Affairs Committee and is known for his hawkish positions on China and national security.
His return forms part of a broader reshuffle as Badenoch reconstructs her frontbench following a series of departures and other required changes.
A new role rather than departure from Tory leadership team
Patel's move is therefore more than simply an exit from the Shadow Cabinet.
Although she will no longer hold a shadow ministerial portfolio, Badenoch has retained the former Home Secretary in a formal Conservative Party role with an international remit.
The appointment also allows Badenoch to bring Tugendhat back onto the front bench while continuing to make use of Patel's experience and overseas political relationships.
Further details of Patel's work as International Secretary, including the parties and international networks she will engage with, are expected to become clearer as she begins the new role.