Kemi Badenoch has begun a reshuffle of her shadow Cabinet, with Priti Patel stepping down from the front bench and Tom Tugendhat tipped to succeed her as shadow foreign secretary. The changes come as the Conservative leader looks to sharpen her party's attacks on new Prime Minister Andy Burnham ahead of Parliament returning, and follow James Cleverly's decision to step back from his shadow housing brief to pursue a bid for London Mayor.

Patel said she would take on an "international role" strengthening ties with sister conservative parties abroad, while gaining more freedom to focus on her Witham constituency. Badenoch also needs to find cover for shadow energy secretary Claire Coutinho, who is due to go on maternity leave, with Katie Lam among those tipped for promotion; the fate of shadow chancellor Mel Stride remains unclear. Tugendhat, regarded as one of the most hawkish Tory MPs on China and a vocal opponent of the planned Chinese "super embassy" in London, would take over Patel's brief, which has included criticism of the Chagos Islands deal and calls for tougher action against China, Iran and Russia.