Sir James Cleverly is set to return to the Conservative front bench as shadow housing secretary, as Kemi Badenoch shakes up her top team.
The former foreign secretary is understood to be joining the shadow cabinet in the job shadowing Angela Rayner in the housing, communities and local government brief.
Sir James served in the foreign office and as home secretary when the Conservatives were in power.
He stood as a candidate in last year's Conservative leadership election, but lost out on the Tory top job ahead of the final heat between Badenoch and her now shadow justice secretary Robert Jenrick.
Since the leadership contest, he had returned to the Tory back benches as the MP for Braintree.
As well as Sir James's appointment, it is understood Kevin Hollinrake will move to the role of party chairman, replacing Nigel Huddleston, who will become shadow culture secretary.
Hollinrake was previously in the shadow MHCLG job, which will be filled by Sir James.
Stuart Andrew will become shadow health secretary, replacing Edward Argar, who resigned citing health reasons.
Further changes expected
Further changes are expected to be confirmed later on Tuesday, and a Conservative source said earlier that they will "reflect the next stage of the party's policy renewal programme and underline the unity of the party under new leadership".
Allies of shadow chancellor Sir Mel Stride believe he will remain in his post, while attention will be focused on whether Badenoch keeps Jenrick in his current role.
The former leadership contender has strayed well beyond his justice brief, building a prominent social media presence with campaigns on a range of issues from tackling fare dodgers on the London Underground to the impact of immigration on housing.
Since moving to the backbenches, Sir James has used his influential position as a former minister to warn against pursuing populist agenda akin to Nigel Farage's Reform UK.
Appearing at the Institute For Public Policy Research (IPPR) think tank last week, the senior Tory hit out at calls to "smash the system" and "start again from scratch", branding them "complete nonsense".
(PA) Note: This article has been edited with the help of Artificial Intelligence.
