Support truly
independent journalism
Support Now
Our mission is to deliver unbiased, fact-based reporting that holds power to account and exposes the truth.
Whether $5 or $50, every contribution counts.
Support us to deliver journalism without an agenda.
Louise Thomas
Editor
James Cleverly has jokingly sought to dispel a rumour he says has been making its way around Westminster for years, by admitting he is fan of the game Warhammer.
The Conservative MP and former foreign secretary posted a selfie on X, formerly Twitter, with a freshly painted Warhammer 40k figurine much to the amusement of many social media users.
“There have been some rumours about me floating around Westminster for some time. There is no point in trying to hide this any longer. It’s true”, the Lewisham-born father-of-two and MP for Braintree in Essex wrote.
Hundreds of fellow Warhammer players replied with photos of their figurines. One, named Grace, wrote: “Honestly, of all the MPs to say this I was not expecting this.” And another said: “Regardless of politics. Happy wargaming.”
There have been some rumours about me floating around Westminster for some time.
— James Cleverly🇬🇧 (@JamesCleverly) July 11, 2024
There is no point in trying to hide this any longer.
It’s true. #warhammer40k pic.twitter.com/bcVLKoCsEa
Warhammer 40K is a game of fantasy battles in which players collect mini-figurines of heroic humans, elves, orcs and other mythical creatures to act out clashes on a tabletop battlefield. While playing the battles is a huge part of the game, arguably a bigger part is the hours spent building and painting the miniatures.
Eagle-eyed followers previously had their suspicions about Mr Cleverly when they unearthed a 2012 tweet on his account showing that he’d liked a YouTube video titled: ‘How to paint Astorath The Grim? Warhammer 40000 | Blood Angels’. An X user called Ben wrote last year: “A huge day for nerds everywhere. James Cleverly is the first openly Warhammer-painting person to hold one of the great offices of state.”
Another fan noticed Warhammer boxes behind him during an interview with the BBC in 2021 and posted a picture of it on X. The user noted Mr Cleverly’s boxes were for Battle Sisters, Warhammer’s version of the warrior nun trope.
Mr Cleverly was raised in Chelmsford in Essex to Evelyn Suna Cleverly, a midwife from Sierra Leone and James Philip Cleverly, a British-born surveyor. The former army officer rose through the ranks of the Conservative party serving as home secretary, foreign secretary and education secretary.
Disclaimer: The copyright of this article belongs to the original author. Reposting this article is solely for the purpose of information dissemination and does not constitute any investment advice. If there is any infringement, please contact us immediately. We will make corrections or deletions as necessary. Thank you.
