Penny Mordaunt

Penelope Mary Mordaunt (/ˈmɔːrdənt/; born 4 March 1973) is a British politician who has served as Leader of the House of Commons and Lord President of the Council since 2022. A member of the Conservative Party, she has been Member of Parliament (MP) for Portsmouth North since the 2010 general election. She has run twice for the Conservative party leadership in July–September and October 2022, losing to Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak respectively.

The Right Honourable Penny Mordaunt MP
Official portrait, 2022
Leader of the House of Commons Lord President of the Council
Incumbent
Assumed office 6 September 2022
Prime Minister	Liz Truss Rishi Sunak
Preceded by	Mark Spencer
Secretary of State for Defence
In office 1 May 2019 – 24 July 2019
Prime Minister	Theresa May
Preceded by	Gavin Williamson
Succeeded by	Ben Wallace
Secretary of State for International Development
In office 9 November 2017 – 1 May 2019
Prime Minister	Theresa May
Preceded by	Priti Patel
Succeeded by	Rory Stewart
Minister for Women and Equalities
In office 30 April 2018 – 24 July 2019
Prime Minister	Theresa May
Preceded by	Amber Rudd
Succeeded by	Amber Rudd
Junior ministerial offices Minister of State for Trade Policy In office 16 September 2021 – 6 September 2022 Prime Minister Boris Johnson Preceded by Greg Hands Succeeded by Conor Burns Paymaster General In office 13 February 2020 – 16 September 2021 Prime Minister Boris Johnson Preceded by Oliver Dowden Succeeded by Michael Ellis Minister of State for Disabled People, Work and Health In office 15 July 2016 – 9 November 2017 Prime Minister Theresa May Preceded by Justin Tomlinson Succeeded by Sarah Newton Minister of State for the Armed Forces In office 11 May 2015 – 15 July 2016 Prime Minister David Cameron Preceded by Mark François Succeeded by Mike Penning Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government In office 14 July 2014 – 11 May 2015 Prime Minister David Cameron Preceded by Nick Boles Succeeded by James Wharton
Member of Parliament for Portsmouth North
Incumbent
Assumed office 6 May 2010
Preceded by	Sarah McCarthy-Fry
Majority	15,780 (34.4%)
Personal details
Born	Penelope Mary Mordaunt (1973-03-04) 4 March 1973 (age 51) Torquay, Devon, England
Political party	Conservative
Spouse	Paul Murray ​ ​ (m. 1999; div. 2000)​
Alma mater	University of Reading (BA)
Signature
Website	pennymordaunt.com
Military service
Allegiance	United Kingdom
Branch/service	Royal Navy
Years of service	2010–2019^[1]
Rank	Acting Sub-Lieutenant (Honorary Captain)
Unit	Royal Naval Reserve
Penny Mordaunt's voice Mordaunt comments on her appointment as Secretary of State for International Development Recorded 10 November 2017

Mordaunt read philosophy at the University of Reading, before working in the public relations industry. She held roles under Conservative Party leaders John Major and William Hague, and also worked for George W. Bush's presidential campaigns in 2000 and 2004. Mordaunt was elected to the House of Commons at the 2010 general election. Under the coalition government of David Cameron, she served as Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Decentralisation from 2014 to 2015. After the 2015 general election, Cameron promoted her to Minister of State for the Armed Forces, the first woman to hold the post. Mordaunt supported Brexit in the 2016 referendum on EU membership. Following Theresa May's appointment as Prime Minister, Mordaunt was appointed Minister of State for Disabled People, Work and Health. In 2017, following the resignation of Priti Patel, she was appointed Secretary of State for International Development. She also served as Minister for Women and Equalities from 2018 to 2019.

In May 2019, Mordaunt was appointed to the Cabinet position of Secretary of State for Defence, replacing Gavin Williamson, becoming the first woman to hold the post. She served as Defence Secretary for 85 days before returning to the backbenches, having been removed from office by the new Prime Minister Boris Johnson. In the February 2020 reshuffle, she re-entered government as Paymaster General. In the 2021 reshuffle, she was appointed Minister of State for Trade Policy.

Following Johnson's announcement in July 2022 that he would resign as Leader of the Conservative Party and Prime Minister, Mordaunt entered the leadership contest to succeed him, but was eliminated in the final round of voting among Conservative MPs and subsequently endorsed Truss. Mordaunt was appointed as Leader of the House of Commons and Lord President of the Council when Truss became Prime Minister. Following Truss's resignation on 20 October 2022, Mordaunt made a second bid to become Conservative leader and Prime Minister. She pulled out of the election after being unable to gain the necessary endorsement of 100 MPs, allowing Sunak to become Conservative Leader and Prime Minister unopposed. Sunak later retained Mordaunt in his cabinet, continuing as Leader of the House of Commons and Lord President, giving her a role at the coronation of Charles III and Camilla.

Early life and education

Penelope Mary Mordaunt was born on 4 March 1973^[2][3][4][5] in Torquay, Devon.^[6] The daughter of a former paratrooper, she says that she was named after HMS Penelope.^[7] Her father, John Mordaunt, born at Hilsea Barracks, served in the Parachute Regiment before retraining as a teacher, and later became a youth worker for Hampshire County Council.^[8] Her mother, Jennifer (née Snowden), was a special needs teacher at schools in Purbrook.^[8] Through her mother she is a relative of Philip Snowden, the first Labour Chancellor of the Exchequer.^[9] The actress Dame Angela Lansbury was her grandmother's cousin,^[10][11] thus she is distantly related to former Labour Party leader George Lansbury.^[12]

Mordaunt has two brothers: her twin, James, and a younger brother, Edward.^[13] She was educated at Oaklands Roman Catholic School in Waterlooville, Hampshire, and studied drama at the Victoryland Theatre School.^[14] Mordaunt was 15 when her mother died of breast cancer and after leaving school, she became her younger brother Edward's primary caregiver. The following year her father was also diagnosed with cancer, from which he recovered. To support her time at university Mordaunt worked in a Johnson & Johnson factory, and became a magician's assistant to Will Ayling, a past president of the Portsmouth and District Magic Circle and of the British Ring of the International Brotherhood of Magicians.^[15]

Mordaunt has attributed her interest in politics to her experiences whilst working in hospitals and orphanages of Romania in the aftermath of the 1989 revolution.^[16] Mordaunt read philosophy at the University of Reading, graduating in 1995 with upper second class honours. Although her parents had both undertaken further education, Mordaunt was the first member of her family to attend university.^[13] Mordaunt was active in student politics and served as president of the Reading University Students' Union.^[17]

Early professional career

After graduation, Mordaunt worked in public relations in various sectors. Under Prime Minister John Major she was Head of Youth for the Conservative Party, before working for two years as Head of Broadcasting for the Conservatives under party leader William Hague (1999–2001).^[4][13] She worked as a communications specialist for the Freight Transport Association (now Logistics UK) from 1997 to 1999. In 2000, she worked briefly as Head of Foreign Press for George W. Bush's presidential campaign.^[18][19]

She was Communications Director for the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea from 2001 to 2003, before leaving to set up a new Anglo-American website called 'virtualconservatives'.^[20][13] Lord Moylan, who was Deputy Leader of Kensington and Chelsea Council where Mordaunt was hired as a Director of Communications, said: "We had to get rid of her after a few months because she was incompetent."^[21]

From 2004 to 2006, she was a director of Media Intelligence Partners.^[4] Mordaunt worked again for the Bush campaign in 2004.^[22] She was a director at the Community Fund, which merged with the New Opportunities Fund to create the Big Lottery Fund, and created the Veterans Reunited programme, enabling service men and women to visit World War II battlefields and be involved in commemorative events.^[8] Mordaunt worked for the Big Lottery Fund from 2003 to 2005.^[4] In 2006, she became one of six directors at charity Diabetes UK, a role she held until 2009.^[4][23][24]

Entry into parliament

In November 2003, Mordaunt was selected as the Conservative candidate to contest Portsmouth North in the 2005 general election. She attained a 5.5% swing towards the Conservatives,^[13] but lost to Labour candidate Sarah McCarthy-Fry by 1,139 votes.^[25] A critic of women-only shortlists,^[26][27] Mordaunt worked after the 2005 election as chief of staff for David Willetts's aborted leadership campaign.^[28]

Mordaunt was re-selected in January 2006 to contest Portsmouth North at the 2010 general election.^[13] At the election, she won the seat with an 8.6% swing from Labour, giving her a 7,289 majority. After her election in 2010, she became a member of the Public Bill Committee for the Defence Reform Act 2014.^[29] In Parliament, she has also previously sat on the Privacy and Injunctions (Joint Committee), the Defence Committee, the European Scrutiny Committee and the Committees on Arms Export Controls (formerly Quadripartite Committee).^[30]

In 2014, Mordaunt proposed the Loyal Address in reply to the Queen's Speech from the throne.^[31][32] When receiving the Speech of the Year award at The Spectator magazine's Parliamentarian of the Year Awards in November 2014, Mordaunt said that she had delivered a speech in the House of Commons just before the Easter recess in 2013 on poultry welfare so as to use the word "cock", as a forfeit for a misdemeanour during Naval Reserve training.^[33][34] She used the word "cock" six times and "lay" or "laid" five times. Following her comments, she was accused by Labour MP Kate Hoey of trivialising parliament.^[35] At the 2015 general election, Mordaunt was re-elected as the MP for Portsmouth North with an increased majority of 10,537.^[36] She was re-elected at the 2017 general election with a decreased majority of 9,965,^[37] but at the 2019 general election she increased her majority to 15,780,^[38] where she won 61.4% of the vote.

Ministerial career

Mordaunt was appointed Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Decentralisation at the Department for Communities and Local Government by Prime Minister David Cameron in the 2014 cabinet reshuffle.^[10][39] During her tenure, she was accused by the Fire Brigades Union "of misleading MPs over assurances given to firefighters from fire authorities regarding what would happen to their pensions if they fail fitness tests". This dispute led to strike action by firefighters over the increase of retirement age.^[40]

Mordaunt was appointed Minister of State for the Armed Forces in May 2015, becoming the first woman to hold the post.^[41] Major Robert Campbell, who was investigated and exonerated over the death of an Iraqi in 2003, criticised Mordaunt for backing the Iraq Historic Allegations Team while she was Armed Forces Minister, stating: "Now she is depicting herself as the armed forces champion but she never did anything for me. She needs to apologise for how we were treated. She failed us as the armed forces champion."^[42] In July 2016, following Theresa May's appointment as Prime Minister, Mordaunt was appointed Minister of State for Disabled People, Work and Health at the Department for Work and Pensions.

Secretary of State for International Development: 2017–2019

 

Mordaunt on a visit to Kutupalong in Bangladesh in November 2017

Mordaunt was promoted to the Cabinet as Secretary of State for International Development by Prime Minister Theresa May on 9 November 2017, after Priti Patel resigned.^[43] In February 2018, an investigation by The Times newspaper revealed allegations of misconduct by Oxfam staff operating in Haiti, in the aftermath of the 2010 earthquake. Mordaunt argued that Oxfam, which had received £32 million in Government funds in the previous financial year, had failed in its "moral leadership" over the scandal. She also said that Oxfam did "absolutely the wrong thing" by not reporting the detail of the allegations to the Government. Mordaunt felt it was important for aid organisations to report offences because she suspected that there were paedophiles "targeting" the charity sector in order to carry out predatory activities.^[44]

Minister for Women and Equalities: 2018–2019

Mordaunt became Minister for Women and Equalities in April 2018, replacing Amber Rudd, who had resigned following the Windrush scandal.^[45] In July 2018 she became the first minister to use sign language in the House of Commons, to applause from all sides.^[46] In March 2019, she was criticised in a newspaper article by Maya Forstater, who claimed she had not answered to Mumsnet users' satisfaction questions on sex and gender during a webchat held on International Women's Day.^[47]

Secretary of State for Defence: 2019

 

Mordaunt in 2019

On 1 May 2019, Mordaunt was appointed as the first female Secretary of State for Defence following the dismissal of Gavin Williamson.^[48] After Boris Johnson was elected Conservative Leader and appointed Prime Minister, he sacked Mordaunt as Defence Secretary, thus she left the Government on 24 July 2019.^[49] Mordaunt had been a prominent supporter of Johnson's opponent, Jeremy Hunt, in the 2019 Conservative Party leadership election.^[50][51]

Re-entry into Government

In a cabinet reshuffle in February 2020, Mordaunt re-entered the Government, joining the Cabinet Office as Paymaster General in succession to Oliver Dowden.^[52] She was the UK alternate co-chair of the EU Withdrawal Agreement Joint Committee.^[53] She was appointed Minister of State for Trade Policy in the 2021 cabinet reshuffle.^[54] Lord Frost was critical of her time as his deputy in the Brexit negotiations, saying he had "grave reservations" about her being Prime Minister and that "she did not master the detail that was necessary when we were in negotiations".^[55][56]

Leader of the House of Commons: 2022–present

 

Mordaunt, as Lord President of the Council, arriving at the Accession Council of King Charles III

On 6 September 2022, Mordaunt was appointed Leader of the House of Commons and Lord President of the Council. Four days later, as Lord President of the Council, she presided over the Accession Council ceremony of King Charles III.^[57] During a debate in the House of Commons, Mordaunt deputised for Liz Truss to receive questions from Leader of the Labour Party Sir Keir Starmer. After Truss resigned and was succeeded by Sunak a month later, Mordaunt remained Leader of the House of Commons and Lord President of the Council.

On 6 May 2023, Mordaunt participated in the coronation of Charles III and Camilla, presenting the Jewelled Sword of Offering, in her ceremonial role as Lord President of the Privy Council and bearer of the Sword of State.^[58] She became the first woman ever to fulfil the role. Instead of the traditional court dress,^[59] Mordaunt commissioned her outfit, which included teal-shade cape dress and headpiece both embroidered with golden ferns.^[60] Mordaunt's outfit and overall performance in carrying the heavy Sword of State went viral online,^[61] receiving praise from both benches of the Parliament.^[62] Mordaunt attributed her strength to her previous navy training,^[63] while disclosing that she took painkillers before the ceremony.^[64]

Conservative Leadership bids

July–September 2022

For broader coverage of this topic, see July–September 2022 Conservative Party leadership election § Campaign.

 

Mordaunt's 2022 leadership logo

In July 2022, following the resignation of Boris Johnson during the July 2022 government crisis, Mordaunt launched her bid to be the next Conservative Leader and consequently UK Prime Minister.^[65][66] An early promotional video published by her campaign attracted criticism for featuring footage of former professional sprinter Oscar Pistorius, who murdered his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp in 2013.^[66][67][68] Athlete Jonnie Peacock requested to be removed from the same video published by her campaign.^[69][70] Mordaunt's campaign edited the video to remove footage of Peacock and Pistorius,^[67] and later issued a third edition of the video with a short clip of the murdered Labour MP Jo Cox removed, following a request from Cox's family.^[71]

In 2018, Mordaunt, the then Women and Equalities Minister, told MPs that "trans men are men, trans women are women" at the launch of a consultation on reforming the Gender Recognition Act.^[72] Several Conservative activists criticised Mordaunt "for her pro-trans stance" according to reports by the Daily Telegraph published on 8 July 2022 the day after Boris Johnson's resignation as Conservative party leader.^[73] On the following day, shortly before she launched her bid for the leadership of the Conservative party, Mordaunt responded to the question "Do I know what a woman is?" by writing on Twitter: "I am biologically a woman. If I have a hysterectomy or mastectomy, I am still a woman. And I am legally a woman. Some people born male and who have been through the gender recognition process are also legally female. That DOES NOT mean they are biological women, like me."^[74] The Spectator noted Mordaunt's earlier stance on trans issues, and was critical of what it called her "cowardice" in changing her publicly stated views, being "willing to toss them overboard at her earliest convenience" during her leadership campaign.^[75][76] The Times described her as a "socially liberal Brexiteer".^[77]

Mordaunt was one of eight contenders who achieved the necessary 20 nominations by 12 July deadline. Three other candidates had to drop out earlier that day.^[78] On 20 July, Mordaunt was eliminated from the fifth round of the leadership competition after failing to secure sufficient support from Conservative MPs.^[65] On 1 August 2022, Mordaunt declared her support for Liz Truss in the final round of the leadership contest.^[79]

October 2022

 

Mordaunt meeting with Rishi Sunak

Following the resignation of Truss during the October 2022 government crisis, Mordaunt declared she would seek nomination in the ensuing Conservative Party leadership election. However, after only 27 MPs publicly backed her nomination, she pulled out of the election, allowing Rishi Sunak to become Leader unopposed. She tweeted her withdrawal two minutes before the 2pm deadline on 24 October, by which candidates needed to have 100 nominations, and then issued a statement. Mordaunt was later re-appointed to her role by Sunak.^[80][81]

Military service

 

Mordaunt was commissioned into the Royal Naval Reserve, serving from 2010 until 2019.^[1] From 2010 until 2015, she served as an acting sub-lieutenant, at shore establishment HMS King Alfred on Whale Island, Portsmouth.^[82][83] In May 2015 she was placed onto Reserve 'List 6',^[1] a category for personnel unable to meet any training commitment in excess of a year;^[84] she had "no annual training commitment and received no remuneration" from the Royal Navy during this time.^[1] She remained on List 6 until April 2019, at which point she left the RNR.^[1] Appointed Honorary Commander in April 2019,^[85] she was promoted Honorary Captain RNR on 30 June 2021.^[86]

Views and activities

Splash! appearance

In 2014, Mordaunt appeared on reality television programme Splash!. Although her Labour opponents criticised the media appearance, questioning whether her focus should instead have been on her constituency work,^[87] Mordaunt stated that the response was overwhelmingly positive and defended her appearance,^[88] stating that she was donating all of her £10,000 appearance fee plus any additional sponsorship to charity: £7,000 towards the renovation of her local lido and the rest to four armed services charities.^[89]

Brexit

In the 2016 United Kingdom European Union membership referendum, Mordaunt supported Brexit.^[90] During the referendum campaign, Mordaunt said the United Kingdom did not have a veto to Turkey joining the European Union.^[91] Given this is a provision of the Treaty on European Union, Mordaunt was accused of 'lying' over the matter.^[92][93] When challenged about her claim, Mordaunt said: "There is a provision for a veto but we could not have used it because David Cameron gave an undertaking that he would support their accession and having given that undertaking to a NATO country, he would not have been able to walk away."^[94] She reiterated her defence of her 2016 comments during her Conservative Party leadership campaign in July 2022.^[94]

Northern Ireland

Mordaunt voted in favour of legalising same-sex marriage in Northern Ireland. She has said in the House of Commons that the Northern Ireland protocol creates unique disadvantages for Northern Ireland.^[95]

Homeopathy

Mordaunt has often advocated that the British National Health Service should fund the availability of homeopathy.^[96][97] In 2010, she signed a Parliamentary Early Day Motion that claimed there was "overwhelming anecdotal evidence that homeopathy is effective" and called for the government to "maintain a policy of allowing health commissions to refer to homeopathic doctors and approved homeopaths".^[96][98]

Muslim Council of Britain meeting

Since 2009, Labour, the Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition and Conservative governments have maintained a policy of "non-engagement" with the Muslim Council of Britain due to allegations the group does not represent the British Muslim community and claims that members of the council had made 'favourable' remarks about extremists in the past.^[99][100]

As Paymaster General, Mordaunt met with the Secretary General of the MCB, Zara Mohammed, which Alan Mendoza of the Henry Jackson Society described as "shocking". A Government spokesperson told The Jewish Chronicle: "The UK government has a long-standing policy of not engaging with the MCB and that has not changed."^[99]

Royal yachts

In June 2020, Mordaunt produced a proposal for a pair of ships with the primary role of specialising in trade, research, and humanitarian work. The vessels were to be funded by private, research, commercial and charitable funds, in partnership with the UK's Overseas Development Assistance budget. The vessels could also be used as "cost effective and secure" accommodation for members of the royal family on visits, so would effectively be successor to the Royal Yacht Britannia which had been decommissioned in 1997. Mordaunt said of it, “We know that industry would also support as would a growing coalition of commercial and trade ventures, research organisations, shipbuilders and ship support companies, maritime training organisations and medical and health projects”. The director of the Global Britain Programme at the Henry Jackson Society, said: "These new ships will help project Britain's image around the world".^[101]

Vandalism of War Memorials

In June 2020, in response to vandalism of war memorials, Mordaunt stated: "I would like to suggest that for some found guilty of vandalising such memorials they might benefit from some time spent with our service personnel – perhaps at a battle camp. That might give them a new appreciation of just what these people go through for their sakes."^[102]

Personal life

Mordaunt has been a member of the British Astronomical Association,^[103][104] and, as of 2013^[update], was chair of the Wymering Manor Trust in Portsmouth.^[105] She ran the League of Friends visiting team at the Queen Alexandra Hospital in Portsmouth for eight years.^[8] Mordaunt met Paul Murray when they were both students at the University of Reading and married him in 1999, but that ended in divorce the following year.^[106][107] In 2016, she ended a long-term relationship with businessman Ian Lyon, a part-time classical singer.^[108][109] Mordaunt's hobbies include astronomy, painting, dance and music.^[110][4][8] She owns four Burmese cats.^[111] Following the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, she took a Ukrainian refugee into her home.^[112] In July 2022, Hampshire Police said they were investigating death threats sent to Mordaunt. She strengthened her security after a letter was sent to her constituency office threatening to shoot a bullet in her head and kill all her family.^[113][114]

Decorations

•   : King Charles III Coronation Medal

Publications

• Greater: Britain After the Storm (with Chris Lewis, 2021) ISBN 9781785906091

References

1. "Changes to the Register of Members' Interests: Penny Mordaunt". TheyWorkForYou. from the original on 9 July 2022. Retrieved 9 July 2022.
2. "No. 59418". The London Gazette. 13 May 2010. p. 8744.
3. Mordaunt, Penny (2009). Penny welcome video blog. YouTube. Event occurs at 0:05. Archived from the original on 18 December 2021. Retrieved 21 December 2018.
4. Mordaunt, Rt Hon. Penelope Mary, (Rt Hon. Penny), (born 4 March 1973), PC 2017; MP (C) Portsmouth North, since 2010; Minister of State, Department for International Trade, since 2021. doi:10.1093/ww/9780199540884.013.u251190. ISBN 978-0-19-954088-4. from the original on 14 August 2021. Retrieved 14 July 2022. {{cite book}}: |website= ignored (help)
5. Henderson, Guy (15 July 2022). "Tory leadership candidate Penny Mordaunt under fire as battle turns nasty". DevonLive. from the original on 19 July 2022. Retrieved 19 July 2022.
6. "Penelope Mary Mordaunt" 20 July 2022 at the Wayback Machine in England & Wales, Civil Registration Birth Index, 1916-2007, ancestry.co.uk, accessed 20 July 2022 (subscription required)
7. "Strategic Defence and Security Review". Hansard – UK Parliament. 21 June 2010. from the original on 12 June 2021. Retrieved 3 May 2019.
8. "Meet Your Portsmouth North MP". Age UK. from the original on 16 July 2022. Retrieved 13 July 2022.
9. Kinchen, Rosie (12 January 2014). "Penny Mordaunt: Get fresh and the mermaid of Westminster will break your arm". The Sunday Times. from the original on 2 May 2019. Retrieved 2 May 2019.
10. Hope, Christopher (15 July 2014). "Pen portraits of the 10 Conservative women ministers who were promoted in the reshuffle". The Telegraph. from the original on 17 May 2017. Retrieved 15 July 2014.
11. Bell, Matthew (18 March 2004). "The Feral Beast: Cecilia pins her hopes on the Pope". The Independent. Archived from the original on 25 May 2022. Retrieved 16 May 2009.
12. Profile: Penny Mordaunt, a risqué but not revolting potential Tory leadership contender 13 July 2022 at the Wayback Machine Conservative Home, 17 March 2016. Retrieved 13 July 2022.
13. . conservatives.com. Archived from the original on 30 April 2010. Retrieved 8 May 2015.
14. . conservatives.com. Archived from the original on 16 December 2014. Retrieved 8 May 2015.
15. Darren Slade (9 November 2017). "New minister Penny Mordaunt sawn in half in Bournemouth hotels". Bournemouth Echo. from the original on 6 July 2022. Retrieved 6 July 2022.
16. Murphy, Joe (18 March 2004). "Howard's harem". Evening Standard. Archived from the original on 5 May 2013. Retrieved 8 May 2015.
17. "Penny Mordaunt MP renames landmark University building and gives annual Edith Morley Lecture". University of Reading. 10 March 2017. Archived from the original on 13 July 2022. Retrieved 14 August 2021.
18. "The role of women in McCain's presidential campaign". Woman's Hour. 1 September 2008. BBC Radio 4. from the original on 14 November 2012. Retrieved 16 May 2009.
19. Brogan, Benedict (14 June 2001). "Bush's black spin doctor backs Hague". The Telegraph. from the original on 16 June 2019. Retrieved 16 May 2009.
20. "New Head of PR at Kensington and Chelsea". PR Week. 10 January 2003. from the original on 7 October 2018. Retrieved 5 October 2018.
21. Grylls, George. "Tory leadership debate: Rishi Sunak's plea for honesty". from the original on 15 July 2022. Retrieved 16 July 2022.
22. Hamilton-Miller, Tara (3 January 2008). "Tara's top Tories". New Statesman. from the original on 10 July 2018. Retrieved 16 May 2009.
23. Black, Alex (4 May 2006). "Profile: Penny Mordaunt, Diabetes UK". PR Week. from the original on 8 October 2018. Retrieved 16 May 2009.
24. . Diabetes UK. Archived from the original on 23 May 2008. Retrieved 7 October 2018.
25. "Hopefuls tackle Pompey FC crisis". BBC News. 3 May 2010. from the original on 24 June 2021. Retrieved 23 June 2021.
26. Appleton, Josie (20 April 2005). "How will women vote?". Spiked. from the original on 18 February 2018. Retrieved 16 May 2009.
27. Woolf, Marie (15 January 2005). "Tories face call for positive discrimination". The Independent. Archived from the original on 25 May 2022. Retrieved 16 May 2009.
28. "Tory Leadership Watch: August". BBC News. August 2005. from the original on 26 July 2008. Retrieved 16 May 2009.
29. "House of Commons Public Bill Committee on the Defence Reform Bill 2013–14". UK Parliament. from the original on 21 September 2013. Retrieved 17 September 2013.
30. "Parliamentary career for Penny Mordaunt". UK Parliament. Archived from the original on 13 July 2022. Retrieved 7 October 2018.
31. Mason, Rowena (4 June 2014). "Penny Mordaunt brings the House down after Queen's speech". The Guardian. from the original on 10 November 2017. Retrieved 12 December 2016.
32. Gimson, Andrew (17 March 2016). "Profile: Penny Mordaunt, a risqué but not revolting potential Tory leadership contender". ConservativeHome. from the original on 15 October 2019. Retrieved 19 September 2016.
33. Mason, Chris (1 December 2014). "Penny Mordaunt speech: Fowl play or light-hearted fun?". BBC News. from the original on 10 November 2018. Retrieved 7 December 2014.
34. "Conservative MP Penny Mordaunt criticised for smutty Commons speech delivered 'for a dare'". Evening Standard. 30 November 2014. from the original on 7 July 2018. Retrieved 7 December 2014.
35. Eleftheriou-Smith, Loulla-Mae (30 November 2014). "Tory MP Penny Mordaunt said 'c**k' several times in Parliament speech as part of Navy dare". The Independent. Archived from the original on 25 May 2022. Retrieved 7 December 2014.
36. . Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 17 October 2015. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
37. "Microsoft Word - Statement of Persons Nominated and Notice of Poll - Portsmouth North.docx" (PDF). portsmouth.gov.uk. 11 May 2017.^{[permanent dead link]}
38. "Portsmouth North Parliamentary constituency". BBC News. BBC. from the original on 22 September 2020. Retrieved 26 November 2019.
39. Kelly, Liam (15 July 2014). "Brandon Lewis promoted to housing and planning minister in reshuffle". The Guardian. from the original on 16 July 2014. Retrieved 15 July 2014.
40. "Firefighters in England announce new industrial action". The Guardian. Press Association. 16 February 2016. from the original on 30 December 2015. Retrieved 6 February 2016.
41. "Penny Mordaunt first female Armed Forces Minister". ITV News. 11 May 2015. from the original on 20 October 2020. Retrieved 30 July 2022.
42. Mendick, Robert (13 July 2022). "Penny Mordaunt 'failed to protect Iraq veterans from witch-hunts'". The Telegraph. from the original on 15 July 2022. Retrieved 16 July 2022.
43. "Penny Mordaunt replaces Priti Patel in cabinet reshuffle". BBC News. 9 November 2017. from the original on 7 April 2019. Retrieved 9 November 2017.
44. "Oxfam 'failed in moral leadership'". BBC News. 11 February 2018. from the original on 20 October 2019. Retrieved 11 February 2018.
45. Elgot, Jessica (30 April 2018). "Penny Mordaunt adds women and equalities to ministerial role". The Guardian. from the original on 1 April 2019. Retrieved 29 November 2020.
46. Minister Penny Mordaunt uses sign language in Commons first – video. The Guardian. 4 July 2018. from the original on 6 February 2022. Retrieved 6 April 2022.
47. Forstater, Maya (27 March 2019). "Has Penny Mordaunt got away with the worst Mumsnet performance ever?". Independent. Archived from the original on 25 May 2022. Retrieved 6 August 2021.
48. "Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson sacked over Huawei leak". BBC News. 1 May 2019. from the original on 26 September 2019. Retrieved 1 May 2019.
49. Devlin, Kate (24 July 2019). "Penny Mordaunt sacked as defence secretary". The Times. from the original on 8 July 2022. Retrieved 29 November 2020.
50. "Jeremy Hunt pitches himself as the 'serious leader' in Tory race". The Guardian. London. 10 June 2019. from the original on 10 June 2019. Retrieved 30 July 2022.
51. "Defence Secretary Penny Mordaunt Backs Jeremy Hunt For Tory Leader". Huffingtonpost.co.uk. 10 June 2019. from the original on 7 July 2022. Retrieved 30 July 2022.
52. "Paymaster General". GOV.UK. from the original on 17 June 2020. Retrieved 17 June 2020.
53. "Withdrawal Agreement Joint Committee – Fact Sheet" (PDF). GOV.UK. (PDF) from the original on 28 September 2020. Retrieved 7 December 2020.
54. Fishwick, Ben (16 September 2021). "Reshuffle sees Portsmouth MP Penny Mordaunt out as paymaster general in move to trade". Portsmouth News. from the original on 16 September 2021. Retrieved 16 September 2021.
55. "David Frost has 'grave reservations' about Penny Mordaunt as Tory leader". The Guardian. 14 July 2022. from the original on 16 July 2022. Retrieved 16 July 2022.
56. "Lord Frost says Penny Mordaunt isn't up to the job". The Spectator. from the original on 16 July 2022. Retrieved 16 July 2022.
57. "Penny Mordaunt leads accession council ceremony of King Charles III". The Guardian. 10 September 2022. from the original on 1 October 2022. Retrieved 1 October 2022.
58. "Coronation order of service in full". BBC News. 5 May 2023. from the original on 6 May 2023. Retrieved 6 May 2023.
59. "Meet Penny Mordaunt, the minister carrying a sword for King Charles". Politico. 5 May 2023. from the original on 7 December 2023. Retrieved 7 December 2023.
60. Bromley, Joe (7 May 2023). "Penny Mordaunt's Coronation outfit, sword and role in the crowning of King Charles". Evening Standard. from the original on 8 May 2023. Retrieved 8 May 2023.
61. Rhoden-Paul, Andre (6 May 2023). "Coronation: Penny Mordaunt's sword-wielding role - and other top moments". BBC News. from the original on 6 May 2023. Retrieved 7 May 2023.
62. Taylor, Harry (6 May 2023). "Pippa Middleton of the coronation: Penny Mordaunt steals the show". The Guardian. from the original on 7 December 2023. Retrieved 7 December 2023.
63. Syed, Armani (6 May 2023). "Why Penny Mordaunt Was the Star of King Charles III's Coronation". Time. from the original on 5 December 2023. Retrieved 7 December 2023.
64. Thomas, Tobi (11 May 2023). "Penny Mordaunt says she took painkillers before sword-carrying role". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. from the original on 11 May 2023. Retrieved 11 May 2023.
65. "Tory leadership: Mordaunt out as Sunak and Truss in run-off to be next PM". BBC News. 2 May 2022. from the original on 20 July 2022. Retrieved 21 July 2022.
66. Tidman, Zoe (10 July 2022). "Oscar Pistorius appears in Tory campaign clip as GB Paralympian asks to be removed". The Independent. from the original on 10 July 2022. Retrieved 10 July 2022.
67. Lemmer, Richard (10 July 2022). "MP Penny Mordaunt edits her campaign video after complaints over paralympics footage". portsmouth.co.uk. from the original on 11 July 2022. Retrieved 11 July 2022.
68. Citations:
    • Turner, Camilla (28 May 2022). "Shaky start for Penny Mordaunt as Oscar Pistorius appears in her Conservative leadership launch video". Telegraph.co.uk. from the original on 10 July 2022. Retrieved 12 July 2022.
    • Maguire, Patrick. "Rishi might be ahead of the pack, but it's a push to call him the favourite". The Times. from the original on 11 July 2022. Retrieved 11 July 2022.
69. Jones, Henry (10 July 2022). "Awkward start to Penny Mordaunt's leadership campaign with hasty video edit". The Independent. from the original on 10 July 2022. Retrieved 10 July 2022.
70. "Champion sprinter demands pic axed from Tory hopeful Penny Mordaunt's campaign video". LBC. 10 July 2022. from the original on 10 July 2022. Retrieved 10 July 2022.
71. Doherty, Caitlin (12 July 2022). "Footage of Jo Cox removed from Conservative candidate campaign video after family raise concerns". Yorkshire Post. from the original on 17 July 2022. Retrieved 18 July 2022.
72. Parekh, Marcus; Gutteridge, Nick; Penna, Dominic (15 July 2022). "Penny Mordaunt: Westminster is 'tying itself in knots' over trans issues". The Telegraph. from the original on 15 July 2022. Retrieved 16 July 2022.
73. Boycott-Owen, Mason (8 July 2022). "Penny Mordaunt's pro-trans stance 'ruins her chances' of becoming Tory leader". The Telegraph. from the original on 9 July 2022. Retrieved 10 July 2022.
74. Tidman, Zoe (10 July 2022). "Tory MP accused of 'throwing trans people under bus' after hitting out at critics". The Independent. from the original on 11 July 2022. Retrieved 10 July 2022.
75. Daisley, Stephen (17 July 2022). "Penny Mordaunt's worst trait". The Spectator. from the original on 17 July 2022. Retrieved 18 July 2022.
76. Ashworth-Hayes, Sam (15 July 2022). "Penny Mordaunt would make a great leader – of the Labour party". The Spectator. from the original on 19 July 2022. Retrieved 18 July 2022.
77. Andrews, Kieran. "Penny Mordaunt is favourite for the Scottish Tory vote". The Times. from the original on 8 July 2022. Retrieved 10 July 2022.
78. "As it happened: Eight contenders in race for next PM after Javid pulls out". BBC News. 12 July 2022. from the original on 11 July 2022. Retrieved 12 July 2022.
79. Steerpike, "Penny Mordaunt endorses Liz Truss", The Spectator, 1 August 2022, accessed 1 August 2022
80. "Penny Mordaunt's Tory leadership race withdrawal statement, in full". uk.news.yahoo.com. from the original on 24 October 2022. Retrieved 24 October 2022.
81. "Rishi Sunak to become UK's PM after Mordaunt joins Johnson in withdrawing". The Guardian. 24 October 2022. from the original on 7 November 2022. Retrieved 24 October 2022.
82. "The Register of Members' Financial Interests: MORDAUNT, Penny (Portsmouth North)". parliament.uk. 25 October 2010. from the original on 9 July 2022. Retrieved 9 July 2022.
83. Mordaunt, Penny (22 October 2010). "Diary of the week: Penny Mordaunt (blog)". TotalPolitics.com. from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 3 December 2013.
84. "THE RESERVES CALL OUT ORDER 1998, ETC". Defence Select Committee. 10 August 1998. from the original on 29 October 2016. Retrieved 15 July 2022.
85. "www.royalnavy.mod.uk" (PDF). (PDF) from the original on 17 February 2023. Retrieved 17 February 2023.
86. "No. 63542". The London Gazette (Supplement). 30 November 2021. p. 21618.
87. Mason, Rowena (8 January 2014). "Tory MP to be contestant on Splash!". The Guardian. from the original on 10 July 2022. Retrieved 10 July 2022.
88. Booth, Jenny (14 January 2014). "Tory MP Penny Mordaunt defends appearing in swimsuit on TV reality show". The Times. from the original on 10 May 2015. Retrieved 18 January 2014.
89. Devlin, Kate (2 May 2019). "First female defence secretary Penny Mordaunt has armed forces in her blood". The Times. from the original on 29 September 2020. Retrieved 30 December 2020.
90. Citations:
    • Withnail, Adam (22 May 2016). "Tory minister Penny Mordaunt 'plain and simple lying' over Turkey joining EU". The Independent. Archived from the original on 25 May 2022. Retrieved 2 November 2017.
    • Asthana, Anushka (22 May 2016). "David Cameron suggests defence minister is lying over Turkey joining EU". The Guardian. from the original on 10 May 2019. Retrieved 19 September 2016.
    • Verhofstadt, Guy (31 May 2016). "Relax, Britain – you can hate the eurozone and still vote remain". The Guardian. from the original on 1 August 2019. Retrieved 31 May 2016.
91. "'The UK can't veto Turkey joining EU'". BBC News. from the original on 17 July 2022. Retrieved 17 July 2022.
92. "A Tory minister just 'flat out lied' about Turkey joining the EU". The Independent. 22 May 2016. from the original on 17 July 2022. Retrieved 17 July 2022.
93. Landler, Mark; Castle, Stephen (17 July 2022). "Prime Minister Race in Britain Remains Unsettled in Wake of Johnson's Downfall". The New York Times. from the original on 17 July 2022. Retrieved 17 July 2022.
94. "Penny Mordaunt's false Brexit claim about Turkey". BBC News. 18 July 2022. from the original on 18 July 2022. Retrieved 18 July 2022.
95. Parker and Sproule (19 July 2022). "Tory leadership: What candidates think about Northern Ireland Protocol". bbc.co.uk. BBC. from the original on 17 July 2022. Retrieved 19 July 2022.
96. "Penny Mordaunt repeatedly advocated use of homeopathy on NHS". The Guardian. 15 July 2022. from the original on 16 July 2022. Retrieved 16 July 2022.
97. "Tory leadership: Penny Mordaunt under fire for support of homeopathy". The Independent. 16 July 2022. from the original on 16 July 2022. Retrieved 16 July 2022.
98. ""BRITISH MEDICAL ASSOCIATION MOTIONS ON HOMEOPATHY"". from the original on 15 July 2022. Retrieved 16 July 2022.
99. ""Tory minister sparks anger after meeting Muslim Council of Britain"". www.thejc.com. from the original on 26 July 2021. Retrieved 16 July 2022.
100. "Sajid Javid in Muslim Council of Britain spat over Islamophobia claims". Sky News. from the original on 17 August 2018. Retrieved 16 July 2022.
101. Hope, Christopher (17 June 2020). "Spend the aid budget on a successor to HMY Britannia, Penny Mordaunt tells Boris Johnson". The Telegraph. from the original on 26 November 2020. Retrieved 29 November 2020.
102. "Penny Mordaunt calls for cenotaph vandals to be sent to 'battle camps'". Sky News. 17 June 2020. from the original on 17 June 2020. Retrieved 17 June 2020.
103. "Penny Mordaunt's appointment applauded in Britain". The Sunday Guardian. 11 November 2017. from the original on 13 July 2022. Retrieved 13 July 2022.
104. "Penny Mordaunt – British Astronomical Association". from the original on 16 July 2022. Retrieved 16 July 2022.
105. Stafford, Stephen (15 February 2013). "Volunteers' hopes for 'haunted' Wymering Manor". BBC News. from the original on 18 May 2019. Retrieved 15 July 2014.
106. Dale, Iain (21 July 2019). "Penny Mordaunt interview: Britain's first female defence secretary on her dream job". The Sunday Times. from the original on 21 July 2019. Retrieved 22 July 2019.
107. Dale, Iain (21 July 2019). "Penny Mordaunt interview: Britain's first female defence secretary on her dream job". from the original on 10 July 2022. Retrieved 13 July 2022.
108. Dahal, Anish (13 July 2022). "Meet The Classical Singer Ian Lyon Who Is Popular As The Partner Of MP Penny Mordaunt". World Wide Tune. from the original on 1 September 2023. Retrieved 1 September 2023.
109. Fishwick, Samuel (6 February 2015). "All aboard with Penny Mordaunt". Evening Standard. from the original on 21 July 2019. Retrieved 22 July 2019.
110. Pearson, Allison (10 July 2022). "Allison Pearson: It is perfectly clear that Penny Mordaunt must be our next prime minister". The Daily Telegraph. from the original on 12 July 2022. Retrieved 13 July 2022.
111. Horton, Helena (15 September 2016). "Westminster mouse infestation so bad MP Penny Mordaunt brings her own pedigree cat to office". The Daily Telegraph. from the original on 14 July 2022. Retrieved 14 July 2022.
112. Mordaunt, Penny (16 July 2022). "Why I took a Ukrainian refugee into my home". The Daily Telegraph. from the original on 18 July 2022. Retrieved 19 July 2022.
113. "Police probe death threats to Portsmouth MP Penny Mordaunt". BBC News. 25 July 2022. from the original on 27 July 2022. Retrieved 27 July 2022.
114. "Penny Mordaunt told she'd be 'shot in the head and family killed' if she did not quit as MP in Tory leadership race". portsmouth.co.uk. 24 July 2022. from the original on 27 July 2022. Retrieved 27 July 2022.

External links

 

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Penny Mordaunt.

 

Wikiquote has quotations related to Penny Mordaunt.

• Official website
• at the Conservative Party
• Profile at Parliament of the United Kingdom
• Contributions in Parliament at Hansard
• Voting record at Public Whip
• Record in Parliament at TheyWorkForYou
• Appearances on C-SPAN