He sacked her when he became PM in July, and it was only after Mr Johnson's massive election victory that Christmas that she clawed her way back into favour. Ms Mordaunt entered Cabinet for the first time the following year as Development Secretary, thanks to the sacking of Priti Patel in a bizarre row over unauthorised contacts with the Israeli government.Īnd she hit a new high in 2019 when the resignation of Gavin Williamson over alleged national security leaks sparked her elevation to Defence Secretary.īut the peak was not to last, as she was a strong backer of Jeremy Hunt over Boris Johnson in the Tory leadership contest a few months later. She backed Andrea Leadsom in her unsuccessful bid to succeed Mr Cameron in 2016 but managed to cling on to ministerial office under Theresa May, becoming minister for disabled people after Theresa May won the contest. She memorably took on the PM on the BBC Andrew Marr show, dismissing his insistence that there was no danger of Turkey joining the EU and driving immigration even higher. However, relations with Mr Cameron disintegrated the following year, when Ms Mordaunt became one of the most vocal campaigners for Brexit during the referendum campaign. She was moved up to Armed Forces minister in 2015 - the first woman to hold the job. She was the ninth celebrity eliminated after the likes of Paul Young and stand-up comedian Patrick Monahan. Her stint on TV, alongside B-list celebrities including Gemma Collins from The Only Way Is Essex, saw her train under celebrity diver Tom Daley.
Ms Mordaunt's profile received a major boost in 2014 when she featured on diving show Splash! and was named 'Britain's sexist MP' after a poll. Labour accused her of trivialising Parliament with the address supposedly on poultry welfare, in which she used the word six times. Towards the end of that Parliament Ms Mordaunt achieved a milestone when David Cameron appointed her as a communities minister.īut she also faced a backlash after revealing that she repeatedly said 'c**k' in a Commons speech to settle a bet with colleagues she had been training with in the Royal Navy reserve. Involved in Conservative circles since university, she worked for John Major and William Hague at CCHQ and in communications before getting elected in 2010 as MP for Portsmouth North - where she lived during a childhood beset by family tragedy and financial struggles.
Ms Mordaunt has kept her personal life very private - having married and divorced in her 20s and apparently been single since the end of a serious relationship in 2016 - but never made any secret about her ambitions to get the top posts in British politics. Social media has been awash with images of her at the head of the King's procession, with even Labour counterparts commenting that she looked 'damn fine' and 'stole the show' Instead she was kept in the Commons Leader job, which has often been a staging post for ministers on the way out of government. That is thought to have contributed to the PM's refusal to hand her one of the Great Offices of State.
But following a strong start she faded amid criticism of her liberal stance on gender rights, and then infuriated Mr Sunak's allies by refused to pull out of the race until the bitter end. The 50-year-old made her second bid for the Conservative crown in September after the ousting of Liz Truss. It is quite the turnaround for a politician who was seen as being sent to Siberia when Mr Sunak took over at No10. The bookies have taken notice, elevating the House of Commons Leader - and Lord President of the Privy Council - to second favourite to succeed Rishi Sunak as Tory leader.
Social media has been awash with images of her at the head of the King's procession, with even Labour counterparts commenting that she looked 'damn fine' and 'stole the show'. Lauded on all sides for her poise and striking outfit while carrying the Sword of State in Westminster Abbey, Ms Mordaunt has cemented herself in the public consciousness. She has been a magician's assistant and a contestant on ITV reality diving show Splash! in the course of her colourful career.īut nothing Penny Mordaunt has done has made waves quite like her starring role at the coronation yesterday.
0 kommentar(er)
