With Gustav Holst’s anthem “I Vow to Thee, My Country,” with unions and a deep-voiced narrator, the message of Penny Mordaunt’s campaign launch video for the Conservative Party leadership was pure patriotism.
Although Mordaunt’s film was ridiculed on social media for its cliché images, it attracted the hearts of conservative members. One MP who supported his campaign said “never underestimate the power of patriotism in our party”.
As the only major candidate for leadership who was not in Boris Johnson’s last cabinet, the junior Commerce Minister was initially seen as an outside gamble to be the next prime minister. But the 49-year-old has played with her status as an outsider to appeal to lawmakers and activists from different wings of the party.
The interior of Mordaunt is not that of a typical conservative. Born in Torquay, Devon, her mother died of breast cancer when Mordaunt was 15; his father was also diagnosed with cancer during his adolescence. He became an assistant to a magician to help support the family.
He also enlisted as a reservist in the Royal Navy, which he has done a lot during his political career.
After graduating from the University of Reading, he worked in public relations, including as a Tory party aide during William Hague’s leadership and in George W. Bush’s two successful presidential campaigns.
Penny Mordaunt in Dominica with Prince Charles as Secretary of International Development in 2017 © Victoria Jones / PA
She was elected deputy for Portsmouth North in 2010 and rose rapidly on the ministerial ladder: her first post was as local government minister in 2014, followed by the Armed Forces Minister and the Disability Minister.
Mordaunt joined Theresa May’s cabinet in 2017 as secretary of international development and was briefly secretary of defense in May 2019. Although Johnson retained her in her government, she was demoted to the role of general payments manager. out of the cabinet before being transferred to trade minister last September.
She is one of the most showy MPs in the Tory party. In 2014, he appeared on the reality TV show Splash !, where celebrities learn the art of diving. The same year, he revealed that he had delivered a parliamentary speech on poultry with lewd references, to the delight of parliamentarians.
Unlike other leadership candidates, she does not attempt to attract an urban electorate. An ally said, “Penny is very much a person from Middle England.”
Mordaunt appeals to various wings of the party: he plays with his support for Brexit in the 2016 referendum – he was one of the voices of the Vote Leave campaign – along with his social liberalism and his love professed by Britain.
In the first poll at the base of the match since the contest to replace Johnson began, the ConservativeHome website ranked Mordaunt on Tuesday as the best selection of members, ahead of other contenders with significantly higher profiles.
Reserve Lieutenant RN Penny Mordaunt in 2014 © Alex Cave / Royal Navy
“Penny’s batch has been cunning, but she has been very successful in turning everyone else around and picking one or two people. She will do very well in this race,” said a deputy from a rival leadership campaign.
Paul Goodman, editor of ConservativeHome, said Mordaunt was popular within the party because “at the grassroots they like the naval cut of their fire.” She added: “She combines being a woman with a military character. Penny has a direct way and a suggestion she will listen to you: the combination is quite rare and gives her a lot of political reach.
Much of Mordaunt’s support comes from the incorporation of MPs in 2019, who see Johnson’s departure as an opportunity to break with the past. “It would be a fresh start,” said Duncan Baker, a later banker. “She is very strong, she has impeccable integrity and values.”
James Sunderland, also first elected in 2019, said: “It’s nonsense, has no luggage, is full of integrity and has a vision for the future. She is the candidate who would least like to face Labor and SNP.” .
The chances of her becoming the next prime minister were significantly reduced on Tuesday. According to William Hill of the bookmakers, their chances of winning the contest have increased from 7/2 to 2/1.
Her campaign has reached the second number of supporters, with 26 deputies, some of them high-profile personalities, who publicly support her. This puts her ahead of Foreign Secretary Liz Truss, Chancellor Nadhim Zahawi, former Cabinet Minister Jeremy Hunt and Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Tom Tugendhat.
David Davis, the former Brexit secretary and sole candidate for conservative leadership who backed her on Tuesday, described her as “a woman of incredible integrity” and “high competition”, adding that it would mark a clear break with the Johnson-era scandals. .
Penny Mordaunt Leadership Offer Video © Penny Mordaunt / YouTube
Davis added: “She is fantastic in the House of Commons, but above all she has a vision for Britain, she is a patriot and she knows what kind of conservatism she wants to defend. And she is the party person most likely to beat Rishi Sunak. , so it ‘s a great combination. “
Little is known about how Mordaunt would rule if he won the contest. In an article for the Telegraph newspaper, he pledged to cut taxes with a tax rule that debt as a percentage of GDP would go down over time. He also said that fuel taxes would be reduced and income tax thresholds for low- and middle-income people would be raised.
In a hit on Johnson, Mordaunt says he doesn’t want his leadership speech to be about her. In his launch video, he stated that the Tory party “should be a little less about the leader and much more about the ship.”
For some senior MPs, this is Mordaunt’s biggest drawback. A minister who has worked closely with her said, “I have worked with her for five years and I still feel like I don’t know what she believes or what she thinks.”