Penny Mordaunt

Penny Mordaunt is a Conservative Party politician who has served as the Member of Parliament for Portsmouth North since 2010. She has held several senior Cabinet positions, including Secretary of State for Defence and Secretary of State for International Development, and is known for her prominent role in national ceremonies. As of 2022, she serves as Leader of the House of Commons and Lord President of the Council under Prime Ministers Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak.

Early life and education

Born in Torquay, she was raised in Portsmouth and attended Oaklands Catholic School in Waterlooville. Her early career included work in public relations and for the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. She studied philosophy at the University of Reading, where she was president of the Reading University Students' Union. Before entering politics, she worked for the George W. Bush presidential campaign in the United States and for the charity Diabetes UK.

Political career

Elected in the 2010 United Kingdom general election, she quickly became a prominent backbencher. She served as a parliamentary aide to several ministers, including Philip Hammond. In 2014, she was appointed as a junior minister in the Department for Communities and Local Government. A strong supporter of Brexit, she campaigned for the Vote Leave campaign during the 2016 United Kingdom European Union membership referendum. Her advocacy led to her appointment as a minister in the Department for Work and Pensions under Theresa May.

Ministerial roles

Her first Secretary of State appointment was as Secretary of State for International Development in 2017, following the resignation of Priti Patel. In 2018, she additionally assumed the role of Minister for Women and Equalities. In a historic appointment in 2019, she became the United Kingdom's first female Secretary of State for Defence, though her tenure lasted only 85 days. Under Boris Johnson, she served as Paymaster General and later as Minister of State for Trade Policy, where she led post-Brexit negotiations with countries like New Zealand and Australia.

Leadership bids

She was a candidate in the July–September 2022 Conservative Party (UK) leadership election following the resignation of Boris Johnson. Running on a platform of low-tax Thatcherism, she gained significant support from colleagues but was eliminated in the final parliamentary ballot before the membership vote, finishing behind Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak. She was subsequently appointed Leader of the House of Commons by Truss, a role she retained under Sunak, where she has been a key figure in managing government business in the House of Commons.

Personal life

A Royal Naval reservist, she holds the rank of Honorary Commander in the Royal Navy. She is a published author, having written a book on public service reform. A committed Christian, her faith has been cited as an influence on her political views. She is known for her ceremonial role as the bearer of the Sword of State during the State Opening of Parliament and the Coronation of Charles III and Camilla.

Category:Conservative Party (UK) MPs for English constituencies Category:Women defence ministers Category:Living people