Penny Mordaunt

From Infogalactic: the planetary knowledge core
Jump to: navigation, search
Honorary Captain The Right Honourable
Penny Mordaunt
FRSA MP
File:Rt Hon Penny Mordaunt.jpg
Official portrait, 2019
Minister of State for Trade Policy
Assumed office
16 September 2021
Prime Minister Boris Johnson
Preceded by Greg Hands
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
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
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, England
Political party Conservative
Spouse(s) Paul Murray (m. 1999; div. 2000)
Education Oaklands Catholic School
Alma mater University of Reading (BA)
Website pennymordaunt.com
Military service
Allegiance United Kingdom
Service/branch Royal Navy
Years of service 2010–2019[1]
Rank Acting Sub-Lieutenant
(Honorary Captain)
Unit Royal Naval Reserve

Penelope Mary Mordaunt FRSA (/ˈmɔːrdənt/; born 4 March 1973) is a British politician who has been serving as Minister of State for Trade Policy since 2021. A member of the Conservative Party, she has been the Member of Parliament (MP) representing Portsmouth North since 2010. She previously served in Theresa May's Cabinet as Secretary of State for International Development from 2017 to 2019 and Secretary of State for Defence from May to July 2019.

Mordaunt read philosophy at the University of Reading, before working in the public relations industry. She held roles within the Conservative Party under 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 in May 2010. 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 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 being removed from the position by 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 resignation in July 2022, Mordaunt announced that she was running in the leadership race to become the next leader of the Conservative Party and therefore the next prime minister.

Early life and career

Mordaunt was born on 4 March 1973 in Torquay, Devon.[2][3][4][better source needed] The daughter of a former paratrooper, she states she was named after the Arethusa-class cruiser HMS Penelope.[5] Her father, John Mordaunt, born at Hilsea Barracks, served in the Parachute Regiment before retraining as a teacher, and later a youth worker for Hampshire Council.[6] Her mother, Jennifer (née Snowden), was a special needs teacher at several Purbrook schools.[6] Through her mother she is a relative of Philip Snowden, the first Labour Chancellor of the Exchequer.[7] The actress Dame Angela Lansbury is her grandmother's cousin,[8][9] and she is thus distantly related to the former Labour leader George Lansbury.[10] Mordaunt has two brothers: her twin, James, and a younger brother, Edward.[11] Mordaunt was educated at Oaklands Roman Catholic Comprehensive School in Waterlooville, Hampshire and studied drama at the Victoryland Theatre School.[12]

Mordaunt was 15 when her mother died of breast cancer and, following her twin brother in 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 pay her way through her studies, Mordaunt worked in a Johnson & Johnson factory, and became a magician's assistant to Will Ayling, a past President of the Portsmouth Magical Society and of The British Ring of the International Brotherhood of Magicians.[13][better source needed][14]

Mordaunt has attributed her interest in politics to her experiences working in hospitals and orphanages of Romania in her gap year, while that country was in the aftermath of the 1989 revolution.[15]

Mordaunt read philosophy at the University of Reading, graduating in 1995 with upper second class honours. She was the first member of her family to attend university.[11] Mordaunt was active in student politics and served as President of the Reading University Students' Union.[16]

After her graduation, Mordaunt's employment was focused on 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 party under party leader William Hague (1999–2001).[4][11] 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.[17][18] 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'.[19][11] From 2004 to 2006, she was a director of Media Intelligence Partners.[4]

Mordaunt worked for the Bush campaign again in 2004.[20] 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.[6] 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][21][22]

Parliamentary career

In November 2003 Mordaunt was selected as Conservative candidate to contest Portsmouth North in the 2005 general election. She attained a 5.5% swing towards the Conservatives,[11] but lost to Labour candidate Sarah McCarthy-Fry by 1,139 votes.[23] A critic of women-only shortlists,[24][25] Mordaunt worked after the 2005 election as chief of staff for David Willetts's aborted leadership campaign.[26]

Mordaunt was re-selected in January 2006 to contest Portsmouth North at the 2010 general election.[11] At the election, she won the seat with an 8.6% swing from Labour, giving her a 7,289 majority. She was re-elected at the 2015, 2017, and 2019 general elections.

After her election in 2010, she was a member of the Public Bill Committee for the Defence Reform Act 2014.[27]

Mordaunt served as Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Decentralisation from 2014 to 2015, prior to being appointed Minister of State for the Armed Forces in 2015, the first woman to hold the post.[8][28]

During Mordaunt's time as Parliamentary Under-Secretary for the Department for Communities and Local government, 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.[29]

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.[30][31] 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.[32]

In 2014, Mordaunt proposed the loyal address in reply to the Queen's speech from the throne.[33][34]

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,[35] Mordaunt stated that the response was overwhelmingly positive and defended her appearance,[36] 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.[37]

In the EU membership referendum, Mordaunt supported Brexit.[38]

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."[39]

In June 2020, Mordaunt said that some Overseas Development Assistance should instead be spent on a replacement for the Royal Yacht Britannia.[40]

Secretary of State for International Development

File:Penny Mordaunt in Bangladesh.jpg
Mordaunt on a visit to Kutupalong in Bangladesh in November 2017

Mordaunt was appointed Secretary of State for International Development on 9 November 2017, after Priti Patel resigned.[41]

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 £32m 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.[42]

Minister for Women and Equalities

She became Minister for Women and Equalities in April 2018, replacing Amber Rudd, who had resigned following the Windrush scandal.[43] In July 2018 she became the first minister to use sign language in the House of Commons, to applause from all sides.[44] In March 2019, she was criticised in a newspaper article by Maya Forstater, who claimed she had not answered to some Mumsnet users' satisfaction questions on sex and gender during a webchat held on International Women's Day.[45]

In Parliament she 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).[46]

Secretary of State for Defence

File:Penny Mordaunt at RUSI cropped.jpg
Mordaunt at the Royal United Services Institute in May 2019

On 1 May 2019, Mordaunt was appointed as the first-ever female secretary of state for defence following the dismissal of Gavin Williamson.[47] After Boris Johnson became Prime Minister, Mordaunt left the Government on 24 July 2019.[48]

Later ministerial career

In a cabinet reshuffle in February 2020, Mordaunt re-entered the Government, joining the Cabinet Office as Paymaster General in succession to Oliver Dowden.[49] She was the UK alternate co-chair of the EU Withdrawal Agreement Joint Committee.[50] She was made Minister of State for Trade Policy in the 2021 cabinet reshuffle.[51]

Conservative Party leadership contest 2022

Lua error in Module:Broader at line 30: attempt to call field '_formatLink' (a nil value).

File:PM4PM logo.png
Logo used by Mordaunt's 2022 leadership bid

In July 2022, Mordaunt launched her bid to be the next Conservative leader and consequently UK prime minister.[52] 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.[52][53][54] Athlete Jonnie Peacock requested to be removed from the same video published by her campaign.[55][56] Mordaunt's campaign edited the video to remove footage of Peacock and Pistorius.[53]

Early in the contest, journalist Owen Jones accused Mordaunt of "throwing trans people under a bus to advance her own career" after she appeared to negate her 2018 statement that "trans women are women and trans men are men" by insisting on a strictly biological basis for womanhood.[57] After one of the favourites to become the next Conservative leader Ben Wallace announced he would not stand,[58] Mordaunt was favourite in polling conducted by political blog ConservativeHome.[59]

Mordaunt was one of eight contenders who achieved the necessary 20 nominations by the 12 July deadline. Three other candidates had to drop out earlier that day. As at close of nominations, Mordaunt and Rishi Sunak were being reported as joint favourites with bookmakers.[60]

Parliamentary support

<templatestyles src="Module:Hatnote/styles.css"></templatestyles>

See also: Election results in full and MPs who have publicly endorsed Mordaunt

The following table shows how many MPs supported Mordaunt during each election round:

Date Votes Received  % Position / Candidates Ref
13 July 2022 67 18.7 2 / 8 [61]
14 July 2022 83 23.3 2 / 6 [62]
18 July 2022


Naval service

Mordaunt is a Royal Naval Reservist. In 2010, she was serving as an acting sub-lieutenant, at shore establishment HMS King Alfred on Whale Island.[63][64] From May 2015 until April 2019, she had no annual training commitment and received no remuneration from the Navy.[65] She was made an honorary commander in April 2019,[65] and an honorary captain on 30 June 2021.[66] As of 2022,[not in citation given] she was the only female MP in the Royal Naval Reserve.[67]

Personal life

A Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts, she is a member of the British Astronomical Association,[68] and as of 2013 was chair of the Wymering Manor Trust in Portsmouth.[69] She ran the League of Friends visiting team at the Queen Alexandra Hospital in Portsmouth for eight years.[6] She is a patron of the Victoria Cross Trust, and Enable Ability, a disability charity based in Portsmouth, in addition to being a Scouting ambassador.[6]

Mordaunt met Paul Murray when they were both students at the University of Reading and married him in 1999, but this ended in divorce the following year.[70][71] She was later in a long-term relationship with Ian Lyon, a classical singer.[72] They had no children of their own, but Lyon had a 16 year old daughter. Her hobbies include astronomy, painting, dance and music.[73][4][6] She owns four Burmese cats.[74]

Publications

  • Greater: Britain after the storm (with Chris Lewis, 2021)

References

<templatestyles src="Reflist/styles.css" />

Cite error: Invalid <references> tag; parameter "group" is allowed only.

Use <references />, or <references group="..." />

External links

Script error: The function "top" does not exist.

Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by Member of Parliament
for Portsmouth North
2010–present		 Incumbent
Political offices
Preceded by Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government
2014–2015		 Succeeded by
James Wharton
Preceded by Minister of State for the Armed Forces
2015–2016		 Succeeded by
Mike Penning
Preceded by Minister of State for Disabled People, Work and Health
2016–2017		 Succeeded by
Sarah Newton
Preceded by Secretary of State for International Development
2017–2019		 Succeeded by
Rory Stewart
Preceded by Minister for Women and Equalities
2018–2019		 Succeeded by
Amber Rudd
Preceded by Secretary of State for Defence
2019		 Succeeded by
Ben Wallace
Preceded by Paymaster General
2020–2021		 Succeeded by
Michael Ellis
Preceded by Minister of State for Trade Policy
2021–present		 Incumbent

Script error: The function "bottom" does not exist.

Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.

  1. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  2. ↑ The London Gazette: no. 59418. p. . 13 May 2010.
  3. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  5. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 6.5 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  7. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  9. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  10. ↑ Profile: Penny Mordaunt, a risqué but not revolting potential Tory leadership contender Conservative Home, March 17 2016. Retrieved 13 July 2022.
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 11.3 11.4 11.5 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  12. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  13. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  14. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  15. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  16. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  17. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  18. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  19. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  20. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  21. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  22. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  23. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  24. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  25. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  26. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  27. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  28. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  29. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  30. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  31. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  32. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  33. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  34. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  35. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  36. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  37. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  38. ↑ Citations:
    • Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
    • Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
    • Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  39. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  40. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  41. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  42. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  43. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  44. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  45. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  46. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  47. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  48. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  49. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  50. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  51. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  52. ↑ 52.0 52.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  53. ↑ 53.0 53.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  54. ↑ Citations:
    • Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
    • Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  55. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  56. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  57. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  58. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  59. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  60. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  61. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  62. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  63. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  64. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  65. ↑ 65.0 65.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  66. ↑ The London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 63542. p. . 30 November 2021.
  67. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  68. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  69. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  70. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  71. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  72. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  73. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  74. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
Retrieved from "https://infogalactic.com/w/index.php?title=Penny_Mordaunt&oldid=726472611"