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| Penny Mordaunt: Brexiteer and grassroots favourite | Penny Mordaunt: Brexiteer and grassroots favourite |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| Penny Mordaunt launches her leadership campaign | Penny Mordaunt launches her leadership campaign |
| When the Conservative leadership contest began, Penny Mordaunt was one of the less well-known candidates. | When the Conservative leadership contest began, Penny Mordaunt was one of the less well-known candidates. |
| But in the first two ballots of Tory MPs, she has come a clear second, behind the much higher-profile Rishi Sunak. | But in the first two ballots of Tory MPs, she has come a clear second, behind the much higher-profile Rishi Sunak. |
| Opinion polls have long suggested Ms Mordaunt is popular with Conservative party members, who will get the final say, and she has put in the work on the so-called "rubber chicken" circuit of Tory fundraisers and charity dinners. | |
| She is now locked in an increasingly bitter battle with Foreign Secretary Liz Truss to secure a slot in the final run-off, when MPs have completed the votes to whittle the field down to two. | |
| The 49-year-old Portsmouth North MP has been in and around government for the best part of a decade and even had a brief spell as a reality TV star. | The 49-year-old Portsmouth North MP has been in and around government for the best part of a decade and even had a brief spell as a reality TV star. |
| She was a prominent backer of Brexit in the 2016 EU referendum and currently serves as minister for trade policy. | |
| Braverman backs Truss as she exits leadership race | Braverman backs Truss as she exits leadership race |
| Liz Truss: Fast-track career of foreign secretary | Liz Truss: Fast-track career of foreign secretary |
| Who could be the next prime minister? | Who could be the next prime minister? |
| The daughter of a paratrooper and a special needs teacher, she grew up in Portsmouth, and, like Ms Truss, was educated at a comprehensive school, before going to university. | The daughter of a paratrooper and a special needs teacher, she grew up in Portsmouth, and, like Ms Truss, was educated at a comprehensive school, before going to university. |
| 'Having a go' | 'Having a go' |
| In an eclectic pre-politics career, she worked as a magician's assistant, in hospitals and orphanages in post-Communist Romania, and for the Freight Transport Association. | In an eclectic pre-politics career, she worked as a magician's assistant, in hospitals and orphanages in post-Communist Romania, and for the Freight Transport Association. |
| She headed the Conservative Party's youth wing and was a press officer for William Hague when he was leader. | She headed the Conservative Party's youth wing and was a press officer for William Hague when he was leader. |
| But she is probably best known outside Westminster for taking part in ITV's celebrity diving show Splash! in 2014. | But she is probably best known outside Westminster for taking part in ITV's celebrity diving show Splash! in 2014. |
| Penny Mordaunt relives her moment diving in to a swimming pool on TV and admits "it hurt a bit" as she hit the water | Penny Mordaunt relives her moment diving in to a swimming pool on TV and admits "it hurt a bit" as she hit the water |
| Penny Mordaunt relives her moment diving in to a swimming pool on TV and admits "it hurt a bit" as she hit the water | Penny Mordaunt relives her moment diving in to a swimming pool on TV and admits "it hurt a bit" as she hit the water |
| She did not win but earned praised from Tom Daley and other judges for "having a go". | She did not win but earned praised from Tom Daley and other judges for "having a go". |
| She was armed forces minister under David Cameron and became the first woman to serve as defence secretary. She held the role under Theresa May, but was sacked after a few months when Boris Johnson took over as PM. | She was armed forces minister under David Cameron and became the first woman to serve as defence secretary. She held the role under Theresa May, but was sacked after a few months when Boris Johnson took over as PM. |
| Launching her Tory leadership campaign on Wednesday, Ms Mordaunt pitched herself as the candidate "Labour fear the most". | Launching her Tory leadership campaign on Wednesday, Ms Mordaunt pitched herself as the candidate "Labour fear the most". |
| She promised to return to traditional Conservative values of "low tax, [a] small state and personal responsibility". | She promised to return to traditional Conservative values of "low tax, [a] small state and personal responsibility". |
| The trade minister has committed herself to a 50% cut in VAT on fuel to help ease the cost-of-living crisis, but has not gone as far as other candidates in the leadership race in offering tax cuts. | The trade minister has committed herself to a 50% cut in VAT on fuel to help ease the cost-of-living crisis, but has not gone as far as other candidates in the leadership race in offering tax cuts. |
| And writing in the Daily Mail, Ms Mordaunt - a Royal Navy reservist - promised to honour the UK's Nato commitment of spending 2.5% of GDP on defence by 2030. | And writing in the Daily Mail, Ms Mordaunt - a Royal Navy reservist - promised to honour the UK's Nato commitment of spending 2.5% of GDP on defence by 2030. |
| At her launch event in Westminster, Ms Mordaunt declined to describe Mr Johnson as a good prime minister, thanking him for delivering Brexit but pledging to restore "standards and trust". | At her launch event in Westminster, Ms Mordaunt declined to describe Mr Johnson as a good prime minister, thanking him for delivering Brexit but pledging to restore "standards and trust". |
| She promised to put "power back into the hands of parents" through personal budgets allowing them access to subsidised childcare at any time before their child started school. | She promised to put "power back into the hands of parents" through personal budgets allowing them access to subsidised childcare at any time before their child started school. |
| Challenged on trans rights | Challenged on trans rights |
| Supporters of other candidates have criticised Ms Mordaunt for supporting trans rights when she was equalities minister and the so-called "culture war" issue was raised by journalists. | Supporters of other candidates have criticised Ms Mordaunt for supporting trans rights when she was equalities minister and the so-called "culture war" issue was raised by journalists. |
| Asked where she stood on gender, the trade minister replied: "I think it was Margaret Thatcher who said 'Every prime minister needs a Willie [then Deputy Prime Minister Willie Whitelaw]'. A woman like me doesn't have one. | Asked where she stood on gender, the trade minister replied: "I think it was Margaret Thatcher who said 'Every prime minister needs a Willie [then Deputy Prime Minister Willie Whitelaw]'. A woman like me doesn't have one. |
| "I'm a woman, I'm biologically a woman. If you've been in the Royal Navy, and you have competed physically against men, you understand the biological difference between men and women." | "I'm a woman, I'm biologically a woman. If you've been in the Royal Navy, and you have competed physically against men, you understand the biological difference between men and women." |
| Ms Mordaunt has come under fire from former Brexit minister Lord Frost who said he had "grave reservations" about the idea of her becoming PM. | Ms Mordaunt has come under fire from former Brexit minister Lord Frost who said he had "grave reservations" about the idea of her becoming PM. |
| He told TalkTV: "She was my deputy - notionally, more than really - in the Brexit talks last year. | He told TalkTV: "She was my deputy - notionally, more than really - in the Brexit talks last year. |
| "I felt she did not master the detail that was necessary in the negotiations. She wouldn't always deliver tough messages to the European Union when that was necessary. | "I felt she did not master the detail that was necessary in the negotiations. She wouldn't always deliver tough messages to the European Union when that was necessary. |
| "She wasn't fully accountable, she wasn't always visible. Sometimes I didn't even know where she was." | "She wasn't fully accountable, she wasn't always visible. Sometimes I didn't even know where she was." |
| During the Brexit referendum, Ms Mordaunt provoked a row when she told the BBC the UK could not veto Turkey joining the European Union. | During the Brexit referendum, Ms Mordaunt provoked a row when she told the BBC the UK could not veto Turkey joining the European Union. |
| An hour later, David Cameron told ITV that was "absolutely wrong". | An hour later, David Cameron told ITV that was "absolutely wrong". |
| Later that year she was in the headlines again for a speech she gave in the Commons on poultry welfare, which turned out to be an excuse to slip some very unparliamentary language into proceedings. | Later that year she was in the headlines again for a speech she gave in the Commons on poultry welfare, which turned out to be an excuse to slip some very unparliamentary language into proceedings. |
| She admitted she had made the speech - with its liberal use of the words "lay", "laid" and "cock welfare" - for a bet. | She admitted she had made the speech - with its liberal use of the words "lay", "laid" and "cock welfare" - for a bet. |