Penny Mordaunt

Wednesday

Penny Mordaunt

Can Michael Gove and I save Britain? 

From our UK edition

Friday. I address intelligence agencies, law enforcement and behavioural scientists as they gather in Krakow. I tell them how they can help combat anti-Semitism in their work. The speech is a prelude to a visit to the Auschwitz-Birkenau memorial and museum. Words are not enough. While we meet, Lithuania highlights Russian attempts to bully pro-Ukrainian Nato countries with airspace incursions. Saturday. China has held the Robot Olympics, firmly fixed on a tech-enhanced future. This weekend we Brits held an event of similar magnitude. Ours is devoid of AI-enabled humanoids; instead, it is all high lift cams, low growls, beer, nylons, rouge, flat caps and the exquisite aroma of Castrol R. Do not dismiss the Goodwood Revival as backward--looking.

Friday

Penny Mordaunt

Labour’s ‘total failure’ on defence – and why Boris shouldn’t come back

From our UK edition

30 min listen

For this week’s Edition, Lara Prendergast is joined by the Spectator’s deputy editor Freddy Gray, assistant content editor John Power and former Leader of the House of Commons Penny Mordaunt. This week: Labour’s lame duck period drags on, with Keir Starmer searching for a legacy before he leaves office. This week he has announced more money for Defence, though with several caveats, the biggest of which is unfunded billions left for the (presumably) incoming Burnham administration to fix. Penny Mordaunt, a former Conservative Defence Secretary, explains why Starmer has been a ‘total failure’ on Defence, saying Labour have failed to take Defence seriously and need to explain to the country that tough choices lie ahead.

Labour's 'total failure' on defence – and why Boris shouldn’t come back

Friday

Penny Mordaunt

The Penny Mordaunt Edition

From our UK edition

27 min listen

Penny Mordaunt is the Conservative MP for Portsmouth North and one of the most recognisable women in British politics. She has served in several ministerial roles from International Development to Defence and she is currently Leader of the House. On the podcast, Penny talks about the last two tumultuous years; some of her proudest moments in politics – increasing armed forces pay and leading a Lords reform rebellion, and adding some humour to business questions in parliament.

Monday

Penny Mordaunt

Why Rishi Sunak has my support

From our UK edition

Penny Mordaunt has conceded defeat in the Tory leadership race. Here is the full text of her statement: Our party is our membership. Whether we are elected representatives, activists, fundraisers or supporters. We all have a stake in who our leader is.  These are unprecedented times. Despite the compressed timetable for the leadership contest it is clear that colleagues feel we need certainty today. They have taken this decision in good faith for the good of the country.  Members should know that this proposition has been fairly and thoroughly tested by the agreed 1922 process.  As a result, we have now chosen our next prime minister. This decision is an historic one and shows, once again, the diversity and talent of our party. Rishi has my full support.

Tuesday

Wednesday

Penny Mordaunt

How I plan to turn Britain around

From our UK edition

This is the full text of Penny Mordaunt's Tory leadership campaign launch: We’ve got to stave off a recession, we've got huge expectations to deliver on with Brexit, and we have new burdens to shoulder Over the past few days, I have been engaged in a form of speed dating with my colleagues. I've learnt a lot. I know that some of them were councillors before they came into parliament, they ran businesses, they worked with the voluntary sector, some of them are still pulling shifts in the NHS or with our armed forces, and many are veterans.They want to serve others. And when I meet people like that I wonder what it was that made them step up and take responsibility, to serve and make a difference.

Thursday

Penny Mordaunt

Diary – 1 August 2019

From our UK edition

I begin the week in Bamako, Mali, with a crackly telephone call to Commodore Dean Bassett, UK Maritime Component Commander in the Gulf. He informs me that HMS Montrose and the Maritime Trade Operation has seen 30 ships safely through the Strait of Hormuz. These ships had been given 24 hours’ notice for their transit. Another, Stena Impero, had not made it through. Montrose was given only 60 minutes notice for her transit. Despite increasing to flank speed, she was 20 minutes too late and steamed into the Iranian Revolutionary Guard. The anger and disappointment is evident in the Commodore’s voice as he professionally delivers his report. I thank him and his team for their efforts.

Thursday

Penny Mordaunt

Lords reform is an ill-considered pet project

From our UK edition

At the first meeting of the 1922 Committee following the 2010 election, I was the only new MP to speak. I used my time to set out why I would support a coalition: the country was in an economic crisis and at war; we knew what needed to be done - deal with the debt and radically reform education, welfare, local government, healthcare and defence; and we knew no one else was going to do it. In the following two years my rebelliousness has stretched as far as two abstentions on votes against opposition amendments. The first was on a Labour amendment to extend national insurance contribution holidays for start-ups to the South East, and the second was an amendment on capping interest on payday loans.