Hampshire Police have opened an investigation after the Portsmouth North MP received a sinister letter swearing to kill her unless she drops her bid to become prime minister. The note threatened to “shoot her in the head” and “kill her family”.
Ms. Mordaunt received the letter in the final days of her campaign to take the top position.
She was removed from the leadership contest last Wednesday, finishing behind Rishi Sunak and Liz Truss in a vote by Conservative MPs, despite beating the foreign minister in every previous round of voting.
The letter was sent to Ms Mordaunt’s constituency, where police visited the property last Friday to interview the Commerce Secretary about the threats and to conduct security checks.
A police spokesman said: “On July 22 at 11:50 a.m., we received a report of a letter containing threats to murder a Portsmouth woman and her family, which had been sent to her office in Lakeside, North Harbour.
Sources close to Ms. Mordaunt believe the negative stories played a role in the death threat she received.
The MP told her local newspaper today that she was “very grateful to the police for their prompt action” in dealing with her case.
Last October, the terror threat to MPs was raised from “moderate” to “substantial”.
Home Secretary Priti Patel raised the warning in the wake of Sir David Amess’ death.
It also came just five years after the death of former Labor MP Jo Cox.
Donna Jones, Police and Crime Commissioner for Hampshire, said the threats against Ms Mordaunt were “deeply disturbing”.
She said: “The threats, both online and in person, against public figures are increasing and getting worse.
“The deaths of Jo Cox and Sir David Amess remind us that these violent attacks are often linked to people with mental health problems.
“The threats against Penny Mordaunt are deeply disturbing and it is right that the Hampshire Constabulary is fully investigating the threat.”