David Davis outlines Penny Mordaunt’s power in winning seats
Former Brexit minister Lord David Frost yesterday targeted ex-Defense Secretary Penny Mordaunt, while the Portsmouth North MP continues to gain momentum in the Tory leadership bid in 2022. Ms Mordaunt gained the support of 83 Conservative colleagues yesterday when she second place among Tory MPs. Fellow Brexiteer Rishi Sunak remains in pole position with 101 MPs backing him and Foreign Secretary Liz Truss is currently in third place with 64 backers.
However, Lord Frost expressed his “serious reservations” about Ms. Mordaunt’s offer during an appearance on TalkTV.
Speaking to Julia Hartley-Brewer, the ex-CEO of the Scotch Whiskey Association said: “To be honest, I’m quite surprised she is where she is in this race.
“She was my deputy – more fictional than real – in the Brexit talks last year.
“I am sorry to say this, she did not master the necessary details in the negotiations last year.
“She wouldn’t always deliver hard messages to the European Union when needed and I’m afraid she wasn’t fully responsible or always visible.
“Sometimes I didn’t even know where she was.”
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‘Condemnation Brexiteer!’ Penny Mordaunt’s allies fire back after Lord Frost’s attack (Image: Getty)
Lord Frost said, “To be honest, I’m quite surprised she’s where she is in this race.” (Image: Getty)
When asked if Brexit would be safe in Ms Mordaunt’s hands, Lord Frost added: “I’d be concerned, based on what I’ve seen, we wouldn’t necessarily get that from Penny.”
However, Ms Mordaunt campaigned for Brexit with the Vote Leave campaign while serving as the Armed Forces Minister under David Cameron.
Ms Mordaunt’s allies were eager to highlight her Brexit credentials and expressed regret at some of the personal attacks perpetrated during the campaign.
John Lamont, who resigned as parliamentary secretary of the State Department ahead of Johnson’s confidence vote last month, told express.co.uk: “Penny Mordaunt has been a loyal Brexiteer from day one.
“Of all the frontrunners, she is the only one who voted for Brexit and campaigned for it passionately from the start.”
Sunak, who also campaigned to leave, had previously been criticized for playing a lesser role in the 2016 referendum campaign than other candidates for the leadership.
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Penny Mordaunt was backed by 83 Conservative MPs on the second ballot. (Image: Getty)
Suella Braverman, who was knocked out in the second round, also aimed for Mrs. Mordaunt. (Image: Getty)
Mr Lamont added: “Penny has the positive vision and ambitious plans to move Britain forward after Brexit. She understands better than anyone the opportunities that leaving the European Union has brought for our entire United Kingdom.
“As Prime Minister, Penny would take advantage of the economic freedom we now have and capitalize on supporting companies to fuel growth.”
St Ives MP Derek Thomas also supported Ms Mordaunt’s post-Brexit vision.
He said: “Penny is a convinced Brexiteer – she has always seen the potential this country has outside the European Union, so she is ready to seize these opportunities.
“Just look at the MPs who support her. Many of them represent constituencies that voted very resolutely for Brexit and I know, for example, that Penny can bring the nation together and move our country forward.”
While he didn’t refer directly to Lord Frost’s comments, he also shared: express.co.uk“As for these attacks on Penny, these are unfortunate, but not unexpected, as all the other candidates recognize the support Penny enjoys in party members and across the country.”
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“She is the only one who voted for Brexit and campaigned for it passionately from the start.” (Image: Getty)
Finance Minister Rishi Sunak struggled in the polls against Ms Mordaunt. (Image: Getty)
But Ms Mordaunt is also under fire for her position on trans rights.
According to Sky News, veteran ex-minister Sir John Hayes was left “glowing” when she responded to a question about her decision to replace “woman” with “pregnant person” in a piece of legislation.
One MP claimed: “She said she only had one day to read the bill.”
Suella Braverman, who was knocked out on the second ballot after just 27 votes, also targeted Ms. Mordaunt.
The Attorney General said: “I am concerned that the minister in charge did not stand up for women and did not really reflect the view of much of our party about the desire for women to be authentically represented on the face of the bill and in legislation. “
Recent polls suggest Ms Mordaunt would beat Mr Sunak in a head-to-head vote. (Image: Getty)
Ex-Tory leader Iain Duncan Smith, along with Ms. Mordaunt, campaigned with Vote Leave. (Image: Getty)
Ex-Tory leader and Liz Truss supporter Iain Duncan Smith even claimed, “I really don’t know what Penny has been up to for the past two and a half years other than knowing the strange job title she’s been in.”
However, Ms Mordaunt has taken a lead in the polls against many of her opponents, including Mr Sunak.
According to YouGov, the trade minister would currently beat the ex-chancellor by a margin of 39 points.
But a separate investigation by JL Partners found that Mr Sunak was the only candidate ahead of Labor leader Sir Keir Starmer.
express.co.uk has reached out to Ms. Mordaunt’s leadership campaign team for comment.