Penny Mordaunt

Penelope Mary Mordaunt (born 4 March 1973) is a British Conservative Party politician who served as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Portsmouth North from the 2010 to the 2024 general election. She served as as Secretary of State for International Development from 2017 to 2019 and Minister for Women and Equalities from 2018 to 2019. Mordaunt was briefly Secretary of State for Defence from May to July 2019 and, later, Leader of the House of Commons from September 2022 until 2024.

Penny Mordaunt

Quotes

2018

• We asked the people to decide, they decided... that means we can't come up with something else in Parliament
  • Brexit: Theresa May says David Cameron 'not advising her' BBC News (17 December 2018)

2019

• I stayed in cabinet and fought to try and get a deal and to try and build a consensus, both in my party and but also in Parliament. What we have learnt though is if you are trying to get that objective, you can't take no deal off the table.
  • Tory leadership: Johnson warns party of risk of Brexit 'extinction' BBC News (5 June 2019)

• In recent days, in my discussions that I have had with people on the EU side of the negotiating table, I am really optimistic and I think they understand they have to move on some things. I voted to Leave and I still remain optimistic that we can get a good deal for the UK.
  • Tory leadership: Johnson warns party of risk of Brexit 'extinction' BBC News (5 June 2019)

2022–present

• First of all, let me address the comments the honourable lady makes about my facial expressions: my resting face is that of a bulldog chewing a wasp, and people shouldn’t read too much into that.
  • "Penny Mordaunt: My resting face is that of a bulldog chewing a wasp" Independent (13 October 2022)
  • Following comments by Thangam Debbonaire, Labour shadow Leader of the House of Commons, about Mordaunt during the previous day's Prime Minister's Questions. The government of Liz Truss was considered to be in terminal crisis after only five weeks.

• It is, of course, a mystery why a workaholic with no social life and four cats is not a massive draw.
  • On why she is single, as cited in "The real Penny Mordaunt: 'a workaholic with four cats and no social life'" The Times (27 May 2023)

• What happened was completely wrong and the prime minister has rightly apologised for that, apologised to veterans but also to all of us, because he was representing all of us.
  I'm from Portsmouth, I have also been defence secretary and my wish is, at the end of this week, is that all of our veterans feel completely treasured.
  • From the second debate of the 2024 general election campaign, as cited in "Penny Mordaunt hits out at ‘completely wrong’ Rishi Sunak after D-Day gaffe", The Times (7 June 2024)
  • In what The Times described as "the worst day of his election campaign", Prime Minister Rishi Sunak apologised for returning early from the 80th anniversary commemoration in Normandy of D-Day.