Penny Mordaunt

Penny Mordaunt
MP
Minister of State for Disabled People, Work and Health
Assumed office
14 July 2016
Prime Minister Theresa May
Sec. of State Damian Green
Preceded by Justin Tomlinson (as Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State)
Minister of State for the Armed Forces
In office
11 May 2015 – 15 July 2016
Prime Minister David Cameron
Preceded by Mark Francois
Succeeded by Mike Penning
Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Communities and Local Government
In office
14 July 2014 – 11 May 2015
Prime Minister David Cameron
Preceded by Nick Boles
Succeeded by James Wharton
Member of Parliament
for Portsmouth North
Assumed office
6 May 2010
Preceded by Sarah McCarthy-Fry
Majority 10,537 (23.2%) in 2015
Personal details
Born Penelope Mary Mordaunt
(1973-03-04) 4 March 1973[1]
Torquay, Devon, England
Nationality British
Political party Conservative
Spouse(s) Paul Murray (divorced)[2]
Alma mater University of Reading
Website www.pennymordaunt.com
Military service
Allegiance  United Kingdom
Service/branch  Royal Navy
Years of service 2013 – present
Rank Lieutenant
Mordaunt in 2014

Penelope Mary "Penny" Mordaunt[3] (born 4 March 1973) is a British Conservative Party politician who has been the Member of Parliament (MP) for Portsmouth North since winning the seat at the 2010 United Kingdom general election.

Mordaunt was born in Torquay, Devon and studied philosophy at the University of Reading. Before entering Parliament, she worked in business and communications, working in the private, public and charitable sectors, including as communications director for Kensington and Chelsea Council. She is currently the only female who is a Royal Naval Reservist in the House of Commons.

Mordaunt was appointed as a Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the Department for Communities and Local Government in July 2014.[4][5] In May 2015 Prime Minister David Cameron appointed her Minister of State for the Armed Forces at the MoD, the first woman to take this post.[6] In July 2016, the new Prime Minister Theresa May appointed her to a newly created Minister of State position at the Department for Work and Pensions.

Early life

The daughter of a former paratrooper,[7] one of twins born in Torquay, Devon, Mordaunt was named after the Leander-class frigate HMS Penelope.[7] Her father, who had been born in Hilsea barracks, had left the Parachute Regiment and trained as a teacher. He taught in Torquay before the family moved to Portsmouth in 1975, when Mordaunt was aged two, so that he could be closer to his aging parents. He taught at Oak Park school and later became a youth worker for Hampshire Council. Her mother was a special needs teacher at several Purbrook schools, and her stepmother is also a local primary school teacher.

Mordaunt has two brothers: James, and a younger brother, Edward.[8] She is a descendant of Philip Snowden, the first Labour Chancellor of the Exchequer.[9]

Education

Mordaunt was educated at Oaklands Roman Catholic Comprehensive School, Waterlooville, Hampshire, and studied drama at the Victoryland Theatre School.[10]

When Mordaunt was 15, her mother died of breast cancer.[7] Mordaunt's twin brother left school, whilst she became carer to Edward. The following year her father was diagnosed with cancer, and survived.[7] To pay her way through sixth-form college, Mordaunt became a magician's assistant to Portsmouth magician Will Ayling, once president of The Magic Circle.[7]

She has attributed her interest in politics to her experiences working in hospitals and orphanages of post-revolutionary Romania in her gap year, after the 1989 revolution.[11] She read philosophy at the University of Reading, becoming the first member of her family to attend university.[8]

Early career

After leaving university, Mordaunt began a successful career in business and communications, working in the private, public and charitable sectors. She was communications director for Kensington and Chelsea Council, supported British truckers during the French blockades whilst working for the Freight Transport Association[8] and was a director at the Community Fund which merged administratively with the New Opportunities Fund to create the Big Lottery Fund.

In 2006 Mordaunt became Director of Diabetes UK[12] – the largest patient organisation in Europe.

Mordaunt has also worked with several high-profile politicians. Under Prime Minister John Major she was Head of Youth for the Conservative Party, whilst she had a two-year spell as Head of Broadcasting under party leader William Hague.[8] In 2000, she was Head of Foreign Press for George W. Bush's presidential campaign,[13][14] and she worked for the Bush campaign again in 2004.[15] After the 2005 election she worked as chief of staff for David Willets's aborted leadership campaign.[16]

Portsmouth North candidate and MP

In November 2003, Mordaunt was selected as Conservative candidate to contest Portsmouth North in the 2005 general election. She managed to attain a 5.5% swing towards the Conservatives[8] but lost to Labour candidate Sarah McCarthy-Fry by 1,139 votes.[17] A critic of women-only shortlists,[18][19] Mordaunt was re-selected in January 2006 to contest Portsmouth North for the 2010 general election.[8] She proposed standing for Mayor of London as a commuter mayor.[20]

In the 2010 general election, Mordaunt won the seat with an 8.6% swing from Labour, giving her a 7,289 majority. After her election, she was a member of the Public Bill Committee for the Defence Reform Act 2014.[21] She is a supporter of homeopathy, having signed an early day motion in support of its continued funding on the National Health Service.[22]

In 2014, Mordaunt became only the second woman in Elizabeth II's reign (the first being Lady Tweedsmuir in 1957) to propose the loyal address in reply to the Queen's speech from the throne, and made reference to Tweedsmuir's comments about wanting more female involvement in Parliament.[23] Mordaunt remarked “I have benefited from some excellent training by the Royal Navy, but on one occasion I felt that it was not as bespoke as it might have been. Fascinating though it was, I felt that the lecture and practical demonstration on how to care for the penis and testicles in the field failed to appreciate that some of us attending had been issued with the incorrect kit.”[24]

When receiving The Spectator magazine's Parliamentarian of the Year award in November 2014, Mordaunt revealed that she had delivered a speech in the House of Commons just before the Easter recess in 2013 on poultry welfare so as to use the word "cock", as a forfeit for a misdemeanour during Naval Reserve training.[25][26] Mordaunt used the word “cock” six times and “lay” or “laid” five times. Following her admission, she was accused by Labour MP Kate Hoey of trivialising parliament.[27]

Claim about vetoes on EU accession

During an interview on BBC Television, Mourdant denied that the UK had a veto on Turkey joining the EU – despite Article 49 of the EU constitution requiring a unanimous vote of all 28 members of the General Council to allowing accession of a candidate state – thus creating a power of veto by a dissenting member nation. Prime Minister David Cameron stated her view was "completely wrong"[28] and Guy Verhofstadt called her statement "contemptible".[29]

Other activities

Mordaunt is a Royal Naval Reservist, serving as an acting sub-lieutenant, at HMS King Alfred on Whale Island.[30][31]

She is a Fellow of the Royal Society for Arts, a member of the British Astronomical Association, and she is involved in many charities active in the Portsmouth area, including Southsea Greenhouse, Hilsea Lido, The Patey Centre, and Wymering Manor, about which she said: "We wouldn't have embarked on the project if we weren't confident it would be sustainable and could provide a community facility which will be used for many many years. Lots of people really see its potential – it could be a wonderful space."[32] Mordaunt is a patron of Victoria Cross Trust, as well as an ambassador for Portsmouth Scouts.

In 2014, Mordaunt appeared on reality television programme Splash!.[33] Whilst some criticised the media appearance, Mordaunt insists that the response was overwhelmingly positive and defended her appearance,[34] stating that she was donating all of her £10,000 appearance fee plus any additional sponsorship to charity: £7,000 towards the renovation of her local lido; the rest to four Armed Services charities.[7]

Personal life

Mordaunt lives with her partner Ian Lyon, a classical singer and director of an IT company, who was elected to Portsmouth City Council for Nelson Ward.[8] The couple breed Burmese cats, and have four cats themselves.[35]

References

  1. ↑ Profile, ukwhoswho.com; accessed 8 May 2015.
  2. ↑ "News Splash! How diving MP Penny Mordaunt took the plunge in a 'secret' marriage to uni sweetheart that left her so scarred 'she never wants to marry again'". Retrieved 19 September 2016.
  3. ↑ The London Gazette: no. 59418. p. 8744. 13 May 2010.
  4. ↑ Christopher Hope (15 July 2014). "Pen portraits of the 10 Conservative women ministers who were promoted in the reshuffle". Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 15 July 2014.
  5. ↑ Liam Kelly (15 July 2014). "Brandon Lewis promoted to housing and planning minister in reshuffle". The Guardian. Retrieved 15 July 2014.
  6. ↑ "Penny Mordaunt first woman to become Armed Forces Minister". 11 May 2015.
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Jane Fryer (17 January 2014). "Why our sexiest MP is on Splash! tonight". Daily Mail. Retrieved 26 January 2014.
  8. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Penny Mordaunt profile", conservatives.com; accessed 8 May 2015.
  9. ↑ Matthew Bell The Feral Beast: "Cecilia pins her hopes on the Pope", independent.co.uk, 24 March 2013
  10. ↑ Profile, conservatives.com; accessed 8 May 2015.
  11. ↑ "Howard's harem", thisislondon.co.uk; accessed 8 May 2015.
  12. ↑ Profile: Life of the party – Penny Mordaunt, director of nations, regions and campaigns, Diabetes UK, PR Week, 5 May 2006
  13. ↑ The role of Women in McCain's presidential campaign, Woman's Hour, BBC Radio 4, 1 September 2008
  14. ↑ "Bush's black spin doctor backs Hague", Benedict Brogan, Daily Telegraph, 14 June 2001
  15. ↑ "Tara's top Tories", Tara Hamilton-Miller, New Statesman, 3 January 2008
  16. ↑ Tory Leadership Watch: August, BBC, August 2005
  17. ↑ "Portsmouth News". thenews.co.uk.
  18. ↑ Josie Appleton "How will women vote?", Spiked, 20 April 2005
  19. ↑ Marie Woolf "Tories face call for positive discrimination", The Independent, 15 January 2005
  20. ↑ "ConservativeHome's London Mayor blog". blogs.com.
  21. ↑ "House of Commons Public Bill Committee on the Defence Reform Bill 2013–14". Parliament.uk. Retrieved 17 September 2013.
  22. ↑ Tredinnick, David (29 June 2010). "Early Day Motion No. 342 British Medical Association Motions on Homeopathy".
  23. ↑ Rowena Mason. "Penny Mordaunt brings the House down after Queen's speech". the Guardian.
  24. ↑ "Profile: Penny Mordaunt, a risqué but not revolting potential Tory leadership contender - Conservative Home". Retrieved 19 September 2016.
  25. ↑ Chris Mason "Penny Mordaunt speech: Fowl play or light-hearted fun?", BBC News, 1 December 2014
  26. ↑ "Conservative MP Penny Mordaunt criticised for smutty Commons speech delivered 'for a dare'", London Evening Standard, 1 December 2014
  27. ↑ Loulla-Mae Eleftheriou-Smith "Tory MP Penny Mordaunt said 'c**k' several times in Parliament speech as part of Navy dare", The Independent, 30 November 2014
  28. ↑ editor, Anushka Asthana Political (22 May 2016). "David Cameron suggests defence minister is lying over Turkey joining EU". Retrieved 19 September 2016 – via The Guardian.
  29. ↑ Guy Verhofstadt. "Relax, Britain – you can hate the eurozone and still vote remain ", The Guardian, 31 May 2016.
  30. ↑ "Diary of the week: Penny Mordaunt". totalpolitics.com. 22 October 2010. Retrieved 3 December 2013.
  31. ↑ "Royal Naval Reservists mission on the Dart". royalnavy.mod.uk. Ministry of Defence. 12 March 2014. Retrieved 26 October 2016.
  32. ↑ Stephen Stafford "Volunteers' hopes for 'haunted' Wymering Manor", BBC News, 15 February 2013
  33. ↑ Brian Reade (18 January 2014). "Penny Mordaunt is just another attention seeker drowning her political credibility in the reality show cesspit". mirror.
  34. ↑ "Tory MP Penny Mordaunt defends appearing in swimsuit on TV reality show". The Times.
  35. ↑ Glen Owen (25 January 2014). "News Splash! MP Penny Mordaunt". Daily Mail. Retrieved 26 January 2014.
Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by
Sarah McCarthy-Fry		 Member of Parliament for Portsmouth North
2010–present 		Incumbent
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