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| Penny Mordaunt: The sword-carrying leader of the Commons | |
| (4 months later) | |
| You might not know about Penny Mordaunt if you don't normally follow politics. Here's a recap of the MP's life and career from magician's assistant to marching up the aisle at the Coronation. | |
| She is leader of the House of Commons | |
| They help organise the process by which MPs can ask questions and debate issues in the House of Commons. She was appointed during the short time Liz Truss was Prime Minister. | |
| She went viral for carrying a sword during the Coronation | |
| Penny Mordaunt carries sword at the Coronation | |
| She carried two heavy-looking swords for more than an hour during the ceremony and was praised widely for her stamina. She later told the BBC she had taken painkillers on the day. | |
| She did well in the Conservative leadership race | |
| In the summer of 2022, she made it to the final three before losing out to Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak - both of whom would become prime minister within a few short months. Before all that, Ms Mordaunt campaigned strongly for Brexit in the 2016 referendum. | |
| Critics attacked her views on trans issues | |
| During the leadership election, some objected to her statements of support for trans rights while equalities minister. She later rowed back on them, saying "if you've been in the Royal Navy, and you have competed physically against men, you understand the biological difference between men and women". | |
| She has strong links to the armed forces | She has strong links to the armed forces |
| She was a navy reservist and was appointed the UK's first-ever female defence secretary by Theresa May - before being removed by Boris Johnson. Her father was a paratrooper and she is named after the cruiser HMS Penelope. | She was a navy reservist and was appointed the UK's first-ever female defence secretary by Theresa May - before being removed by Boris Johnson. Her father was a paratrooper and she is named after the cruiser HMS Penelope. |
| Before politics, she worked as a magician's assistant | Before politics, she worked as a magician's assistant |
| Other previous jobs include working in orphanages in Romania during her gap year, before being elected as an MP for Portsmouth North in 2010. Four years later, she appeared on ITV's Splash!, where she was mentored on diving by Tom Daley. | |
| She gave a naughty speech in Parliament | She gave a naughty speech in Parliament |
| Also in 2014, she gave a speech on "poultry welfare" after a dare by her navy training officers. She later explained she had to "say a particular word, the abbreviation of cockerel, several times during a speech on the floor". | Also in 2014, she gave a speech on "poultry welfare" after a dare by her navy training officers. She later explained she had to "say a particular word, the abbreviation of cockerel, several times during a speech on the floor". |
| Related Topics | Related Topics |
| Conservative Party | Conservative Party |
| Penny Mordaunt | Penny Mordaunt |
| Tory leadership | Tory leadership |