Penny Mordaunt ‘tight-lipped’ amid questions over alleged leadership plot

Labour urged Penny Mordaunt to address the elephant in the room as the Commons Leader remained “tight-lipped” on rumours of a Tory leadership plot.

Meanwhile, the SNP said Ms Mordaunt has been “plotting and scheming” as part of her “leadership campaign”.

On Wednesday, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak issued a call to arms when he addressed the Conservative backbench 1922 Committee with a plea for unity ahead of May’s local elections.

Amid ongoing disquiet in relation to Mr Sunak’s position, Tory rebels have reportedly talked up the prospect of Ms Mordaunt as a new party leader who could be acceptable to both the Tory right and moderates if there is a last-ditch change before the general election.

During Business Questions, shadow Commons leader Lucy Powell said: “Let’s address the elephant in the room.

“There’s an unusual level of interest in today’s Business Questions following the swirling rumours and speculation – thousands of column inches written about the unfolding drama.

“Will she? Won’t she? When will it come to a head? Yet, she’s remained tight-lipped, ducking the questions.”

Ms Mordaunt replied: “I have briefly emerged from under the hairdryer, put down my Take A Break magazine, managed not only to find my way to the Chamber this morning but also remember on which side of it I am supposed to be sitting, to be present and correct for Business Questions – quite a feat if media reports are to be believed.”

She added: “It is confirmation that the plan is working when on Thursdays the Opposition focuses not on these facts in the real world but on the Westminster rumour vortex.”

Later in the session Ms Mordaunt said she was filling out “a hate-related report form” after the SNP’s Deidre Brock referred to the Commons Leader’s “leadership plotting and scheming”.

Ms Brock told the Commons: “Of course we are grateful to the Leader for making time in her hectic schedule to pop along to the House of Commons today – all that leadership plotting and scheming doesn’t just happen by itself, she’s been a busy bee.

“And we can only pray we are nearing the season finale of this endless Tory soap opera, but her leadership campaign hasn’t stopped her coming here today so she can ignore our questions in person.

“Every Thursday she displays some essential qualities to be the next Tory prime minister – for a start, regarding questions as a bit of a nuisance, something to be avoided at all costs.

“They get in the way of her important work recording all those YouTube videos about Willy Wonka or escaped monkeys or whatever.”

Ms Brock went on to ask about unanswered questions she said she has put to Ms Mordaunt in relation to Baroness Michelle Mone’s membership of the Conservative Party, figures on child poverty, and on the amount of taxpayers’ money used for the State of the Union report to the Cabinet Office.

Ms Mordaunt replied: “I have noticed a consistent hostility and unpleasantness in (Ms Brock’s) questions towards me, and this has been going on for some time – weeks in fact.

“I’m getting the impression (Ms Brock) does not like me, perhaps even hates me, and her followers on social media certainly do, and there are some patronising undertones in what she says, and I believe she is saying that I’m deficient in my abilities to answer her questions, perhaps because I am a woman.

“I feel very intimidated, upset and deeply, deeply, hurt, so, as well as noting her questions, I have been sat on the front bench filling in a hate-related report form, which my officials have so kindly placed in my folder. I’m going to have one ready for every single SNP colleague that gets to their feet.

“If I did send it to the Scottish Police they would be obliged to investigate… I sincerely hope that the SNP’s new hate crime laws does not have a chilling effect on our exchanges.”

In relation to Ms Brock’s list of questions, Ms Mordaunt advised her to “cut out the middleman and write to the departments herself”.

She continued: “I look forward to receiving her list of questions – I think it is now two months overdue when she said she would send it to me – and I will farm them out to the relevant Government departments and ask them to respond.”