What a night for Penny.
A politician who came close to winning the Conservative Party leadership contest in the summer of 2022 – before losing out to Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak – has now lost her seat in the General Election.
All night it has been ‘too close’ to call the Portsmouth North constituency, where Penny Mordaunt has reigned since 2010.
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The House of Commons leader has now become one of the prominent figures to lose their seat to the Labour Party.
She joins already a lineup of ‘big beats’ – including Grant Shapps – who will wake up without a job.
The 51-year-old had been hotly tipped to run for Conservative leadership – again – if she managed to hang on as an MP.
But she has been ousted, after losing her seat to mother-of-three Amanda Martin, only to underscore the nightmare for the Tories.
The MP has been in the public eye for quite some time now. After a career as a magician’s assistant, she entered the Commons in 2010.
Mordaunt was a staunch advocate for Brexit and emerged as a prominent figure in the Leave campaign during the 2016 EU referendum.
She went viral for carrying two heavy swords at King Charles’ coronation, dressed in a custom-made teal outfit with a matching cape and headband with gold feather embroidery.
As Lord President of the Council, she was responsible for bearing the Sword of State and presenting the Jewelled Sword of Offering to Charles – the first time the duty had been carried out by a woman.
Mordaunt was hailed as stealing the show and later disclosed she did press ups in preparation and practised with weighted replicas.
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