Who is Penny Mordaunt? Early Life, Career, Parliamentary Membership, Personal Life & More

Liz Truss, UK prime ministership seems in danger. And two names suggested by the lawmakers are Rishi Sunak and Penny Mordaunt. This article will help you know all about Penny Mordaunt in a go.

According to media reports, Senior Conservatives are in no mood to work under the administration of Liz Truss. Within just days or a week, the newly elected UK Prime Minister will be replaced with a joint pair of Rishi Sunak and Penny Mordaunt over the swelling economic crisis.

Who is Penny Mordaunt?

Penny Mordaunt’s full name is Penelope Mary Mordaunt. The British politician who has served as Leader of the House of Commons and Lord President of the Council was born on 4 March 1973. Member of the Conservative Party, Penny has been a Member of Parliament (MP) for Portsmouth North, a junior minister under Boris Johnson, Secretary of State for Theresa May’s Cabinet of International Development, and also a Secretary of State for Defence from May to July 2019.

Early Life

Penny Mordaunt was named after the daughter of a former paratrooper, Arethusa-class cruiser HMS Penelope. Her father, John Mordaunt, served in the Parachute Regiment before retraining as a teacher, and her mother, Jennifer was a special needs teacher at several Purbrook schools. Sibling of two, Mordaunt completed her early education at Oaklands Roman Catholic Comprehensive School in Waterlooville and later studied drama at the Victoryland Theatre School. 

Mordaunt got fascinated with politics during the aftermath of the 1989 revolution. The first member of her family to attend University, Mordaunt was an active member of student politics and also served as president of the Reading University Students’ Union.

Private Career

After graduation, Mordaunt for a brief period was employed as public relation expert for different companies, leaders, and organizations. The long list of her employers includes:

Parliamentary Career

She held roles within the Conservative Party under party leaders John Major and William Hague and also worked for George W. Bush’s presidential campaigns in 2000 and 2004. She also played an important role as Minister for Women and Equalities from 2018 to 2019.

In the 2021 reshuffle, she was appointed Minister of State for Trade Policy. She was appointed Leader of the Commons when Truss became Prime Minister. She served various roles in her political career, such as:

Personal Life

The member of the British Astronomical Association is a patron of the Victoria Cross Trust, and Enable Ability, a disability charity based in Portsmouth, simultaneously being a Scouting ambassador. Member of the Royal Naval Reserve from 2010 until 2019 married Paul Murray, her classmate. However, the marriage sustained just only a year. Later, she was in a long-term relationship with businessman Ian Lyon businessman and a part-time folk singer. Penny, the cat lover got into the news for sheltering a Ukrainian refugee. 

FYI, the YouGov poll says that 62% of voters who participated in the last election and chose Liz Truss as British Prime Minister are regretting their choice. And considering this the Conservative lawmakers are looking at 42-year-old British Indian former Chancellor Sunak and Penny Mordaunt as the new UK Prime Minister.