London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Thursday, Jul 10, 2025

Penny Mordaunt denies deal talks with Boris Johnson team

Penny Mordaunt denies deal talks with Boris Johnson team

Conservative leadership hopeful Penny Mordaunt has described reports she has offered Boris Johnson's team her support in exchange for a prominent position as "completely false".

Speaking to the BBC, Ms Mordaunt insisted she was "in it to win it" and wasn't "contemplating how the other camps are organising themselves".

The Commons leader avoided detailing her approach to public spending.

However, she said it was "critical" to rebuild stability.

Ms Mordaunt was the first MP to declared her intention to run in the race to replace Liz Truss as Conservative leader and prime minister.

However, only 24 MPs have publicly come out to support her - and she needs 100 by 14:00 BST on Monday to remain in the contest.

The MP for Portsmouth North is currently lagging behind former chancellor Rishi Sunak who, according to the BBC's tally, has 146 backers and Mr Johnson, who has yet to officially declare, on 57.

Later on Sunday, her supporters dismissed the idea of her backing Mr Johnson in the leadership contest.

Amid claims Mr Johnson asked her to drop out and support him earlier on Sunday, a former minister backing Ms Mordaunt said: "Penny has huge admiration for Boris's achievements but she doesn't see how he can in any way bring the stability we now urgently need".

Appearing earlier on BBC One's Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg programme, Ms Mordaunt was asked about her relative lack of support.

She replied she was "very confident" about her progress, and pointed out that during the last leadership contest in the summer, she secured endorsements from 105 MPs, before being knocked out by Ms Truss and Mr Sunak. She said many of those MPs were returning to support her again.

She was then asked about her time in government with Ms Truss, and said that the prime minister - who announced her resignation on Thursday - had been "right to focus on growth".

But Ms Mordaunt said that she personally regretted the mini-Budget, which triggered economic turmoil. She said it was now "absolutely critical" to rebuild stability, and repeated her pledge to keep Jeremy Hunt on as chancellor.

Mr Hunt, who has warned of tax rises and spending cuts, is due to give a statement on the economy on 31 October.

Ms Mordaunt said that if she became prime minister the statement would go ahead - but refused to be drawn on the details of that package.

On possible cuts to the health service, she said the government would have to make "efficiency savings" but added that she would protect the "services people need".

She said that during the first leadership campaign she had recognised the need to support people through "a very difficult winter" in ways that would not exacerbate inflation such as "targeted and measured tax cuts".

Appearing on the same programme, former foreign secretary Dominic Raab - who is backing Rishi Sunak - was asked if a deal had been reached between his chosen candidate and Mr Johnson.

He replied: "I don't think there's any issues around deals here and that's not the right way to proceed."

He added: "What they did have was a very good conversation about the need for unity."


Watch: Penny Mordaunt says PM race isn't about Boris Johnson


Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Severe Heatwave Claims 2,300 Lives Across Europe
NVIDIA Achieves Historic Milestone as First Company Valued at $4 Trillion
Declining Beer Consumption Signals Cultural Shift in Germany
Linda Yaccarino Steps Down as CEO of X After Two Years
US Imposes New Tariffs on Brazilian Exports Amid Political Tensions
Azerbaijan and Armenia are on the brink of a historic peace deal.
Emails Leaked: How Passenger Luggage Became a Side Income for Airport Workers
Polish MEP: “Dear Leftists - China is laughing at you, Russia is laughing, India is laughing”
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Weinstein Victim’s Lawyer Says MeToo Movement Still Strong
U.S. Enacts Sweeping Tax and Spending Legislation Amid Trade Policy Shifts
Football Mourns as Diogo Jota and Brother André Silva Laid to Rest in Portugal
Labour Expected to Withdraw Support for Special Needs Funding Model
Leaked Audio Reveals Tory Aide Defending DEI Record
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
London Stock Exchange Faces Historic Low in Initial Public Offerings
A new online platform has emerged in the United Kingdom, specifically targeting Muslim men seeking virgin brides
Trump Celebrates Independence Day with B-2 Flyover and Signs Controversial Legislation
Boris Johnson Urges Conservatives to Ignore Farage
SNP Ordered to Update Single-Sex Space Guidance Within Days
Starmer Set to Reject Calls for Wealth Taxes
Stolen Century-Old Rolls-Royce Recovered After Hotel Theft
Macron Presses Starmer to Recognise Palestinian State
Labour Delayed Palestine Action Ban Over Riot Concerns
Swinney’s Tax Comments ‘Offensive to Scots’, Say Tories
High Street Retailers to Enforce Bans on Serial Shoplifters
Music Banned by Henry VIII to Be Performed After 500 Years
Steve Coogan Says Working Class Is Being ‘Ethnically Cleansed’
Home Office Admits Uncertainty Over Visa Overstayer Numbers
JD Vance Questions Mandelson Over Reform Party’s Rising Popularity
Macron to Receive Windsor Carriage Ride in Royal Gesture
Labour Accused of ‘Hammering’ Scots During First Year in Power
BBC Head of Music Stood Down Amid Bob Vylan Controversy
Corbyn Eyes Hard-Left Challenge to Starmer’s Leadership
London Tube Trains Suspended After Major Fire Erupts Nearby
Richard Kemp: I Felt Safer in Israel Under Attack Than in the UK
Cyclist Says Police Cited Human Rights Act for Riding No-Handed
China’s Central Bank Consults European Peers on Low-Rate Strategies
AI Raises Alarms Over Long-Term Job Security
Saudi Arabia Maintains Ties with Iran Despite Israel Conflict
Musk Battles to Protect Tesla Amid Trump Policy Threats
Air France-KLM Acquires Majority Stake in Scandinavian Airlines
UK Educators Sound Alarm on Declining Child Literacy
Shein Fined €40 Million in France Over Misleading Discounts
Brazil’s Lula Visits Kirchner During Argentina House Arrest
Trump Scores Legislative Win as House Passes Tax Reform Bill
Keir Starmer Faces Criticism After Rocky First Year in Power
DJI Launches Heavy-Duty Coaxial Quadcopter with 80 kg Lift Capacity
U.S. Senate Approves Major Legislation Dubbed the 'Big Beautiful Bill'
Largest Healthcare Fraud Takedown in U.S. History Announced by DOJ
×