Who is Penny Mordaunt, what is her role in government and how did she get into politics?

Liz Truss was appointed as Prime Minister and leader of the Conservative Party on September 6, 2022. Since then Conservative politicians have been appointed certain roles, including Penny Mordaunt. Jeremy Hunt replaced Kwasi Kwarteng as chancellor on October 14, 2022.

After just 44 days, Liz Truss announced her resignation on October 20, 2022. Rishi Sunak replaced her as Prime Minister five days later.

So, who is Penny Mordaunt, what is her role in government and how did she get into politics in the first place? Here is everything you need to know.

Who is Penny Mordaunt - what is her background?

The Conservative politician was born in Torquay, Devon, to former paratrooper, John, and a special needs teacher at multiple Purbrook schools, Jennifer. She was brought up in Portsmouth and was named after the Arethusa-class cruiser HMS Penelope

Penny is related to Philip Snowden, the first Labour Chancellor of the Exchequer, through her mother and also related to the actress Dame Angela Lansbury, as her grandmother’s cousin and former Labour leader, George Lansbury.

Penny has a twin brother, James, and a younger brother called Edward and was educated at Oaklands Roman Catholic Comprehensive School in Waterlooville, Hampshire and studied drama at the Victoryland Theatre School.

She was just 15 years old when her mother died of breast cancer and as a result, she left school, along with her twin brother, to become the primary carer for her younger brother.

A year later, her father was also diagnosed with cancer, which he recovered and to help pay her way through her studies at school, Penny worked in a Johnson and Johnson factory and became an assistant to a magician to Will Ayling, a past president of the Portsmouth Magical Society as well as The British Ring of the International Brotherhood of Magicians.

How did Penny Mordaunt get into politics?

The politician was inspired to work in politics following her experiences working in hospitals and orphanages of Romania during her gap year before university while the country was recovering from the 1989 revolution.

She studied philosophy at the University of Reading and graduated in 1995; the first family member to go to university. Her political engagement actually began when she studied at university; she served as president of the Reading University Students’ Union.

After obtaining her degree, her career started in public relations in a variety of sectors. She was head of youth for the Conservative Party, under John Major’s leadership, before working two years as head of broadcasting for the party under William Hague.

She worked as a communications specialist for the Freight Transport Association, now Logistics UK, from 1997 to 1999 and in 2000 she temporarily worked as head of foreign press for George W. Bush’s presidential campaign and again in 2004.

What is Penny Mordaunt’s current role in the UK government?

Penny has been the MP for Portsmouth North since 201, has been the Leader of the House of Commons and Lord President of the Council since September 2022.

Her previous roles include the position of Minister for International Trade Policy in 2021 and Her Majesty’s Paymaster General in 2020.

While she lost Portsmouth North back in 2005 on her first attempt, she gained the seat in 2010, 2015, 2017 and 2019.

She became a Minister in Local Government in 2014 and the year after was made the Minister of Armed Forces - Penny was the first woman to achieve this position.

In 2016, she was appointed Minister of State for Disabled People, Health and Work and was given a promotion in 2017 when she entered her first cabinet position as Secretary of State for International Development.

This post resulted in the MP becoming the first woman to hold the position of Secretary of State for Defence.

Penny was Minister of State at the Department for International Trade from September 16, 2021 to September 6, 2022 and was the department’s ministerial disability champion.