How many promises should a candidate make in a leadership contest? If you’re Penny Mordaunt, the answer appears to be very few. The trade minister has upset her leadership rivals by becoming the surprise bookies’ favourite in the contest. It means the knives are out when it comes to her efforts – with figures such as Lord Frost criticising Mordaunt and claiming she is not up to the job of prime minister.
What was most striking from Mordaunt’s interview was how little detail she had when it came to her grand plans
In a bid to silence her critics, Mordaunt has today given her first broadcast interview to Sky News. Speaking to Beth Rigby, Mordaunt accused others of engaging in ‘black ops’ to prevent her from reaching the final two of the contest and facing the membership: ‘People obviously are trying to stop me getting into the final because they don’t want to run against me.’

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