James Forsyth James Forsyth

Penny Mordaunt complains of ‘smears’

She warned of ‘toxic politics’

(Getty)

Tom Tugendhat and Penny Mordaunt both took to the BBC Sunday Show this morning. Tugendhat’s appearance came straight after the chief of the defence staff Tony Radakin and Tugendhat immediately went on foreign policy his strongest suit. His answers in this area are crisper than his ones on domestic issues. 

Tugendhat made much, as he always does, of the ‘clean start’ he would offer. He did, though, credit Boris Johnson with breaking the Brexit deadlock and levelling up, though said he would take it further. He reiterated his call for a further cut in fuel duty, he wants 10p off. But on energy more broadly he talked about the need for actions to lower the price of energy. This is right but considering how long these decisions take to have an impact, very much a long-term aim.

Tugendhat also said he would send the Royal Navy to the North African coast to deter people smugglers as he backed the Rwanda policy as a necessary totem.

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