Mordaunt faces the music as Truss’s understudy

When the phrases ‘the Prime Minister is not under a desk’ and ‘I don’t think there has been a coup’ are put forward by a minister tasked with defending their boss, it’s a sign that the parliamentary session has not gone to plan. This was the case this afternoon when Penny Mordaunt was sent to face the music on behalf of the Prime Minister. After Liz Truss U-turned on close to the entirety of her not-so-mini Budget this morning, Labour tabled an Urgent Question summoning Truss to explain herself. The Prime Minister declined – and sent the Leader of the House in her place.

Unsurprisingly, the bulk of the session was focussed on one simple question: where was Liz Truss? Mordaunt repeatedly expressed her regret that Truss was unable to be there. She insisted Truss would be there if she could and that she has a ‘very genuine’ reason for her absence.