I won’t be installed in No10 ‘like a new boiler’, says Mordaunt

Penny Mordaunt, a former defence secretary, ran for the Tory leadership in both the contests in 2022 – Wiktor Szymanowicz/Shutterstock

Penny Mordaunt has denied that she will be installed in Number 10 “like a new boiler”, with Rishi Sunak’s leadership set to come under scrutiny after Thursday’s local elections.

When challenged by a Labour MP,  Ms Mordaunt, the Commons Leader – tipped as a future Tory leadership contender – said she would continue to support Mr Sunak.

Downing Street has been braced for the fallout from the local elections for councillors, mayors and police and crime commissioners in England and Wales.

The results in the last nationwide votes before the general election are being seen as a test of whether the Conservatives are as unpopular as the polls suggest.

A survey by YouGov, conducted before Thursday’s votes, found that Labour held a 26-point lead over the Tories, who are now polling lower than under Liz Truss’s leadership.

Just 18 per cent of respondents said they would vote for the Conservatives, compared to 15 per cent who would vote for Reform UK – a gap of just three points. Labour was way ahead on 44 per cent.

Tory rebels, including MPs and former advisers, have long circled May 2 and the days after it as the time when they could elevate criticism of Mr Sunak and potentially force a change.

Whether there are enough critics to trigger a no confidence vote in the Prime Minister – with 52 of 345 Tory MPs needing to submit a letter to force one – remains to be seen.

Rebels privately admit that “everything has to align” to oust him, with Tories watching closely to see whether Ben Houchen, the Tory mayor of Tees Valley, wins re-election.

His result is expected to be announced at around lunchtime on Friday. News of whether Andy Street, the Conservative West Midlands mayor, has been able to win re-election is expected on Saturday.

Ms Mordaunt, a former defence secretary, ran for the Tory leadership in both the contests in 2022, and was the last candidate standing against Mr Sunak before failing to get enough MPs’ support.

She made her remarks when challenged by Nick Smith, Labour’s shadow deputy Commons leader, in a parliamentary debate on Thursday.

“Yes, I too have read that I am to be installed, rather like a new boiler, into Number 10 next week,” she said.

“I have to say, Mr Speaker, that there is as much truth to those stories as there is to Labour’s assurances to its business community that it is not actually going to do the things that it has been saying it is going to do and has promised its union paymasters.

“Let me say again that I support our Prime Minister, and I will continue to support him after this weekend and beyond, because his plan is working. I will do everything I can to ensure that Labour does not get a chance to wreck the nation again.”

Mr Smith had prompted laughs on the Labour benches in a speech that made reference to reports about Ms Mordaunt’s leadership ambitions.

He said: “The Leader of the House says that she has the Prime Minister’s back. Coincidentally, she has been supporting her colleagues up and down the country. Following on from schnapps with Shapps, can we look forward to gin with Jenrick or perhaps Pimm’s with Penny?

“I am a Scrabble fan, but there is a new game of political Cluedo coming along. Who could be the one to strike the fatal blow against the Prime Minister? Will it be cocktails with Kemi in the garden? My money is on the Leader of the House with the sharpened Telegraph column in the drawing room.”

Ms Mordaunt responded: “It is not going to be Pimm’s with Penny. I am more of a pints with Penny person.”

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