Ex-Portsmouth MP Penny Mordaunt left waiting weeks by Conservatives to see if she can stand in next election
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Tory leader Kemi Badenoch addressed the matter after the issue emerged in the national press
Former Portsmouth North MP Dame Penny Mordaunt has been left waiting weeks to find out if she can stand as a Conservative candidate again.
The ex-defence secretary is among a group of prospective Tory candidates who have not been allocated spots yet. As reported in The Times, the cohort were previously told they would be informed about the decision by the end of June, but have waited weeks to know about their future.
The national publication sitting MPs have privately criticised the “poor way former colleagues are being treated”. One sitting politician said the whole situation was a “chaotic mess”.
Prospective candidates, including Dame Penny, have had to go through an interview and six-hour assessment. They were all grilled about policies which included the scrapping of net-zero targets and leaving the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR).
Another former defence secretary, Grant Shapps, was blocked from standing again as a candidate amid statements from Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch that she would be overseeing a different party, Speaking at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival about the national reports, she said: ““It’s not true that Penny has been blocked. It’s absolutely not true.
“I like Penny a lot, but I’m opening the papers and reading that people are complaining to them that the process is taking too long. It’s only been a few weeks since the summer. She has my mobile phone number. Why not just message me. Why have your debates in the papers?
“This is the kind of behaviour which we’re trying to move away from. What kind of behaviour is that? I was really surprised to see complaints from Penny in the papers. I don’t think it’s fair to discuss why some people may not be allowed back into the party. If people not allowed back, it’ll be for very very good reasons. I don’t want to embarrass anyone by saying why.”
Sources told The Times that the holdup was due to the Tories focusing on Labour’s change in leadership to Andy Burnham, and reduced staffing levels over the summer break.
Dame Penny lost her Portsmouth North seat to Labour’s Amanda Martin at the 2024 General Election by 780 votes. She has since become a board chair of Portsmouth-based defence firm SubSea Craft. Dame Penny has been approached for comment.