Dame Penny Mordaunt has confirmed she is ready to make a comeback as a Conservative MP after passing the party's candidate selection process. The former defence secretary told the BBC's Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg: “I have passed my parliamentary assessment board. I’m waiting to see what seats I can go for, but I have a full pass from the candidates committee.”
Backing the party line
There had been speculation that Dame Penny was blocked from standing by Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch. However, she insisted she now backs leaving the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) and watering down net zero targets.
She said: “I’m very happy with the party position as it is on all those issues. And I think Kemi is right. I’ve always toed the party line, I haven’t always had my first choice as leader but I have followed the party line. And I think Kemi is right to require her potential MPs to say they will deliver the manifesto they stand on.”
Road to the next election
Dame Penny was one of many high-profile Conservatives ousted at the last general election. The former Tory leadership hopeful narrowly lost her Portsmouth North seat, which she had represented for 14 years, to Labour by around 800 votes.
She will still need to be picked by a local Tory association as its candidate to stand at the next general election, due by 2029. Dame Penny won praise for her role carrying a ceremonial sword when Charles was crowned at Westminster Abbey in 2023.
