The election has yet to be fought, let alone lost, but already the Tory would-be leaders are circling Rishi Sunak. And among the most energetic on the circuit is Penny Mordaunt. The other day, she was having a go at the SNP at the Caledonian Club; it’s always useful to play the unionist card in this particular game. Few observers doubt that she’s taking up where she left off in the last leadership campaign where she was just 10 MP votes shy of making it onto the ballot against Rishi. She comes second in the ConservativeHome ranking of cabinet ministers, despite having done precisely nothing in the way of substance — and, fair enough, she’s Leader of the Commons.
Trouble is, the hurly burly isn’t done yet and quite a lot might happen between now and, let’s say, November. But whatever the question is about the future of the Tory party, Penny Mordaunt isn’t the answer. There’s too little there; behind the Brunhilda vibe, there’s no substance, no coherent political philosophy, certainly not a conservative one.
