Penny Mordaunt has become the first candidate to throw her hat into the ring in the race to succeed Liz Truss as prime minister, with a pledge to reunite the bitterly divided Tory Party. The Leader of the House – who finished third in the last leadership election – said she had been encouraged by the support she had received from fellow Conservative MPs.
She made her bid public as she appeared to struggle to get an initial wave of backers, the Mirror reports. Candidates need 100 MP nominations each by 2pm on Monday to get on the ballot paper.
She said in a statement posted on social media: "I’ve been encouraged by support from colleagues who want a fresh start, a united party and leadership in the national interest. I’m running to be the leader of the Conservative Party and your Prime Minister – to unite our country, deliver our pledges and win the next GE (general election).”
