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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Politics
Jim Waterson and Jessica Elgot

Press attacks take toll as Penny Mordaunt misses out in PM race

A montage of Daily Mail front pages with anti-Mordaunt headlines
A montage of Daily Mail front pages with Mordaunt and Truss in the headlines. Composite: Daily Mail

Penny Mordaunt’s exit from the Tory leadership race has left her pondering a familiar question: do the UK’s rightwing newspapers still shape political debate, or do they simply have a knack for spotting which way the wind is blowing?

One Mordaunt-supporting Conservative MP was in no doubt that she had narrowly missed out on her chance to be prime minister due to relentless criticism from rightwing outlets. “The nasty personal attacks in the Mail and Telegraph cut through,” they said.

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