Penny Mordaunt worked as a magician’s assistant years before she entered the political arena.
Does the potential Tory leader recall any of the tricks that her former employer, renowned illusionist Will Ayling, who wrote useful books like The Art of Illusion and Knowing The Ropes, taught her when she was a teenager?
The 49-year-old MP for Portsmouth North certainly seemed to be tying herself in knots over the issue of trans rights this week as she entered the race for the Conservative leadership.
Because of her past remarks that “trans men are men and trans women are women,” the Trade Minister has become a favorite to become Britain’s next prime minister, but her critics worry that she is simply too “woke” to appeal to the traditional party faithful.
When Mordaunt was Minister for Women and Equalities in 2018, a senior Tory source told the Daily Mail that her position was “of concern” because her earlier remarks had been repeated “mantra like” by trans activists, while those who dared to disagree, like author J. K. Rowling and feminist activist Julie Bindel, had been demonized online.
Whether out of instinct or sincere conviction, he continued, Penny Mordaunt had made a grave error in judgment in this case.
Mordaunt responded to those who were “wanting to damage my reputation for whatever reason” early on Sunday morning via Twitter, claiming that she had “fought for women’s rights all my life.”
By replacing the term “pregnant people” with “pregnant mothers,” she said she had “changed maternity legislation that was drafted in gender neutral language” and “defended free speech on these issues.”
I am biologically a woman, she continued, determined to make her point clearer. I am still a woman even if I undergo a mastectomy or hysterectomy.
And I am a woman in law. Legally, some men who were born men and went through the gender recognition process are also women.
They are not biological women like me, despite what they claim.
As if that weren’t complicated enough, some Whitehall insiders have criticized Mordaunt’s account of what happened, claiming that she steadfastly opposed changing the phrasing from “people” to “mothers” in order to avoid offending the trans lobby and finally “caved-in” under duress.
‘The way she’s trying to rewrite history to suit her is terrible,’ a senior Whitehall insider reportedly remarked.
However, Mordaunt is unwavering. Although it shouldn’t come as a surprise given that she is the daughter of a former paratrooper and was given the name Penelope after the Leander-class frigate HMS Penelope, her most recent remarks run the risk of putting her at odds with James, her twin brother.
While he has supported his sister, the LGBT activist and self-described “trans ally” is not a supporter of the Conservative party.
The Virgin Atlantic steward, who is also an ardent bodybuilder, labelled it “homophobic, transphobic, and complicit in anti-LGBT discrimination” earlier this year.
And yesterday, he posted on Twitter, where he has 50,000 followers, saying that “Trans rights are human rights” without qualification. The UK is currently experiencing a daily erosion of LGBTQI+ rights.
However, Mordaunt, a former member of the Royal Naval Reserve and current honorary Royal Naval Commander, is better equipped than most to weather any storm.
Yesterday, the 12-year MP tweeted: “Some seek to ruin my reputation for any reason. They want to portray me as being “awake.”
The straightforward, grounded residents of Portsmouth North chose me to represent them. I point you toward their verdict.
Mordaunt, who was born in 1973 in Torquay, Devon, was raised in the Hampshire naval port city. She received her A-level education at the Waterlooville, Ontario comprehensive Oaklands Roman Catholic School Academy.
Her mother, a special needs teacher, passed away from breast cancer when she was only 15 years old, ruining her childhood.
She assumed a large portion of the caregiving duties for her youngest brother Edward, who was five years her junior.
She was the first person in her family to earn a degree, studying philosophy at the University of Reading, where she rose to become president of the student’s union, after working for a year during her gap year in Romanian hospitals, orphanages, and factories.
After earning her degree in 1995, she started a career in public relations.
She worked for the Big Lottery Fund, Diabetes UK, and George W. Bush’s presidential campaign as head of the foreign press before developing a name within the Conservative Party.
Many people consider Mordaunt’s absence of elitist baggage to be her greatest strength.
In keeping with the nautical motif, she said: “It needs to become a little less about the leader and a lot more about the ship” as she introduced her ‘PM4PM’ campaign to become leader over the weekend.
In 2015, Brexiteer Mordaunt became the first woman to hold the office of Minister of State for the Armed Forces thanks to her successful political career.
She was appointed Minister of State for Disabled People, Health, and Work the following year.
As Secretary of State for International Development when she joined the cabinet in 2017, she later became the first female Secretary of State for Defence.
She made waves in 2014 when it was revealed that she had participated in a dare with her Navy coworkers by repeatedly using the word “c***” in a Commons address.
The “sexiest female MP” of 2011 made an appearance in Tom Daley’s Saturday night diving special Splash! and donated her £10,000 appearance fee to charity supporting the Armed Forces and the rebuilding of her neighbourhood lido.
Since then, she has complained about tabloids printing pictures of her in a bathing suit, claiming: “I’m used to being patronized and misled.”
Mordaunt always managed to suddenly emerge in one piece at the conclusion of each jaw-dropping performance, even while her magician master was sawing her in half in the past.
It’s unclear if she still possesses the magic touch, but if the past is any indication, she’ll put up a fight.
Due to regrettable errors in the initial version, Penny Mordaunt was forced to alter her campaign launching video yesterday.
Oscar Pistorius, a convicted killer, was seen in the first promotional film the junior trade minister uploaded online while a Paralympic athlete who also appeared in it begged that he be taken out.
She tweeted it and wrote, “Our leadership needs to change. It needs to start caring more about the ship and less about the leader.
Later, a version that had been altered and removed from the Paralympic race was uploaded.
In an effort to address concerns that her liberal stance would cost her the Tory leadership, Miss Mordaunt also yesterday sought to clarify her opinions on trans matters.
The junior trade minister was put on the defensive as detractors pointed out that she had earlier remarked in the Commons that “trans women are women.”
Before announcing she would be running to replace Boris Johnson, she stated on social media on Saturday that she wanted to address the statement, “Do I know what a woman is?”
“Yes, I do,” I am a lady,’ she remarked, adding, “Some persons who were born men and went through the procedure of gender identification are also legally female. That does not IMPLY mean that they are women by birth.
As a previous minister for women and equalities, she established an inquiry into the “number of girls sent into trans services,” according to the MP for Portsmouth North, who touted this accomplishment.
I Vow To Thee, My Country served as the soundtrack to Miss Mordaunt’s three-minute movie, which featured the Union flag and other British symbols like Captain Sir Tom and Spitfires.
Pistorius, the South African “blade runner” who was later imprisoned for killing his partner, and British athlete Jonnie Peacock were both visible in footage from the 100-meter final at the 2012 London Paralympics.
However, Miss Mordaunt received a response from the winning sprinter on Twitter saying, “I officially request to be deleted from this video.” Please, anything but blue.
She had the backing of key Tories like Andrea Leadsom despite the issue.