When Michael Fallon left government amid the ‘pestminster’ scandal two years ago, the expectation among Tory MPs was that Penny Mordaunt would be selected as his successor and moved to the Ministry of Defence. In the end, the role of Defence Secretary went to Gavin Williamson – who was seen as less qualified owing to the fact he had no military experience. Now Mordaunt has finally been given the job – following Theresa May’s decision to sack Williamson over suspicions he was behind a leak from a meeting of the national security council.
This makes Penny Mordaunt the UK’s first female defence secretary – departing her role in DfID – where she is succeeded by Rory Stewart. On paper, Mordaunt is well suited to the job. She is a Royal Navy reservist and a former minister for the armed forces so unlike Williamson can’t be attacked for a lack of knowledge of the brief.
Her promotion also has potential ramifications when it comes to the Brexit process. Mordaunt is an ardent Brexiteer who campaigned for Leave in the referendum. In Cabinet, Mordaunt has spoken against May softening her Brexit deal. She has also previously been reported to be on the verge of quitting over certain Brexit compromises. With speculation rising that next week May will attempt to pivot to a permanent customs union in a bid to win enough Labour votes to pass her deal, Mordaunt could play a crucial role. With an expectation that a permanent customs union could lead some Brexiteer ministers to resign, May will not want to lose another Defence Secretary so soon.
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