Mordaunt rubbishes talk of challenging Sunak

Penny Mordaunt has said talk of her challenging Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's leadership is "nonsense".

The Leader of the House told BBC Politics South that she was "focussed on doing her current job" and called the speculation "bollocks".

It comes after reports of frustration among Conservative MPs with Mr Sunak ahead of a potential general election later this year.

Ms Mordaunt has twice unsuccessfully stood for the party's leadership.

But, addressing the current speculation, she said: "This is nonsense, although that's not the adjective I used in the green room, and I think the public are fed up of this story."

Asked if she had now missed her chance to be prime minister, the MP for Portsmouth North replied: "I have put my hat in the ring, and I'm not Prime Minister.

"I'm leader of the House of Commons. I'm doing my job and encouraging others to get on with theirs."

'Full campaign mode'

She said: "Rishi Sunak does pass the battle bus test, he does, and he is out and about probably more than any other prime minister I have known.

"He's doing a lot of visits. He's in full campaign mode now."

Ms Mordaunt previously came third in the leadership contest won by Liz Truss in 2022.

She also dismissed the suggestion that she could not be prime minister because her Portsmouth North Constituency was not a safe seat.

Ms Mordaunt said she had "consistently increased her vote share, and never took any vote for granted".

She added that should Mr Sunak visit Portsmouth during the election campaign "there is a slight issue that he's a Southampton supporter, but we're a polite bunch so I think he'd be welcome".