Sources in Mordaunt’s campaign team showed evidence that Mordaunt had almost reached the required number of endorsements to face Sunak in the run-off, but admitted that support began to slip in the final hours. One of Mordaunt’s key supporters, former minister George Freeman, broke ranks in the last hour before the announcement and urged her to support Sunak. “Penny Mordaunt is a huge force for conservatism. with the life story, vision and courage to help lead a conservative revival,” he tweeted. “I am proud to support her. “But given the urgent need for stability and Conservative unity this week, I urge her to get involved and support Rishi Sunak today.” Rishi Sunak to be UK PM after Penny Mordaunt quits – video Mordaunt’s campaign also took a hit in the stocks when she failed to secure the support of either the European Inquiry Group of pro-Brexit MPs or the moderate One Nation group. Damian Green, the chairman of the latter group, had backed Mordaud, but the statement issued by the caucus on Monday only ended up giving the new prime minister full support. In a tweet announcing she had not taken the vote, Mordaunt said: “These are unprecedented times. Despite the compressed timetable for the leadership contest, it is clear that colleagues feel we need certainty today. “They have taken this decision in good faith for the good of the country. Members should know that this proposition has been fairly and thoroughly tested since the one agreed upon in 1922 [Committee] edit, process.” There was some bitterness between Sunak and Mordaunt’s supporters about how the final hours of the short campaign had played out. A Mordaunt supporter was scathing about Freeman’s change of heart, comparing him to Nadhim Zahawi, the cabinet minister who had written an op-ed backing Boris Johnson just as the former prime minister dropped out of the race. “Everyone can see it for what it is, you get more respect for sticking to your principles,” they said. Inside Mordaunt’s camp, her allies said her campaign was hampered by MPs’ fears about Johnson’s return. Insiders say Mordaunt believes she has never been tested in a fair fight amid allegations of dirty tricks in the first leadership election, where she was edged out by Liz Truss in the final vote. Archie Bland and Nimo Omer take you to the top stories and what they mean, free every weekday morning Privacy Notice: Newsletters may contain information about charities, online advertising and content sponsored by external parties. For more information, see our Privacy Policy. We use Google reCaptcha to protect our website and Google’s Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. This time, her allies say, Mordaunt was thwarted by a Johnson campaign that sent frightened MPs to Sunak. “People were saying they had to back Rishi to make sure we didn’t get Boris,” said one insider. “And then of course Boris doesn’t even run at the end. Both times they have been stitched up.” Outside Sunak’s address to MPs, Mordaunt told reporters she was doing well and was “here to support the next prime minister”. Her arrival was greeted with desk banging and cheers and MPs kissed her on the cheek, along with her campaign manager Andrea Leadsom. Mordaunt has been tipped for a key role in Sunak’s cabinet – perhaps as foreign secretary – but some MPs who support Sunak said they believed she had left too late. “He didn’t have the numbers. in the last half hour it got to the point where people were asking what he was playing,” said one MP. Another says that Mordaunt had “an eye on the next contest, trying to show members that she was thinking of their interests”.
