Major boost for Truss' PM campaign as Penny Mordaunt offers her support

Former Conservative leadership candidate Penny Mordaunt, voiced her support of Liz Truss in a major boost to her campaign to become the next Prime Minister.

Ms Mordaunt dramatically announced her endorsement at the start of a husting event opposing Truss to rival Rishi Sunak in Exeter.

The statement of support drives another nail in the coffin of Mr Sunak's faltering bid to gain entry to 10 Downing Street. Ms Mordaunt won wide support within the party thanks to a well-received campaign that saw her finish third in the race to succeed Boris Johnson.

The trade minister told Tory members during from the campaign trail: "I finished third in this contest, and I owe it to all of you to be a signpost, not a weather vane. So I made my choice."

Insisting on that the choice between Mr Sunak and Ms Truss was "tough" to take, Ms Mordaunt said: "This competition is a test - a test that precedes an even greater test.

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Mordaunt, left, greets Truss at Exeter

(Getty)

“So who can lead, who can build that team and deliver for our country? Who has that bold economic plan that our nation needs? Who has reach, who can relate to people, who understands that people have need help with the cost of living now and who is rightfully going to punch our opponents?

“Who will take seats and win back councils and who most embodies the vision and values ​​the British public had in their minds and hearts when they voted in 2016 and 2019?< /p>

"At the beginning of this final phase of the contest, I did not know the answer to these questions. But I've seen enough to know who I'm going to trust. And that's Liz Truss.

She praised the Minister of Foreign Affairs for "her authenticity, her determination, her ambition for this country, her regularity and her sense of duty".

And she added "Seeing her over the past few weeks has made me want to help her win. To help build the team we need to win the country and to give us, as a party and as a nation, the pride and confidence we need to reach our full potential - in short, to give ourselves all hope.

Penny Mordaunt

(Getty)

"She is for me the candidate of hope and that's why I'm here tonight, to be candid with all of you and to tell you that my choice in this contest to lead us and our nation is Liz Truss."

Ms Truss welcomed the endorsement of the former Defense Secretary, whom she described as "a great person, a great politician and a great patriot".

Ms Truss and Mr Sunak were questioned separately on stage by members during the Exeter hustings, where the former Chancellor again challenged the Foreign Secretary's plans for an immediate tax cut as inflationary. /p>

Mr Sunak was again challenged by a Tory member for his resignation, which set in motion the process leading to Mr Johnson's departure.

>“I would like to know how important is loyalty aunt for you,” a female party member told Sunak. "Because I don't think you were too loyal to Boris Johnson."

He replied: "Well ma'am I respectfully disagree as I have been loyal to Boris Johnson for two-and-a-half years."

But he said it had gotten to the point where economic differences with the Prime Minister meant it would not have been fair to continue in the post.

Mr. Sunak fiercely rejected his rival's claim that he represents continuity with long-standing treasures...