Rt Hon Penny Mordaunt - Biography

The Rt Hon Penny Mordaunt was a Parliamentarian for 14 years, holding nine ministerial roles, four in Cabinet. She was the first and only woman to be Secretary of State for Defence, having also been the first and only woman to be Minister for the Armed Forces. As Paymaster General she was became the UK government’s first cross-government defensive cyber lead and led the rebuild of the UK’s civil contingencies and resilience strategy.

She has been Secretary of State for International Development, working with UN agencies, international organisations and she was the UK’s representative at the World Bank. As Trade Minister she brokered new trade deals for the UK, oversaw the UK’s accession to CPTPP and established economic agreements with US states, in lieu of a federal deal. In doing so she undertook the longest tour of the US of any Minister since Churchill’s during WWII.

She supported Brexit and was also on the Withdrawal Agreement Joint Committee overseeing the UK’s exit from the EU. She set out the opportunities for the US of the UK leaving the EU at a speech to the Carter Center.

She has held other roles in local government, work, health, pensions and disability. Prior to Parliament she worked across all sectors, including founding her own business. In 2000 she worked at the Republican National Committee during the George W. Bush 2000 presidential campaign.

She was a Royal Navy Reservist for 10 years and is now an Honorary Captain affiliated to MCM2 Squadron, the UK’s mine hunters and bomb disposal divers. She is co-author of Greater: Britain after the storm, which focussed on the UK-US relationship. It made bestseller lists in the UK and the US.

She came to global attention in the role of Leader of the Commons and Lord President of the Council, presiding over both the Accession Council following the death of Queen Elizabeth II and at the coronation of King Charles III. She is one of Vogue’s most influential women of the year and a member of the Privy Council.