“Our leadership needs to change. It needs to be a little less about the leader and a lot more about the ship,” she said, continuing, “I’m Penny Mordaunt and I’m ready to serve as the next leader of the Conservative Party.” She shared a glossy three-minute video on social media, featuring the English national anthem, Jerusalem, announcing her bid. In this a voice says “we must choose [our next leader] with solemnity and wisdom,” he continues, “we must think of those who came before and the generations to come.” The video says the leadership contest will bring “a focus on politics and what we’re going to do,” adding, “but it has to be focused on who we are.” The video lists what it calls “the values of this country”, citing “freedom, justice, courage and compassion” as key motivations for the UK. He says such values ”must be upheld now more than ever.” Former Tory leaders Margaret Thatcher and Boris Johnson appear briefly in the video, with a black-and-white photo of Mrs Thatcher and a short clip of Mr Johnson urging his party to “get Brexit done – or breakfast -“. Ms Mordaunt is a staunch Brexiteer and was one of the leading figures in the Vote Leave campaign. The late Labor MP Jo Cox also features, exemplifying the “good people and good ideas” in all UK parties, the late Sir Tom Moore personifying “our greatest heroes” and Dame Sarah Gilbert, the co-developer AstraZeneca’s Covid-19 vaccine. Image: Former Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak is one of the other Tories running Other candidates who have thrown their hat in the ring include Rishi Sunak, former chancellor Nadhim Zahawi, newly appointed chancellor Grant Shapps, the transport secretary and former health secretaries Jeremy Hunt and Sajid Javid. Tom Tugendhat, the former soldier and chairman of the foreign affairs select committee, was the first person to announce their candidacy, and former equalities minister Kemi Badenoch and attorney-general Suella Braverman also announced they would run. Read more: Who are the frontrunners to be the next prime minister? The Tory leadership candidates are asked about taxation and plans for the country Other MPs expected to join the fray in the coming days include Home Secretary Priti Patel and Foreign Secretary Liz Truss. Follow The Daily Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Spreaker Dominic Raab, the deputy prime minister, has reportedly ruled himself out of the race, as has former innovation secretary Michael Gove, who was sacked by Johnson before his own resignation. MP Ben Wallace, who was the bookies’ favorite to succeed Johnson, said he would not stand.
