Penny Mordaunt backs Liz Truss in contest to be next Tory leader

Blow to Rishi Sunak as Portsmouth North MP hails foreign secretary as the hope candidate'

Penny Mordaunt has backed Liz Truss to become prime minister, saying the Conservatives may lose an election" if they made the wrong decision in the contest.

Mordaunt, who was beaten by Truss to be Rishi Sunak's challenger in the final stage of the Conservative leadership race, said Truss was the hope candidate". Seeing her over the last few weeks has made me want to help her, to help her win, to help build the team we need to win the country, and to give ourselves as a party and as a nation the pride and confidence we need to reach our full potential," the Portsmouth North MP said.