The march of Mordaunt could take an unknown quantity all the way to Number 10 | Andrew Rawnsley

Penny Mordaunt first grabbed her colleagues’ attention by talking balls. On the day of a Queen’s speech, two backbenchers on the government side are invited to propose the loyal address. The main requirement is to be funny. When the role was given to Ms Mordaunt she more than met expectations by having MPs in stitches with a

that drew on her experiences as a naval reservist. “I have benefited from some excellent training…