Penny Mordaunt

From WikiCorporates
Jump to navigation Jump to search


Articles

  • Nov.14.2018: No 10 rejects Mordaunt bid to quit Unesco. Downing Street has slapped down Penny Mordaunt for suggesting Britain should withdraw funding from Unesco, amid criticism of cabinet “freelancing”. She told cabinet colleagues last month that she wants Britain to withdraw from the UN’s cultural and education body. request to stop the £11.1m funding at the end of next year raised concern among colleagues including Theresa May and Michael Gove, as well as in the Foreign Office. There is deep concern across parts of cabinet about the political symbolism of ending the payments. It would mean Britain following the lead set last year by President Trump and Binyamin Netanyahu, Israel’s prime minister. Government sources also expressed worries that Britain would look like it was further retreating from the international community at the same time as Brexit. Mordaunt’s department ranks Unesco as its worst performing multilateral agency. She believes its work does not meet her spending criteria for international aid. Ending funding for Unesco was first proposed by Priti Patel, Ms Mordaunt’s predecessor, in 2016 but vetoed by Mrs May. The Labour frontbencher Emily Thornberry has pointed out that when the Thatcher government announced a withdrawal in 1985, the former prime minister Edward Heath said that it reflected “the growth of a nasty, narrow-minded nationalism.’’ After an 11-year absence, Britain rejoined in 1997. The US and Israeli administrations have repeatedly criticised Unesco for claims of anti-Israel bias. Sam Coates, The Times.
  • Sept.28.2018: Potential threats waiting in the wings. Theresa May’s party conference speech is titled Campaign 2022 — but few think she will make it that far. Penny Mordaunt, international development secretary and minister for women and equalities. Pitch: The Leaver with liberal credentials: hard on Brexit, soft on everything else. Strengths: Relatively unknown to the public so has a chance to define herself. She could rebuild bridges with urban liberals. Weaknesses: Has only been in the cabinet — and in a junior job — since Nov.2017. When she last had major public exposure, during the referendum, she wrongly claimed the UK could not veto Turkey joining the EU. Backers: She would initially compete with other Brexiteers for support from Leaver MPs, but hope to broaden her appeal beyond them. Polling: 9% think she would make a good leader. 17% don't. 16% are not sure and 59%. Henry Zeffman, The Times.
  • Apr.30.2018: ‘Abandon empathy, all ye who enter’ — the Home Office has long turned MPs to monsters. The Home Office is a muggy, closed department which keeps out fresh air and light. Almost every Home Secretary seems to turn paranoid, defensive and authoritarian. They leave their liberal values, like muddy boots, outside the door. The International Development Secretary Penny Mordaunt is to take on Ms Rudd’s former responsibilities as Minister for Women and Equalities. Yasmin Alibhai-Brown, The iNews.
  • Apr.12.2018: Mordaunt defends aid budget and outlines ‘big shift’ in strategy. Moves to help poorer nations win investment from British businesses and financiers are under way as the UK’s aid spending strategy is overhauled. Penny Mordaunt, the international development secretary, today said her department will see a “big shift” in how its £13.9bn budget is distributed. In a keynote speech at Lancaster House, she outlined how the UK will try to help developing countries build resilience and growth through long-term investment in their markets. Her defence of the ringfenced aid budget, which is 0.7% of gross national income, came as critics called for it to be slashed and for more cash to go towards health, defence and other govt departments. The DfID’s new spending strategy is being enacted in Kenya and Ethiopia, and will roll out across the rest of Africa. Manufacturing, engineering and the garment industry are among sectors that will be prioritised in the bid to encourage investment from British companies. As well as smoothing the path for UK firms to sell in less familiar markets, aid money will be used to help African companies raise debt in local currencies through the City of London. The aim is that pension funds will invest in emerging countries once tighter regulations are put in place. The Commons International Trade Committee has said that “language surrounding leveraging aid for trade and creating opportunities for UK companies and the City of London needs to be used cautiously, so as not to create an impression that aid is being given conditionally”. Britain is looking to help to influence new rules in Kenya and Morocco that will guard against money-laundering. It is also expected to consider guaranteeing loans for developing countries to help them segue from reliance on grants to self-sufficiency. ActionAid UK said: "Post-Brexit, UK trade and the global financial system must be made to help rather than hurt the poorest — it’s welcome that Penny Mordaunt has recognised this". Lucy Fisher, The Times.