Penny Mordaunt: House of Commons is held up as Portsmouth MP called to meeting with King Charles III

David George
By David George
Published 27th Oct 2022, 12:05 BST
Updated 27th Oct 2022, 20:47 BST
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PENNY Mordaunt was accused of holding up the House of Commons this morning – but it turns out she had a rather good reason for it.

As leader of the House of Commons, the Portsmouth North MP was unavailable this morning, meaning MPs could not sit until she had arrived to deliver the schedule for the next few days.

But Ms Mordaunt was preoccupied in another meeting – with His Majesty, King Charles III.

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Leader of the House of Commons, Penny Mordaunt, with leader of the House of Lords, Nicholas True. Picture: Niklas Halle'n/AFP via Getty ImagesLeader of the House of Commons, Penny Mordaunt, with leader of the House of Lords, Nicholas True. Picture: Niklas Halle'n/AFP via Getty Images
Leader of the House of Commons, Penny Mordaunt, with leader of the House of Lords, Nicholas True. Picture: Niklas Halle'n/AFP via Getty Images

House of Commons speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle told MPs: ‘The leader of the house has informed me she is unable to be present until around 12pm.

‘Given there is no deputy leader, I have to suspend the house until her return.’

Conservative MP Jacob Young then said that Ms Mordaunt is at privy council with the King.

He tweeted: ‘Penny Mordaunt is at privy council with the King. She isn’t late.

‘She’s doing her job as lord president of the council.’

Related topics:Penny MordauntHouse of CommonsCharles IIIMPs

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