With her Portsmouth North constituency devastated by the bombshell of hundreds of shipbuilding job losses at the city’s naval base, Penny Mordaunt faces an unenviable decision later today.
Parliamentary private secretaries, the lowest rung on the ministerial ladder, are banned from speaking in the chamber about issues affecting their brief. As PPS to defence secretary Philip Hammond, who is making an emergency statement on the matter after PMQs, Mordaunt faces the prospect of either resigning or remaining silent in the chamber on the biggest issue facing her constituency in this parliament.
Govt confirm Commons statement on 'aircraft carriers + UK shipbuilding' at 12.30pm today. Philip Hammond v Vernon Coaker.
— Paul Waugh (@paulwaugh) November 6, 2013
A sad occasion and a tricky dilemma.
buddyhell says:
A quick answer to that question is ‘No’.
william smith says:
Speak out for the people who voted for you or lose their vote next time.
Vish says:
Nice to know that the British tax payer hands over nearly £1 billion to the british arms industry, basically BaE every year in terms of guarantees, etc. Just for them to shaft the British workers and shift everything over to the States.
fuckers!
LESTER says:
She should speak up for her constituents. If she has to resign in order to do it then that’s what she should do.
Steve Carrington says:
Sadly, this is politically motivated to appease those in Scotland not to vote for independence, keeping them sweet to stay with the UK. Portsmouth has become the sacrificial lamb in this. But be rest assured, the people of Portsmouth will remember in the next general election. You have sold out the ship workers down the river for political gain.
MissMaggie says:
Penny will stay silent and so will the liberals running Portsmouth. They are so corrupt in any case, it would be a shame for then to put their necks on the line for the people who put them there. Wouldn’t it? More fool us.
You have finally destroyed portsmouth. I hope you are proud of yourselves. Will you give your wages to the people who are losing theirs? I think not!!
Nelsonsbaby says:
Penny has and is doing a great job at Portsmouth, have her resign and we we will really be scraping the barrell!
Gareth says:
Yeah, I think the evidence “MissMaggie” is that the LDs in Portsmouth have been very outspoken regarding this decision. Sorry to ruin your petty rhetoric….