Penny Mordaunt makes early election error after featuring Oscar Pistorius in campaign video

Penny Mordaunt makes early election error after featuring Oscar Pistorius in campaign video
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Jamie  Micklethwaite

By Jamie Micklethwaite


Published: 10/07/2022

- 15:00

Updated: 14/02/2023

- 10:51

The Prime Ministerial hopeful produced a slick video package to announce the start of the campaign, featuring a controversial segment

Penny Mordaunt appears to have made an early election gaffe in a video announcing her campaign to become Prime Minister.

The MP for Portsmouth North produced a slick package which appeared to make a dig at Boris Johnson, saying the party should not be about the individual leader.


The video featured a number of inspirational scenes from the world of sport, politics and of Britain.

But one scene in particular, of disgraced South African sprinter and convicted murderer Oscar Pistorius have led many to question Ms Mordaunt's judgement.

Social media users were quick to ask Ms Mordaunt why she would include a clip of the murderer winning a race.

The video featured this scene of Oscar Pistorius
The video featured this scene of Oscar Pistorius
Penny Mordaunt

One wrote: "Fortunately Penny Mordaunt was advised against using her first choice of Peter Sutcliffe."

Another said: "In very poor taste to use the images of Jo Cox when talking about the monopoly on good people and good ideas and also to feature Oscar Pistorius when talking about focus."

While one joked: "Could everyone lay off Penny Mordaunt. She only used the Oscar Pistorius clip because there were copyright issues with the Fred West one."

Ms Mordaunt became the ninth Conservative MP to put themselves forward for the top job.

Former health secretaries Jeremy Hunt and Sajid Javid have both pledged to slash corporation tax as they announced separate leadership bids.

Penny Mordaunt
Penny Mordaunt
UK Parliament/Jessica Taylor

The contenders’ timescales for the change are different, with Mr Hunt planning to cut the tax to 15p in his first autumn Budget, while Mr Javid would set a “glide path”.

Mr Javid also said the UK should consider ripping up old EU laws “to make us a more pro-business, wealth-creating, entrepreneurial economy”.

Meanwhile, outsider candidate Tom Tugendhat pledged to back the Northern Ireland Protocol Bill if elected leader.

The EU claims the legislation would breach international law but Mr Tugendhat said he would be prepared to argue for it, telling Sky’s Sophy Ridge on Sunday programme: “I have fought for my country in combat, I have fought for my country in Parliament, and I will keep fighting for my country.”

Mr Hunt also said he would press on with the Government’s controversial plans to overwrite parts of the post-Brexit treaty.

However, he said he hoped with Mr Johnson out of No 10 the “mood music” of Britain’s relations with the EU might change, and “we could legally negotiate some proper changes to the protocol”.

It comes after two serving Cabinet ministers, Chancellor Nadhim Zahawi and Transport Secretary Grant Shapps, revealed their intention to run for leader in the space of an hour on Saturday.

In addition to Ms Mordaunt, Mr Hunt, Mr Javid, Mr Zahawi, Mr Shapps and Mr Tugendhat, former chancellor Rishi Sunak, Attorney General Suella Braverman and ex-minister Kemi Badenoch have launched their own bids.

Foreign Secretary Liz Truss is also widely expected to stand, with the Mail On Sunday reporting she will seek to advocate “classic Conservative principles” and could declare her candidature as soon as Monday.

Candidates populated the Sunday morning broadcast round, with Mr Hunt, Mr Javid, Mr Shapps and Mr Tugendhat all making appearances to promote their bids.

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