A UNIVERSITY of Reading alumna has emerged as a candidate to succeed Boris Johnson as Conservative party leader.
Penny Mordaunt MP, who read Philosophy at Reading, is one of many contenders in a wide-open field.
Mr Johnson resigned as Tory leader on Thursday, July 7.
At the time of writing, the bookies have placed Ms Mordaunt as joint-second favourite at 5/1, with outgoing Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak listed at 4/1.
The minister for trade policy briefly served as defence secretary in Theresa May’s cabinet.
She is a Brexiteer and a Royal Navy reservist.
The MP for Portsmouth North was president of the University of Reading’s students’ union.
In 2017, she renamed the university’s humanities and social sciences building in memory of former faculty member Edith Morley.
Edith Morley became Britain’s first female professor in 1908 when she was appointed professor of English language.
“It is an honour to be invited back to the University of Reading to officially rename the Edith Morley building and be involved in the annual Edith Morley Lecture,” Ms Mordaunt said at the renaming ceremony.
“As Britain’s first ever female professor, Edith Morley was clearly a pioneer for feminism and someone to take inspiration from.”
