County MPs react to latest Tory leadership vote
Shrewsbury's MP has hailed the performance of Penny Mordaunt as the Conservative finished second in the party's latest leadership ballot.
The former Secretary of State for Defence was runner up to former Chancellor Rishi Sunak, as Suella Braverman dropped out of the race having not secured enough votes.
Daniel Kawczynski, MP for Shrewsbury & Atcham, had thrown his support behind Mrs Mordaunt after Jeremy Hunt lost in the first round.
Speaking after the latest result he said: "I am very pleased, she has literally been first class. She has shone so strongly during the hustings. I attended three hustings yesterday in the commons and the way she has set out her vision, her own personal story, her background and the way she has answers questions is very impressive.
"We are very lucky in the Conservative Party, we have such a wide range of talents and I am obviously very pleased with her performance."
He added: "I have also had very strong communication from many Shrewsbury party members that this is the lady they want to take over."
Wrekin MP, Mark Pritchard has backed Foreign Secretary Liz Truss, who was third in the latest round.
He said: "I am glad Liz Truss is making strong progress and is one of the leading contenders after so many rounds. She has vision, is hugely experienced and is a natural Conservative."
Ludlow MP Philip Dunne, who had been leading Jeremy Hunt's campaign, would not be drawn on who he had switched to support after the former Health Secretary's exit from the contest.
He said: "Having supported Jeremy Hunt in the first round as I felt he was the best candidate to become Prime Minister overnight, as I did in 2019, I attended the One Nation hustings this morning to listen to each of the remaining candidates respond to questions. I was impressed by the quality of each of those still in the contest to lead the Conservative Party."
