Penny Mordaunt tells pals publicly slapping down plot to install her as PM would add fuel to fire

PENNY Mordaunt has told pals publicly slapping down a plot to install her as PM would only add fuel to the fire.

The Commons Leader has been silent for five days since The Sun first revealed MPs want to install her in No10 in a last ditch bid to avoid an election wipe out.

A source close to her insisted today: "Everyone knows it's nonsense and that people unfriendly to Penny like to stir up trouble"

Allies suggest she is not keen to “add legitimacy” to the plotting with a public statement and will attempt to sit out the current wave of leadership chatter.

But they insist the former leadership contender is firmly behind Rishi Sunak despite growing concern amongst Tory MPs over the PM’s grip on power.

Today Trade Secretary and potential leadership rival Kemi Badenoch told broadcasters that Mordaunt had “distanced herself” from plotters, however no public statement had been made.

She told LBC: "Yes, of course, there will be some people who are unhappy I'm not going to... I'm not going to deny that.

"But we need to move away from the scenario where one or two people can create all the news and 300 others can't get a word in."

She added: "I've said many times that people need to stop messing around and get behind the Prime Minister."

Allies of Ms Mordaunt suggested she agreed with Ms Badenoch and believes MPs should get behind the PM.

One Nation chairman Damian Green, who served as Theresa May's deputy, told the BBC: "All I can say is that nobody's spoken to me about Penny Mordaunt or anyone else like that, so I think there are people claiming that things are happening that I know are not happening".

He added: "I think we've had enough prime ministers for this parliament thank you very much."