Penny as our new Defence Chief ? She’ll drink to that!
Minister’s badge shows she passed Navy rum- drinking test
NEW Defence Secretary Penny Mordaunt delighted the Royal Navy’s top brass on her first day in the job by sporting an honorary submariners’ badge.
The silver dolphin pin is awarded to submariners when they complete the final part of their training and, in an old tradition, they have to catch it between their teeth while drinking a tot of rum.
Ms Mordaunt, the first female head of the Ministry of Defence, who is herself a naval reservist, had previously served at the department as junior Minister for the Armed Forces in 2015.
During her tenure, she successfully completed the boozy submariners’ challenge and earned her own dolphin pin, which she chose to sport on her first official outing in the new role.
On Friday she joined the Duke of Cambridge at Westminster Abbey to commemorate Britain’s nuclear submariners, just hours after being promoted to replace sacked Gavin Williamson.
The service, attended by 2,000 naval representatives and their families, was in recognition of the Royal Navy’s commitment in maintaining Operation Relentless – the longest sustained military operation ever undertaken by the UK.
Since April 1969, for 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year, at least one British nucleararmed submarine has been n on patrol.
Ms Mo rd auntdt said: ‘ We pay tribute to those incredible crews, their supportive families, the Royal Navy and the thousands of industry experts who will continue to sustain this truly national endeavour for many years to come.’ A Royal Navy source added: ‘The dolphin was a really nice touch. Went down very well at a difficult time.’
Ms Mordaunt vowed to ‘channel her inner Nelson’ in her new role, putting up a picture of Britain’s a greatest naval hero in her he office in the MoD as one of her first f acts in charge. And Ad The Mail on Sunday understands that she is poised to lambast France and Germany for not paying their way on Nato commitments. The move is likely to endear her to Washington, as Donald Trump has made such complaints a central part of his defence outlook.
All major Nato members have vowed to increase defence spending to two per cent of their economic output by 2024, but to date, only the US and UK have hit that target.