Rishi Sunak told a crowd at a 10k race he has not run for a while ‘because I’ve been a little bit busy’ – before joking he would like to race against Penny Mordaunt if she was carrying the Coronation sword.
The Prime Minister was among hundreds of runners taking part in a race in the North Yorkshire town of Northallerton, within his Richmond constituency, earlier today.
Speaking ahead of the race, Mr Sunak said: ‘I haven’t done any exercise in a long time, I’ve been a little bit busy, but I’m going to try and do it under an hour. It’s great to have everyone here so thanks for coming.
And asked which former Prime Minister or current minister he would most like to take on in a race, the PM ignored shouts from the crowd of ‘Boris’ and instead answered: ‘I’d like to try and do it with Penny Mordaunt with her sword and see if we can get around with that.’
Ms Mordaunt, the Leader of the House of Common, received widespread praise after carrying the 8lb (3.6kg) The Sword of State for 51 minutes at Kng Charles’ Coronation earlier this month.
The Prime Minister was among hundreds of runners taking part in a race in the North Yorkshire town of Northallerton, within his Richmond constituency, earlier today
Speaking ahead of the race, Mr Sunak said: ‘I haven’t done any exercise in a long time, I’ve been a little bit busy’
Penny Mordaunt pictured holding the Sword of State while walking ahead of King Charles III during his Coronation ceremony in Westminster Abbey
Dressed in a custom-made teal outfit with a matching cape and headband with gold feather embroidery, she held and carried the pieces for the majority of the service – and became one of the stars of the Coronation.
Mr Sunak, wearing a blue top and navy blue shorts, was running for the Pendragon Community Trust – a multi-sensory centre providing a safe space for adults and children and their families.
Speaking about the charity at the event, the PM added: ‘Many of you will know Pendragon in particular. It is an absolutely extraordinary place. It does an incredible job for so many families in our community.’
Mr Sunak’s visit to his Yorkshire constituency comes as he tasked officials with ‘levelling up’ the honours system in a move that could see more gongs handed to those from the North.
The Prime Minister wants to ensure the ‘length and breadth’ of the UK are represented in the dishing out of MBEs, OBEs, CBEs and knighthoods, a new report has revealed.
‘Looking ahead, the PM is determined to make sure our honours represent the length and breadth of the country,’ Mr Dowden, who is also the Cabinet Office minister, wrote.
Mr Sunak, wearing a blue top and navy blue shorts, was running for the Pendragon Community Trust
Asked which former Prime Minister or current minister he would most like to take on in a race, the PM ignored shouts from the crowd of ‘Boris’
Conservative MP Penny Mordaunt (pictured in the House of Commons in February this year) has opened up about being single, the coronation, and being made into a meme
The 50-year-old impressed the public with her impressive show of upper body strength during the coronation at Westminster Abbey earlier this month (pictured
‘He has tasked us with “levelling up” the system so that it captures every corner of the UK – particularly regions that have too often been underrepresented.
‘He has also set a key – and often overlooked – priority when rewarding public servants, to recognise those who have saved the taxpayer money.
‘The Government is here to serve the British people; it is our duty to make sure we are delivering value for money on their behalf wherever we can.’
He is also keen on rewarding civil servants who have saved taxpayers’ cash as a priority of the honours system, when traditionally Whitehall officials have been recognised for their length of service.
Meanwhile, in an interview with The Times today, Ms Mordaunt spoke about her role at the Coronation and opened up about single life as a ‘workaholic with four cats’.
Amid her revelations about the coronation, the 50-year-old has discussed how she tried to ease some of the physical strain, including taking pre-emptive painkillers for the inevitable muscle ache.
In addition, she reveals how she opted for less than glamorous footwear for as much of the day as possible, donning fluffy slippers as she sat in the cloisters, before slipping on her heels at the last possible minute.
