Penny Mordaunt accused of shirking day job so she could secretly plot leadership campaign to succeed Boris Johnson

PENNY Mordaunt was yesterday accused of shirking her day job so she could secretly plot her own leadership campaign to succeed Boris Johnson.

Trade Secretary Anne-Marie Trevelyan launched a savage attack on her own minister, saying she had been missing in action.

She slammed her for “not being available” because she was busy plotting to take over at No10.

As she twisted the knife, Ms Trevelyan, who was previously backing booted candidate Tom Tugendhat, told London’s LBC radio: “Penny has, for the last few months, spent some of her time focused on preparing her leadership campaign”.

And she swiped: “There have been a number of times when she hasn’t been available, which would have been useful, and other ministers have picked up the pieces.”

It is the latest in a string of damning attacks as leadership candidates fight to go up against front­runner Rishi Sunak in the final two.

Insiders at the Department for International Trade say the pair have long had a strained relationship.

Ms Mordaunt has been accused of shunning international trips to focus on promoting her book.

Ms Mordaunt’s allies hit back and insisted she had always put in the hours