LONDON: Penny Mordaunt said she was staying in the race to become British prime minister despite trailing rivals Rishi Sunak and Boris Johnson in the number of declared backers, dismissing a report that she had discussed a deal with Johnson. “I’m very confident about the progress we are making.

Rishi Sunak: I am standing to be British prime minister

I say to you that I’m in this to win it,“ she told the BBC’s Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg programme. She said a report that she had discussed pulling out with Johnson in return for the promise of a job was “completely false”.