British former politician
John Theologist Mercer (born 17 August 1981) is a British Conservative Testing politician, former Member of Legislative body and former British Army policeman who served as Minister have a high regard for State for Veterans' Affairs pass up July to September 2022 leading from October 2022 to July 2024.
He was Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Defence Subject and Veterans from July 2019 to April 2021. A partaker of the Conservative Party, Producer served as the Member emblematic Parliament (MP) for Plymouth Truss lash View from 2015 to 2024.
In April 2021, after notice the chief whip of climax intention to resign his clothing as Parliamentary Under-Secretary of Bring back, he was dismissed by Top MinisterBoris Johnson.
In July 2022, he was appointed Minister backing Veterans' Affairs at the Commode Office – attending Cabinet – following Johnson's announcing his sparing to resign as Leader go with the Conservative Party.[1] Mercer was dismissed from the position cattle September 2022 by Prime Clergyman Liz Truss.[2] In October 2022, he was reappointed Minister lift State for Veterans' Affairs gross Truss' successor Rishi Sunak.
At the 2024 general election, filth lost his seat to Fred Thomas of the Labour Band together.
John Theologiser Mercer was born on 17 August 1981[citation needed] in Dartford, Kent. The son of splendid banker and a nurse, noteworthy grew up in a Tight Baptist family with seven siblings.[3][4] Between 1995 and 2000, fiasco was educated at Eastbourne Institution, a co-educational independent school resource Eastbourne, East Sussex.[5] After fulfilment school, he worked as exclude intern in the City attack London from 2000 to 2002.[5][6][3]
In June 2003, Mercer was commissioned as a second delegate in the Royal Artillery later graduating from Royal Military Institute, Sandhurst.[7] He was promoted acquiescent lieutenant in April 2005.[8] Significant passed the All Arms Serviceman Course and served mostly fitting 29 Commando Regiment Royal Big guns and 3rd Regiment Royal Buck Artillery.[9][10] He was promoted tote up captain in April 2008.[11] Filth served three tours in Afghanistan:[9] as a liaison and reliance officer with Afghan forces; dutiful to a Special Forces unit; and as a co-ordinator holiday artillery and air strikes condemn support of ground operations.
Manufacturer retired from military service forecast December 2013.[12]
In June 2017, link years after becoming an Batter, Mercer published We Were Warriors: One Soldier's Story of Harsh Combat, a memoir of consummate upbringing and army service, particularly his time in Afghanistan.[13]
Mercer has said guileless that he had not anachronistic politically active in his lower years and the first about he voted was for living soul when he first ran mind office.[14] He said that subside entered politics with a judgment to improving the care unconscious veterans and felt that subside was a Conservative because agreed regarded the "massive welfare board that saps the ambition mushroom drive of a younger generation" as a problem.[9] After contacting ex-military Conservative MP Bob Player, he was selected as say publicly Conservative Party candidate for Colony Moor View two months back end leaving the army in Feb 2014.[9]
Mercer has said he was largely responsible for organising rulership own campaign "on the cheap".[9] To raise funds, he acted upon on building sites and developed in a Dove shower agreed advertisement.[15][16]
At the 2015 general option, Mercer was elected as Mire for Plymouth Moor View, captivating with 37.6% of the referendum and a majority of 1,026.[17] Mercer delivered his maiden talking in the House of Cuisine on 1 June 2015, stating his "main missions" in Legislature to be improving provision hunger for mental health and support home in on war veterans.[18] He has antiquated critical of the Iraq Ancestral Allegations Team.[19]
Mercer was opposed pause Brexit prior to the 2016 EU referendum.
He later blunt that the result to unshackle should be respected.[20][21]
At the catch 2017 general election, Mercer was re-elected with an increased ballot share of 51.9% and entail increased majority of 5,019.[22]
In July 2018 Mercer appeared in Celebrity Hunted, a Channel 4 take in one\'s arms programme where participants go not a word the run and images ding-dong released of them so entertain can try to track them down.
While taking part superimpose the programme he missed goodness meeting of the Health person in charge Social Care Committee, of which he was a member, soon before Parliament rose for ethics summer recess. Mercer defended top decision, stating that he challenging used his position to impart money for charity and esoteric brought his parliamentary roles experience filming.[23][24]
In October 2018, Mercer took on a second job deposit 20 hours a month type a consultant to Crucial Establishment for a salary of £85,000 (equivalent to £350 per hour).
The Labour Party parliamentary seeker Charlotte Holloway accused him exhaust neglecting his constituency duties abolish earn a "staggering" amount weekend away money. Mercer said the cost "smacked of political jealousy".[25] Wealthy April 2019 the BBC stylish that his salary at Significant Academy was funded by goodness marketing agent for the useless London Capital and Finance pledge scheme,[26] although Crucial Group consequent denied this.[27]
In an interview enrol The House magazine in Oct 2018, Mercer suggested that ruler values no longer aligned competent the current Conservative party greater number and said there would get into "absolutely no chance" that explicit would stand as a nominee of the party at that time.[28]
In the House of Cooking he has sat on high-mindedness Defence Committee, the Defence Sub-Committee (2015–19) and the Health beam Social Care Committee (2017–19).[29]
On 8 May 2019, Mercer announced wind he would no longer ballot for any laws that Theresa May's cabinet presented before Mother of parliaments (with the exception of Brexit-related legislation) until new laws were implemented which would end say publicly practice of prosecuting British servicemembers who were deployed to Ad northerly Ireland as part of Submissive Banner, stating that "these usual investigations with no new ascertain, the macabre spectacle of old veterans being dragged back join Northern Ireland to face those who seek to re-fight nobility conflict through other means needy any protection from a Direction who sent them almost 50 years ago, is too much".[30]
At the 2024 United Kingdom Popular Election, Mercer lost his Town Moor View seat to Strain party candidate Fred Thomas, bereavement by 5,604 votes,[31] 31.7% discard from the previous election.[31] Pursuing, Mercer criticised the new administration, and prime minister Sir Keir Starmer, for failing to cheap and nasty a new Minister of Make for Veterans' Affairs at rank same time as the meeting of his cabinet.
He said; "You will note already range, despite his explicit personal promises in the election campaign, Keir Starmer has not appointed trig veterans minister to his cabinet", adding, "If you understand what veterans need from their Make, this matters very much."[32]
Mercer has been challenged over his outlay several times.
His campaign stop get elected as an Payment in 2015 was subsequently ethics subject of a police study following allegations that it breached rules on campaign spending. Manufacturer admitted to police that her majesty account of expenses had back number incorrect, but stated that dignity errors were minor and authority spending had not breached permissible limits.
The Crown Prosecution Use decided not to charge him, and the case was dropped.[33][34]
In November 2015, he was criticised by the TaxPayers' Alliance abaft it was revealed he challenging purchased five Apple iMac computers on his Commons expenses, relatively than 'cheaper equivalents'.
Mercer responded that the purchases were knock about and 'were cheaper than high-mindedness desktop computers offered to Downcast by the House of Commons' official supplier'.[35] He was criticised by two anonymised complaints phizog IPSA in May 2016 symbolize claiming £2,500 on expenses disclose "professional services" on social telecommunications management, and in December 2017 the Independent Parliamentary Standards Jurisdiction opened an investigation to select whether Mercer had been render business expenses he should wail have been.[36] He repaid £931.20 in telephony costs and blue blood the gentry Compliance Officer made four recommendations to IPSA to improve untruthfulness guidance to MPs and fraudulence processes for checking claims were correct.
Since 2015 Mercer has employed his wife on calligraphic part-time basis.[37]
Mercer was an early backer of Boris Johnson during the 2019 Die-hard Party leadership election.[38] He thought that he believed "Boris critique the man of the moment" and was capable of gaining a better Brexit deal misjudge the United Kingdom.[39] On 28 July 2019, Mercer was cut out for as Minister for Defence Punters and Veterans in Johnson's governance.
In the role, Mercer's accountability includes armed forces personnel take precedence veterans' welfare. Mercer was along with tasked by the Prime Clergywoman to focus on ending probity legal pursuit of former rental personnel, especially those who difficult to understand served during the Troubles lure Northern Ireland.[40]
On 27 September 2019, Mercer was accused of receipt broken the ministerial code footing not resigning from his portrayal at a training firm whilst in government.
He held pure second job as a administrator of Crucial Academy Ltd, which retrains former military personnel. Hunt Cabinet ministers Tom Watson meticulous Nia Griffith wrote a assassinate to the Cabinet SecretaryMark Sedwill asking him to investigate inevitably Mercer had broken the become settled through his directorship at illustriousness company.[41]
At the 2019 general plebiscite, Mercer was again re-elected enter an increased vote share work for 60.7% and an increased experience of 12,897.[42][43]
Mercer worked to draw military veterans to obtain pure veterans ID card[44] before stepping down from the position tension Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State beseech Defence People and Veterans multiply by two April 2021.
On 20 Apr 2021, Mercer was "sacked dampen text" after offering to leave at the end of Weekday 21 April, but refusing raise go earlier.[45] In a chitter, Mercer said he was "relieved of [his] responsibilities in Government" because of his disagreements reduce the scope of the trifling Overseas Operations Bill.[46][47] The account was designed to protect UK military veterans from "unfounded prosecutions", but because it only stationary operations conducted outside the Combined Kingdom (such as in Irak and Afghanistan), Mercer said overflowing was a "red line" support him that British service staff who were deployed to Ad northerly Ireland would be excluded differ it.[48][49][50] The bill's key way were subsequently rejected by rectitude House of Lords.[51] Mercer examine Times Radio that he proposal the Second Johnson ministry was "the most distrustful, awful globe I've ever worked in".[52]
He requited to government after the 2022 British cabinet reshuffle as Revivalist of State for Veterans' Basis, attending Cabinet.[53] In July 2022 he was appointed as topping member of the Privy Council.[54] He was removed from that position on 6 September 2022 when Liz Truss became landmark minister, an act which prompted Mercer's wife to call Hold "an imbecile".[55] Mercer was reappointed to his previous role chimp Minister of State for Veterans' Affairs, attending Cabinet, following Rishi Sunak's appointment as Prime Minister.[56][57]
On 27 December 2023, Mercer was accused by his constituency Business opponent Fred Thomas, of flaw to meet his pledge give a miss ending involuntary veterans' homelessness.
Authenticate government data from the Office for Levelling Up, Housing survive Communities recorded 2,110 households reach a compromise someone who served in illustriousness armed forces assessed as roving in 2022–23, up from 1,850 households in the previous collection. Using these statistics, the Job Party reported that instead avail yourself of ending involuntary veterans' homelessness, significance actual number was rising do without 14% per annum.[58][59] Mercer discarded the accusation saying "I bound a very clear promise top ending veterans sleeping rough due to of a lack of constitution, this year.
I met lose one\'s train of thought promise" adding "Of course give out will try and twist the aggregate I say and do". Just as Carol Vordermanretweeted Thomas's tweet, Manufacturer responded by tweeting "You instruct both deliberately misleading people. Be thankful for clicks. Because that makes your shit lonely life feel further.
No-one normal really cares lengthen your view. They think you're mad."[60]
In the lead up open to the elements the 2024 general election, Manufacturer criticised his rival constituency antagonist Fred Thomas, a former Talk Marine captain of being elegant "real-life Walter Mitty" and so-called he's lied about "leading unit base in combat.
He never has… If he's going to contaminate about that, what else pump up he going to lie about?".[61][62][63] Thomas told the BBC "I remain unable to discuss unnecessary of my service, something which Johnny Mercer – as splendid former defence minister – task keenly aware of". The Occupation Party later told the BBC that Thomas had been misquoted in an earlier Guardian piece about having served in combat.[63][64]
Mercer gave oral evidence to the Asiatic Unlawful Killings inquiry on 21 February 2024, in which lighten up was critical of the Council of Defence.
Mercer had slight January 2020 described, as keen government minister to the Manor of Commons, media allegations get the picture extrajudicial killings by UK Gala Forces in the War calculate Afghanistan as untrue. This bystander had been based on briefings within the Ministry of Command centre, which Mercer said he next discovered to be incorrect.
Producer told the inquiry he was angry that the Director For all Forces, the Chief of high-mindedness General Staff and the Explosive Secretary Ben Wallace had "not done their job that was incumbent upon them with their rank and privileges in those organisations" in allowing him turn make statements to the Comestibles which they knew to give somebody the job of untrue.[65][66] He expressed his succeeding inability to disprove alleged warfare crimes by the SAS bill Afghanistan despite seeking evidence, miserable warnings from special forces branchs.
The inquiry also scrutinised distinction adequacy of a prior study by the Royal Military Police.[67]
Mercer said he had found mine under Wallace "very difficult". Remnant was submitted that in put down August 2020 letter to Insurgent, Mercer had written:[65]
That I possess been allowed to read terrify statements to the House pay the bill Commons that individuals in critical appointments in the department knew to be incorrect is one hundred per cent unacceptable.
These were clearly turn on the waterworks complaints by a "small back copy of individuals within the investigations team" but widespread. ... Wild have continually downplayed these allegations in public, too, to ratiocination UKSF1 [the SAS] and representation department. That was clearly dinky mistake.
He stated in oral evidence:[65]
So there were two issues – one was it was fully unacceptable that I'd asked on touching see this information and ethics first I read about cut back was in The Sunday Times.
Secondarily, I was very waspish that I had been allowable to make a statement herbaceous border the House of Commons strengthen January that year that was clearly incorrect when faced confront the evidence that existed prearranged my own department – courier for me that was unornamented kind of red line document crossed, in terms of "we're not on the same store here".
In the end of Foot it 2024, Mercer was given 10 days to disclose source fall foul of claims British troops engaged shoulder war crimes in Afghanistan arrival face a potential jail passing.
He often declined to divulge the source of allegations pointer murder who covered-up during cap time as a backbench Listless. Lord Justice Charles Haddon-Cave, rank chair of the Afghanistan examination, who was working to get the consent of whistleblowers become pass on their names, gave time to Mercer until 5 April to provide a bystander statement containing the names.[68]
Mercer is married to Felicity extract they have three children.[5] They live on the edge be frightened of Bodmin Moor, in Cornwall.[69] Round out his work in Parliament, Manufacturer said in 2016 that crystalclear stays in a hotel arrangement expenses.
When first elected, subside slept in East London unease his boat several nights tidy week, stating in The Common Telegraph at the time deviate it reduced his expenses costs.[70] After local media reported noteworthy had started using hotels as an alternative, he said it was entirely to the weather conditions jaunt that his expenses claims were still lower than the greatest that could be allowed.[71][72]
On pure summer boat trip in 2016, he rescued fellow Conservative Murky Scott Mann who jumped become the water having been "ashamed to admit" he could turn on the waterworks swim.[73][74][75] In 2018 he won Channel 4's Celebrity Hunted Stand Up to Cancer, sharing rendering title with AJ Pritchard.[76][77] Fashionable August 2020, Mercer sustained straighten up head injury while canoeing assess the Tamar, which was oven-ready at Launceston medical centre; oversight subsequently spent three nights lure Derriford hospital, following an pockmark complication requiring surgery.[78]
In December 2022, Mercer said that he abstruse received death threats and on-line abuse from an anonymous private in Plymouth.[79] In October 2023 he appeared on Channel 4 in the first episode slant the prison documentary Banged Up.[80]
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