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Johnny Mercer (politician)

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Johnny Mercer
MP
Member of Parliament
for Plymouth Moor View
Incumbent
Assumed office
8 May 2015
Preceded by Alison Seabeck
Majority 5,019 (11.1%)
Personal details
Born 17 August 1981(1981-08-17) (age 43)
Kent, United Kingdom
Political party Conservative
Spouse(s) Felicity
Children 2
Alma mater Royal Military Academy Sandhurst
Website Official website

John Luther Mercer (born 17 August 1981) is a British Conservative politician. He is the Member of Parliament (MP) for Plymouth Moor View, gaining the seat from Labour at the 2015 general election.[1][2]

Education[]

Between the years 1995–2000, Mercer was educated at Eastbourne College,[3] a co-educational independent school in Eastbourne in East Sussex. After completing his studies at school, he opted to spend time working as an intern in the City of London instead of attending university.[4]

Military career[]

Mercer was commissioned as a second lieutenant into the Royal Artillery after passing out from Royal Military Academy Sandhurst in June 2003 before being promoted to lieutenant in April 2005.[5][6] Mercer rose to the rank of Captain in April 2008 and was attached to 29th Commando Regiment Royal Artillery, serving three tours of Afghanistan.[7][8] Mercer retired in December 2013.[9]

Political career[]

According to Mercer, he had not voted before standing as an MP.[10] He said that he entered politics with a view to improving the care of veterans and felt that he was a Conservative because he regarded a "massive welfare state that saps the ambition and drive of a younger generation" as a problem.[8] After contacting ex-military Conservative MP Bob Stewart, he was eventually selected as the candidate for Plymouth Moor View.[8]

Seen by opinion polls as the third favourite candidate to win the seat behind the Labour incumbent and UKIP, Mercer was largely responsible for organising his own campaign "on the cheap".[8] To raise funds he worked on building sites and even appeared topless in a shower gel advert.[11] His campaign was subsequently the subject of a police investigation following allegations it breached rules on campaign spending. Mercer admitted to police that his account of expenses had been incorrect, but argued that the errors were minor and his spending had not breached legal limits.[12] The Crown Prosecution Service declined to charge him and the case was dropped.[13][14]

Mercer delivered his maiden speech in the House of Commons on 1 June 2015, describing his "main missions" in Parliament to be improving provisions for mental health and war veterans.[15] He has been critical of the Iraq Historic Allegations Team.[16] Mercer was opposed to Brexit prior to the 2016 referendum,[17] although he says that the result should be respected.[18]

Mercer was re-elected with an increased majority at the 2017 general election and he has focused on care for veterans and the very poor.[19][20] In October of the same year, he was placed at Number 88 on 'The 100 Most Influential People on the Right' by commentator Iain Dale.[21]

Books[]

In June 2017, Mercer published "We Were Warriors: One Soldier’s Story of Brutal Combat", a memoir of his three combat tours in Afghanistan.[20][22]

Personal life[]

Mercer is married to Felicity and they have two young children.[4] He sleeps in East London on his motor cruiser named Pippa two or three nights a week.[23]

In November 2015 he attracted media attention with a radio interview where he responded to a question on whether he'd ever taken drugs by joking "You don't put diesel in a Ferrari".[24]

References[]

  1. ↑ "No. 61230". 18 May 2015. p. 9121. https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/61230/page/9121 
  2. ↑ "Plymouth Moor View Parliamentary constituency". BBC News. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/politics/constituencies/E14000879. Retrieved 7 May 2015. 
  3. ↑ "Eastbournian Society – 11 May 2015 – Johnny Mercer". Eastbourne College. http://www.eastbourniansociety.org/News-2015-05. Retrieved 8 June 2015. 
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 "Life before being an MP". Johnny For Plymouth. http://www.johnnyforplymouth.co.uk/life-before-being-an-mp/. Retrieved 29 February 2016. 
  5. ↑ "No. 56952". 3 June 2003. p. 6794. https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/56952/supplement/6794 
  6. ↑ "No. 57653". 31 May 2005. p. 7044. https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/57653/supplement/7044 
  7. ↑ "No. 58817". 9 September 2008. p. 13704. https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/58817/supplement/13704 
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 Prince, Rosa (6 June 2015). "Afghanistan veteran Johnny Mercer's Westminster mission". Daily Telegraph. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/conservative/11654990/Afghanistan-veteran-Johnny-Mercers-Westminster-mission.html. Retrieved 23 November 2015. 
  9. ↑ "No. 60890". 10 June 2014. p. 11368. https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/60890/supplement/11368 
  10. ↑ Bennett, Owen (1 September 2015). "Johnny Mercer: We need to 'grow up' over Iraq, my 'gippingly' embarrassing Dove advert and why Tony Blair is my political hero". Huffington Post. http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2015/09/01/johnny-mercer-we-need-to-_n_8070974.html. Retrieved 23 November 2015. 
  11. ↑ Mason, Rowena (7 July 2015). "Plymouth MP appears half-naked in Dove shower gel advert". Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2015/jul/07/plymouth-mp-dove-men-care-advert-johnny-mercer. Retrieved 23 November 2015. 
  12. ↑ Sam Blackledge, 'No action against Plymouth MP after "admitting expenses error" ', April 10, 2017.
  13. ↑ "Tory election spending: MP admitted to police some claims were wrong". Guardian. 10 April 2017. https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2017/apr/10/tory-election-spending-johnny-mercer-mp-police-some-claims-were-wrong. Retrieved 11 April 2017. 
  14. ↑ "MP Johnny Mercer's campaign expenditure investigated". BBC. 8 July 2015. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-devon-33444137. Retrieved 23 November 2015. 
  15. ↑ Kirkup, James (2 June 2015). "Cynical about politicians? This speech by Johnny Mercer MP should make you think again". Telegraph Media Group. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/11646320/Cynical-about-politicians-This-speech-by-Johnny-Mercer-MP-should-make-you-think-again.html. Retrieved 3 June 2015. 
  16. ↑ Somper, James (18 September 2016). "British soldiers cleared of Iraqi civilian's death could now face prosecution". The Independent. http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/british-soldiers-cleared-of-iraqi-civilians-death-could-now-face-prosecution-a7314616.html. Retrieved 12 October 2016. "Mr Mercer, who has just started chairing a parliamentary select committee inquiry into the post-operational support given to armed forces personnel said that he was “deeply ashamed” of the decision and labelled Ihat and the 1,500 cases it is currently investigating as a “fatally flawed process” that should be shut down." 
  17. ↑ Goodenough, Tom (16 February 2016). "Which Tory MPs back Brexit, who doesn’t and who is still on the fence?". The Spectator. http://blogs.spectator.co.uk/2016/02/which-tory-mps-back-brexit-who-doesnt-and-who-is-still-on-the-fence/. Retrieved 11 October 2016. 
  18. ↑ "Johnny Mercer: Why I have changed my mind over Brexit". 2 April 2017. http://www.plymouthherald.co.uk/johnny-mercer-why-i-have-changed-my-mind-over-brexit/story-30243057-detail/story.html. Retrieved 22 July 2017. 
  19. ↑ "Plymouth Moor View result: Conservative Johnny Mercer re-elected". 9 June 2017. http://www.plymouthherald.co.uk/plymouth-moor-view-election-result-conservative-johnny-mercer-re-elected/story-30380638-detail/story.html. Retrieved 22 July 2017. 
  20. ↑ 20.0 20.1 "We Were Warriors: One Soldier’s Story of Brutal Combat - review". 22 June 2017. http://www.standard.co.uk/lifestyle/books/we-were-warriors-one-soldier-s-story-of-brutal-combat-by-johnny-mercer-review-a3571146.html. Retrieved 22 July 2017. 
  21. ↑ Dale, Iain (2 October 2017). "The Top 100 Most Influential People On The Right: Iain Dale's 2017 List" (in en). LBC. http://www.lbc.co.uk/radio/presenters/iain-dale/100-most-influential-people-on-right-iain-dale/. 
  22. ↑ "Johnny Mercer reveals why he decided to be an MP". http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4548334/Johnny-Mercer-reveals-decided-MP.html. Retrieved 22 July 2017. 
  23. ↑ Riley-Smith, Ben (2 January 2016). "Tory MP sleeps on boat in east London to avoid 'obscene' house prices in capital". The Daily Telegraph. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/conservative/12062383/Tory-MP-sleeps-on-boat-in-east-London-to-avoid-obscene-house-prices-in-capital.html. Retrieved 3 January 2016. 
  24. ↑ Heritage, Stuart (23 November 2015). "'You don’t put diesel in a Ferrari’: how politicians answer the drugs question". Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/politics/shortcuts/2015/nov/23/diesel-ferrari-politicians-answer-drugs-questions-tory-mp-johnny-mercer. Retrieved 23 November 2015. 

External links[]

Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by
Alison Seabeck 		Member of Parliament
for Plymouth Moor View
2015–present 		Incumbent
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