Johnny Mercer MP has been appointed Minister for Veterans’ Affairs

Johnny Mercer has been appointed minister for veterans’ affairs in the Cabinet Office.

The Rt Hon Johnny Mercer is the Conservative MP for Plymouth, Moor View, and has been an MP continuously since 7 May 2015.

Starting off his professional life Johnny served 13 years in the UK Commandos, serving from the tactical to the strategic level throughout a career across the globe, including multiple combat operations at the height of the Afghanistan conflict.

Unwilling to accept the UK’s treatment of his generation of military veterans, Johnny stood as a Member of Parliament in 2015, despite having never voted before. Working on building sites he self-funded a campaign that saw him win his seat having been given a less than 1% chance by the bookies.

His maiden speech to the House of Commons was acclaimed around the world and marked the start of his Parliamentary career. He served on both the Defence and Health Select Committees, chairing inquiries into historical prosecutions of servicemen and women and the misuse of prescription drugs, before campaigning for and subsequently creating the UK’s first Office for Veterans Affairs under Prime Minister Boris Johnson in 2019.

Johnny was sacked from Government in April 2021 after refusing to pass legislation that did not protect Northern Ireland veterans from repeated and vexatious prosecutions from the troubles. He has since campaigned for these veterans both in London and Belfast.

Johnny continues to represent Plymouth as their Member of Parliament.

Government posts

Minister of State (Cabinet Office) (Minister for Veterans' Affairs)
Cabinet Office
7 July 2022 - 6 September 2022

Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (jointly with the Ministry of Defence)
Cabinet Office
28 July 2019 - 20 April 2021