Patrick Mercer
Encyclopedia
Patrick John Mercer OBE (born 26 June 1956) is a Conservative Party
politician in the United Kingdom
, representing the constituency of Newark
in Parliament
. He is a frequent commentator on defence and security issues having served as infantry officer in the British Army
and held the position of Shadow Minister for Homeland Security. He is a former journalist for the BBC and he has written four, well received military novels that have been critically acclaimed.
, who became Bishop of Exeter
. His mother was born in Lincolnshire and his father was trained for the priesthood at Kelham Theological College near Newark.
, and Exeter College, Oxford
, where he read History. He was later commissioned after training at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst
. Whilst there he was one of a number of cadets interviewed for an edition of the BBC's Panorama
programme.
. He was promoted to Captain
on 8 September 1981, and to Major on 30 September 1988. On 30 June 1994, he was promoted to Lieutenant-Colonel. then to Colonel on 30 June 1998. He retired from the military on 1 September 1999.
During his time in the Army, Mercer completed nine tours in Northern Ireland
and latterly commanded his battalion in Bosnia, Canada
and Tidworth
. Mercer served at both the Staff College, Camberley
and the Army's University
at Cranfield
.
Mercer drove Robert Nairac
, a liaison officer with 22 SAS who worked undercover to a bar in Crossmaglen on 13 May 1977, the night before Nairac was assassinated by the IRA
.
Mercer was Mentioned in Despatches in 1983 for "gallant and distinguished service in Northern Ireland during the period 1st November 1982 to 31st January 1983". He earned a gallantry commendation in 1990. He was made a Member of the Order of the British Empire on 12 October 1993 "in recognition of distinguished service in Northern Ireland". He was made an Officer of the same Order on 13 May 1997 "in recognition of gallant and distinguished services in the former Yugoslavia during the period 21st June to 20th December 1996". He left the Army in 1999 as a Colonel, having been head of communications and strategy at the Army Training & Recruiting Agency.
. Mercer reported from a number of trouble spots, most notably Kosovo
.
Upon being selected as the Conservative candidate in Newark, Mercer left the BBC and became a freelance journalist writing for the Daily Telegraph
. He contributes frequently to radio, TV and print media, principally covering security and defence issues.
, overturning a majority of 3,000 and creating a majority of just over 4,000. Upon entering Parliament he initially served as a back-bencher on the Defence Select Committee
before becoming Parliamentary Private Secretary
to the Shadow Secretary of State for Defence
. Mercer backed Iain Duncan Smith
over Kenneth Clarke
in the 2001 Conservative leadership election.
He was appointed to a newly created post of Shadow Minister for Homeland Security in June 2003 by the then Leader of the Conservative Party, Iain Duncan Smith.
In 2004 he introduced a Private Member's Bill in response to the publicity surrounding the case of Tony Martin
that proposed to give householders greater powers when protecting their property from burglary.
Mercer increased his majority in Newark to 6,464 at the 2005 general election. During the subsequent Conservative leadership contest, he publicly backed David Davis
over David Cameron
, Kenneth Clarke and Liam Fox
.
Since 2005, he has repeatedly warned against the imposition of control order
s as being 'counter productive'. Citing his experience of internment in Northern Ireland
, as a serving soldier, he highlighted the danger of alienating populations needed for intelligence gathering.
Mercer was forced to resign as Shadow Minister for Homeland Security in March 2007 by David Cameron over perceived racist comments although initially the Conservative Party stated the comments were a 'private matter'. Mercer apologised and said, 'I had the privilege to command soldiers from across the east Midlands of whom many came from racial minorities. It was a matter of great pride to me that racial minorities prospered inside the unit. What I have said is clearly misjudged and I can only apologise if I have embarrassed in anyway those fine men whom I commanded. I have no hesitation in resigning my front-bench appointment.' A number of black former soldiers publicly spoke out in defence of Mercer, with former Sergeant Owen Lewis stating, "I worked with Patrick to eradicate racism from the battalion, and we worked hard to attract ethnic minorities in our recruitment drive. He is the finest Colonel I ever served under." Another black former soldier accused David Cameron of overreacting.
In December 2008 he was appointed as Chairman of the House of Commons Sub-Committee on Counter-Terrorism, to further his work as a member of the Home Affairs Select Committee
.
Mercer took the unusual step of spending time with the charity, Save the Family, in March 2009, learning and helping displaced families as part of a programme devised by Rt. Hon. Iain Duncan Smith.
At the 2010 general election, Mercer more than doubled his majority to 16,152 to make Newark one of the safest Conservative seats in the country. In August 2010, Mercer warned that dissident Irish terror groups may be planning to attack the party conferences including the Conservative Party Conference in Birmingham based on intelligence from serving army officers.
In May 2011, he was appointed with Lord Ashcroft to review the future of the military bases in Cyprus.
In August 2011, Mercer with his knowledge of Northern Ireland, led the calls for considering the use of water cannon and other robust police tactics to deal with the rioters during the 2011 England riots
. The next day David Cameron approved the use of water cannon after chairing a session of the Cabinet Office Briefing Room, Cobra.
In November 2011, the press reported that Mercer had been taped making disparaging remarks about David Cameron, calling him "despicable" and describing him as an "arse" and "the worst politician in British history since William Gladstone". The same articles claimed he had predicted that Cameron would be ousted by Conservative MPs in early 2012. Mercer later denied making the comments.
during the Crimean War
. In May 2009, Harper Collins published Mercer's first novel, To Do and Die, a historical fiction story set during the Crimean War. Mercer has described his first foray into fiction as being "a bit like the Sharpe novels
, except it's true – and the action and sex scenes are far better".
The Daily Mail book review said, "A finely-drawn depiction of battle and the camaraderie of war".
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
politician in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, representing the constituency of Newark
Newark (UK Parliament constituency)
Newark is a county constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Since 1885, it has elected one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election....
in Parliament
British House of Commons
The House of Commons is the lower house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, which also comprises the Sovereign and the House of Lords . Both Commons and Lords meet in the Palace of Westminster. The Commons is a democratically elected body, consisting of 650 members , who are known as Members...
. He is a frequent commentator on defence and security issues having served as infantry officer in the British Army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
and held the position of Shadow Minister for Homeland Security. He is a former journalist for the BBC and he has written four, well received military novels that have been critically acclaimed.
Early life
Born in Stockport in Cheshire in 1956, Mercer is the son of Eric MercerEric Arthur John Mercer
Eric Arthur John Mercer was an Anglican bishop in the Church of England. He was the first Bishop of Birkenhead from 1965 to 1973 and, from then until his retirement, the Bishop of Exeter....
, who became Bishop of Exeter
Bishop of Exeter
The Bishop of Exeter is the Ordinary of the Church of England Diocese of Exeter in the Province of Canterbury. The incumbent usually signs his name as Exon or incorporates this in his signature....
. His mother was born in Lincolnshire and his father was trained for the priesthood at Kelham Theological College near Newark.
Education
Mercer was educated at The King's School, ChesterThe King's School, Chester
The King's School, Chester is a British coeducational independent 7-18 school situated just outside the city of Chester. It is a member of the Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference....
, and Exeter College, Oxford
Exeter College, Oxford
Exeter College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England and the fourth oldest college of the University. The main entrance is on the east side of Turl Street...
, where he read History. He was later commissioned after training at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst
Royal Military Academy Sandhurst
The Royal Military Academy Sandhurst , commonly known simply as Sandhurst, is a British Army officer initial training centre located in Sandhurst, Berkshire, England...
. Whilst there he was one of a number of cadets interviewed for an edition of the BBC's Panorama
Panorama (TV series)
Panorama is a BBC Television current affairs documentary programme, which was first broadcast in 1953, and is the longest-running public affairs television programme in the world. Panorama has been presented by many well known BBC presenters, including Richard Dimbleby, Robin Day, David Dimbleby...
programme.
British Army
Mercer followed his father, who saw wartime service in the Sherwood Foresters (Notts & Derby Regiment), into the British Army. He was commissioned into the Worcestershire and Sherwood Foresters Regiment on 8 March 1975 as a Second LieutenantSecond Lieutenant
Second lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces.- United Kingdom and Commonwealth :The rank second lieutenant was introduced throughout the British Army in 1871 to replace the rank of ensign , although it had long been used in the Royal Artillery, Royal...
. He was promoted to Captain
Captain (British Army and Royal Marines)
Captain is a junior officer rank of the British Army and Royal Marines. It ranks above Lieutenant and below Major and has a NATO ranking code of OF-2. The rank is equivalent to a Lieutenant in the Royal Navy and to a Flight Lieutenant in the Royal Air Force...
on 8 September 1981, and to Major on 30 September 1988. On 30 June 1994, he was promoted to Lieutenant-Colonel. then to Colonel on 30 June 1998. He retired from the military on 1 September 1999.
During his time in the Army, Mercer completed nine tours in Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
and latterly commanded his battalion in Bosnia, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
and Tidworth
Tidworth
Tidworth is a town in south-east Wiltshire, England with a growing civilian population. Situated at the eastern edge of Salisbury Plain, it is approximately 10 miles west of Andover, 12 miles south of Marlborough, 24 miles south of Swindon, 15 miles north by north-east of Salisbury and 6 miles east...
. Mercer served at both the Staff College, Camberley
Staff College, Camberley
Staff College, Camberley, Surrey, was a staff college for the British Army from 1802 to 1997, with periods of closure during major wars. In 1997 it was merged into the new Joint Services Command and Staff College.-Origins:...
and the Army's University
Cranfield University
Cranfield University is a British postgraduate university based on two campuses, with a research-oriented focus. The main campus is at Cranfield, Bedfordshire and the second is the Defence Academy of the United Kingdom based at Shrivenham, Oxfordshire. The main campus is unique in the United...
at Cranfield
Cranfield
Cranfield is a village and civil parish in north west Bedfordshire, England, between Bedford and Milton Keynes. It has a population of 4,909, and is in Central Bedfordshire District....
.
Mercer drove Robert Nairac
Robert Nairac
Captain Robert Laurence Nairac GC was a British Army officer who was abducted from a pub in south County Armagh during an undercover operation and killed by the Provisional Irish Republican Army on his fourth tour of duty in Northern Ireland as a Military Intelligence Liaison Officer...
, a liaison officer with 22 SAS who worked undercover to a bar in Crossmaglen on 13 May 1977, the night before Nairac was assassinated by the IRA
Ira
IRA most commonly refers to:*Irish Republican Army, which has existed in various forms since 1916**List of organisations known as the Irish Republican Army**Provisional Irish Republican Army...
.
Mercer was Mentioned in Despatches in 1983 for "gallant and distinguished service in Northern Ireland during the period 1st November 1982 to 31st January 1983". He earned a gallantry commendation in 1990. He was made a Member of the Order of the British Empire on 12 October 1993 "in recognition of distinguished service in Northern Ireland". He was made an Officer of the same Order on 13 May 1997 "in recognition of gallant and distinguished services in the former Yugoslavia during the period 21st June to 20th December 1996". He left the Army in 1999 as a Colonel, having been head of communications and strategy at the Army Training & Recruiting Agency.
Journalist
Having left the Army, Mercer accepted a post as the defence reporter for BBC Radio 4's Today ProgrammeToday programme
Today is BBC Radio 4's long-running early morning news and current affairs programme, now broadcast from 6.00 am to 9.00 am Monday to Friday, and 7.00 am to 9.00 am on Saturdays. It is also the most popular programme on Radio 4 and one of the BBC's most popular programmes across its radio networks...
. Mercer reported from a number of trouble spots, most notably Kosovo
Kosovo
Kosovo is a region in southeastern Europe. Part of the Ottoman Empire for more than five centuries, later the Autonomous Province of Kosovo and Metohija within Serbia...
.
Upon being selected as the Conservative candidate in Newark, Mercer left the BBC and became a freelance journalist writing for the Daily Telegraph
The Daily Telegraph
The Daily Telegraph is a daily morning broadsheet newspaper distributed throughout the United Kingdom and internationally. The newspaper was founded by Arthur B...
. He contributes frequently to radio, TV and print media, principally covering security and defence issues.
Parliamentary career
Mercer was first elected to Parliament at the 2001 general election, defeating the Labour incumbent, Fiona JonesFiona Jones
Fiona Jones was a Labour Party politician in the United Kingdom. She was elected as a Member of Parliament for Newark in Labour's landslide victory in the 1997 general election....
, overturning a majority of 3,000 and creating a majority of just over 4,000. Upon entering Parliament he initially served as a back-bencher on the Defence Select Committee
Defence Select Committee
The Defence Select Committee is one of the Select Committees of the British House of Commons, having been established in 1979. It oversees the operations of the Ministry of Defence and its associated public bodies, including the armed forces.-Membership:...
before becoming Parliamentary Private Secretary
Parliamentary Private Secretary
A Parliamentary Private Secretary is a role given to a United Kingdom Member of Parliament by a senior minister in government or shadow minister to act as their contact for the House of Commons; this role is junior to that of Parliamentary Under-Secretary, which is a ministerial post, salaried by...
to the Shadow Secretary of State for Defence
Secretary of State for Defence
The Secretary of State for Defence, popularly known as the Defence Secretary, is the senior Government of the United Kingdom minister in charge of the Ministry of Defence, chairing the Defence Council. It is a Cabinet position...
. Mercer backed Iain Duncan Smith
Iain Duncan Smith
George Iain Duncan Smith is a British Conservative politician. He is currently the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions and was previously leader of the Conservative Party from September 2001 to October 2003...
over Kenneth Clarke
Kenneth Clarke
Kenneth Harry "Ken" Clarke, QC, MP is a British Conservative politician, currently Member of Parliament for Rushcliffe, Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice. He was first elected to Parliament in 1970; and appointed a minister in Edward Heath's government, in 1972, and is one of...
in the 2001 Conservative leadership election.
He was appointed to a newly created post of Shadow Minister for Homeland Security in June 2003 by the then Leader of the Conservative Party, Iain Duncan Smith.
In 2004 he introduced a Private Member's Bill in response to the publicity surrounding the case of Tony Martin
Tony Martin (farmer)
Anthony Edward "Tony" Martin is a farmer from Norfolk, England, who in 1999 killed one burglar and wounded another who had both entered his home...
that proposed to give householders greater powers when protecting their property from burglary.
Mercer increased his majority in Newark to 6,464 at the 2005 general election. During the subsequent Conservative leadership contest, he publicly backed David Davis
David Davis (British politician)
David Michael Davis is a British Conservative Party politician who is the Member of Parliament for the constituency of Haltemprice and Howden...
over David Cameron
David Cameron
David William Donald Cameron is the current Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, First Lord of the Treasury, Minister for the Civil Service and Leader of the Conservative Party. Cameron represents Witney as its Member of Parliament ....
, Kenneth Clarke and Liam Fox
Liam Fox
Liam Fox MP is a British Conservative politician, Member of Parliament for North Somerset, and former Secretary of State for Defence....
.
Since 2005, he has repeatedly warned against the imposition of control order
Control order
A control order is an order made by the Home Secretary of the United Kingdom to restrict an individual's liberty for the purpose of "protecting members of the public from a risk of terrorism". Its definition and power were provided by Parliament in the Prevention of Terrorism Act 2005...
s as being 'counter productive'. Citing his experience of internment in Northern Ireland
Operation Demetrius
Operation Demetrius began in Northern Ireland on the morning of Monday 9 August 1971. Operation Demetrius was launched by the British Army and Royal Ulster Constabulary and involved arresting and interning people accused of being paramilitary members...
, as a serving soldier, he highlighted the danger of alienating populations needed for intelligence gathering.
Mercer was forced to resign as Shadow Minister for Homeland Security in March 2007 by David Cameron over perceived racist comments although initially the Conservative Party stated the comments were a 'private matter'. Mercer apologised and said, 'I had the privilege to command soldiers from across the east Midlands of whom many came from racial minorities. It was a matter of great pride to me that racial minorities prospered inside the unit. What I have said is clearly misjudged and I can only apologise if I have embarrassed in anyway those fine men whom I commanded. I have no hesitation in resigning my front-bench appointment.' A number of black former soldiers publicly spoke out in defence of Mercer, with former Sergeant Owen Lewis stating, "I worked with Patrick to eradicate racism from the battalion, and we worked hard to attract ethnic minorities in our recruitment drive. He is the finest Colonel I ever served under." Another black former soldier accused David Cameron of overreacting.
In December 2008 he was appointed as Chairman of the House of Commons Sub-Committee on Counter-Terrorism, to further his work as a member of the Home Affairs Select Committee
Home Affairs Select Committee
The Home Affairs Select Committee is a Committee of the House of Commons in the Parliament of the United Kingdom.-Remit:The Home Affairs Committee is one of the House of Commons Select Committees related to government departments: its terms of reference are to examine "the expenditure,...
.
Mercer took the unusual step of spending time with the charity, Save the Family, in March 2009, learning and helping displaced families as part of a programme devised by Rt. Hon. Iain Duncan Smith.
At the 2010 general election, Mercer more than doubled his majority to 16,152 to make Newark one of the safest Conservative seats in the country. In August 2010, Mercer warned that dissident Irish terror groups may be planning to attack the party conferences including the Conservative Party Conference in Birmingham based on intelligence from serving army officers.
In May 2011, he was appointed with Lord Ashcroft to review the future of the military bases in Cyprus.
In August 2011, Mercer with his knowledge of Northern Ireland, led the calls for considering the use of water cannon and other robust police tactics to deal with the rioters during the 2011 England riots
2011 England riots
Between 6 and 10 August 2011, several London boroughs and districts of cities and towns across England suffered widespread rioting, looting and arson....
. The next day David Cameron approved the use of water cannon after chairing a session of the Cabinet Office Briefing Room, Cobra.
In November 2011, the press reported that Mercer had been taped making disparaging remarks about David Cameron, calling him "despicable" and describing him as an "arse" and "the worst politician in British history since William Gladstone". The same articles claimed he had predicted that Cameron would be ousted by Conservative MPs in early 2012. Mercer later denied making the comments.
Literary career
Mercer has published a number of non-fiction accounts of the Battle of InkermanBattle of Inkerman
The Battle of Inkerman was fought during the Crimean War on November 5, 1854 between the allied armies of Britain and France against the Imperial Russian Army. The battle broke the will of the Russian Army to defeat the allies in the field, and was followed by the Siege of Sevastopol...
during the Crimean War
Crimean War
The Crimean War was a conflict fought between the Russian Empire and an alliance of the French Empire, the British Empire, the Ottoman Empire, and the Kingdom of Sardinia. The war was part of a long-running contest between the major European powers for influence over territories of the declining...
. In May 2009, Harper Collins published Mercer's first novel, To Do and Die, a historical fiction story set during the Crimean War. Mercer has described his first foray into fiction as being "a bit like the Sharpe novels
Richard Sharpe (fictional character)
Sharpe is a series of historical fiction stories by Bernard Cornwell centred on the character of Richard Sharpe. The stories formed the basis for an ITV television series wherein the eponymous character was played by Sean Bean....
, except it's true – and the action and sex scenes are far better".
The Daily Mail book review said, "A finely-drawn depiction of battle and the camaraderie of war".
External links
- ePolitix.com - Patrick Mercer MP
- Guardian Unlimited Politics - Ask Aristotle: Patrick Mercer MP
- TheyWorkForYou.com - Patrick Mercer MP
- The Public Whip - Patrick Mercer MP voting record
- BBC News - Patrick Mercer profile 10 February 2005
- Debrett's biography Patrick Mercer Esq., O.B.E., M.P. profile