Former minister Johnny Mercer has claimed Liz Truss laughed when she sacked him, saying his sacking by the Prime Minister was “like a punch” that sent him into depression.
The Tory MP also said he believes the Prime Minister has abandoned the values of the Conservative Party and lost her authority to command the loyalty of her supporters.
He said Ms Truss reneged on a promise she made to him during her Tory leadership campaign that she would not downgrade the role of Minister for Veterans Affairs, then held by the member for Plymouth Moor View.
Ms Truss sacked Mr Mercer hours after he took the keys to No 10 and included the veterans affairs portfolio in the Armed Forces and Veterans Minister’s brief.
In an interview with Alastair Campbell for Men’s Health magazine, Mercer said: “When it happened it was quite a punch. I remember Liz laughing a bit as she did it.
“She was laughing and looking at the floor. I was just thinking, ‘I’m a mug for believing in these guys.’ I’ve given seven years of my life to this, I’ve put my family through the mill for this, and now you laugh at me
“I tried to pull my hand away, I went home, I got angry, all those things you’re not supposed to do, but the thing about depression is that it creeps into the back of your head.”
The former British Army officer, who has traveled to Afghanistan several times, said that while he felt he had made progress for veterans, his abrupt dismissal made him question his future in politics.
“It’s gone all of a sudden and it makes you think ‘why did I even bother with this?'” he said.
After her sacking, Mercer said he was “disappointed” but accepted the Prime Minister had a “right to reward her supporters”.
His wife Felicity Cornelius-Mercer went further, calling Ms Truss a “moron” and posted a photo mocking her as a character from The Muppets.
Mercer said he was fighting to continue as an MP. He said he no longer identified with the Tory party after the change in leadership under Ms Truss.
Mercer has fought for veterans to be better treated by the state
(Getty)
“The truth is that the Conservative Party is no longer a Conservative Party. It is a libertarian party. It’s fine if you’re a libertarian, but I’m not. I’m a life chances Tory. I want to give a chance to the kids here who haven’t had it.”
Asked if the Prime Minister could bring it back, Mercer said: “Well, he’s changed his views a lot over the years. There’s an extraordinary arrogance here. Within 28 days, you’ve given an advantage of 33 points to the opposition.
“It’s hard to get people to do what you want with this record of yours. Almost impossible.”
He also admitted that if asked whether a Labor government under Sir Keir Starmer or a Tory government under Ms Truss was better for the country, he would struggle to answer.
Mercer said he entered politics with the aim of improving the treatment of Britain’s veterans. He said he voted the party line on some issues like benefits and budget matters to stay in a position to dominate his cause.
This is something he now regrets. “I swallowed so much crap, voting for this policy, that policy, all to try to get the veterans agenda on track,” he said.
“No matter how determined and resilient you are, there’s a residual build-up that does things to your character.”