Johnny Mercer

Johnny Mercer is one of the most highly regarded conviction politicians of recent years.

Following a successful military career, Johnny entered politics with a determination to improve the lives and opportunities for the UK’s military veterans.

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 for Plymouth in 2015, a seat hitherto considered unwinnable for the Conservatives and 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. He left politics in 2024.

He was sworn as a member of the Privy Council of the United Kingdom on 19 July 2022, entitling him to the honorific prefix “The Right Honourable” for life.

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Type Of Speaker

Exploration & Military Health & Wellbeing Leadership & Teamwork Men's Health Mental Health Politics Politics & Current Affairs Presenters Speaker

More About Johnny Mercer

Johnny Mercer was born into a Strict Baptist family, an experience he has likened to growing up in a cult. The traumas he experienced as a child has led to a lifelong battle with OCD. He won a scholarship to Eastbourne College as a chorister, later reaching the national finals.

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Johnny Mercer | Military

In 2003, Johnny became a second lieutenant in the Royal Artillery after graduating from Sandhurst. Within two years he had been promoted to lieutenant. He served mostly with the 29 Commando Regiment Royal Artillery and 3rd Regiment Royal Horse Artillery. He was promoted again in 2008 to Captain.

He served three tours in Afghanistan, as a liaison and training officer with Afghan forces, attached to a Special Forces unit, and as a co-ordinator of artillery and air strikes in support of ground operations. He retired from military service in 2013.

Johnny Mercer | Politics

Johnny’s maiden speech to the House of Commons was acclaimed around the world. Throughout his time in politics, he served on both the Defence and Health Select Committees, chairing inquiries into historical prosecutions of servicemen and women; he also sat as the Chair for the All Party Parliamentary Group for Mental Health.

Johnny was sacked from Government in 2021 after refusing to pass legislation that didn’t protect Northern Ireland veterans from prosecution. He returned to the role later that year; soon after the department was closed down when Liz Truss became Prime Minister, but he would go on to hold the role under Rishi Sunak. He remained Minister for Veterans Affairs until Labour came into power in 2024.

Johnny Mercer | Outside Politics

In 2017, Johnny released We Were Warriors: One Soldier’s Story of Brutal Combat, his memoir from his military career which went straight onto the Sunday Times bestseller list.

“One of the best accounts of Afghanistan’s latest war. It is one of the greatest British accounts of close combat, matching Orwell in Catalonia and McDonald Fraser in Burma.”

For someone who grew up in a family that banned watching television, he has made several appearances on programmes including Celebrity Hunted, Make Me Prime Minister, and Banged Up. His documentary Ukraine: On the Front Line with Johnny Mercer was the first full-length British documentary made in Ukraine following the outbreak of war in 2022.

Having suffered from OCD since he was a little boy, he is a staunch advocate for greater awareness of mental health, particularly in men, and how physical and mental health are viewed differently.

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Johnny Mercer | Speaker

Johnny is now a popular keynote speaker, drawing on his years of leadership expertise in stressful combat situations and in government. Reflecting on his remarkable journey from the front line of Afghanistan to forcing structural changes in UK Government, Johnny’s speeches are in high demand.