Top Tweets for #TeamMercer

Love how journalists - who obsess about politics and pontificate about standards - still, 2 years later, can’t work out I’m not a Defence Minister. Veterans Affairs - like every other 5 eyes country - has been removed from MoD and now operates independently x-government from the Cabinet Office, with a dedicated Minister attending cabinet. This is the real reason for transformational change we have seen. Not me, but structural deliberate policy led change to improve the lives of veterans. Try and stop taking pictures of homeless blokes who aren’t actually veterans to prove a point, and at least learn the services that are there, so you might be some use when you meet one of the 2.27m veterans in this country who you have a duty to as much as me. 😁

This is a bloody disgrace. 🤬 Johnny Mercer has days to name sources in Afghan Inquiry "Mr Mercer, who is unable to comment, has declined to identify the soldiers because of their alleged vulnerability. Friends have pointed out that the sources are not involved in any criminality and did not witness murders being committed. General Lord Dannatt, the former head of the Army, has described Mr Mercer’s treatment at the hands of the inquiry as “outrageous.” "A friend of Mr Mercer’s has told The Telegraph: “These sources are not people who are in any way suspects. They are vulnerable soldiers and veterans who for their own legitimate reasons didn’t want to engage with the inquiry, but Johnny was able to tell their story for them because they trusted him." “This is not about him protecting wrongdoers. But Johnny has spent his entire political career protecting junior ranks, and he won’t change that.” https://t.co/jQzGEVDt5D

On the attacks - they have no impact on me. I feel for the teams who support me, hence why I defend them at all costs. They don’t deserve people playing with the term ‘homeless’, or having their work maligned by people who’ve never sat through a single night with a veteran determined to take their own life, or recede into substance abuse or whatever demon they may have. I’m deeply proud of them. Sure - I’ll fight for them. We will never be amongst the ‘timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat’. And ultimately I’m my own harshest judge and critic. If I get something wrong I always own up. I qualified homelessness as rough sleeping every time I spoke about it. Finally I’m still ‘trending’ three days later apparently. So I’ll be off here for a while. I pay tribute to my wife who has had enough. She’s a special human being, with so much love and warmth. She gives what she gets sometimes - if you can’t take it back at you, you probably shouldn’t write it to her. I’m fiercely proud of her. As for me? I’m not going anywhere. I love the fight. Love it. Never more comfortable. See you soon 💕