Northern Ireland

Bloody Sunday campaigner welcomes veterans' minister sacking

Former veterans' minister, Johnny Mercer's wife branded new Prime Minister, Liz Truss an "imbecile".
Former veterans' minister, Johnny Mercer's wife branded new Prime Minister, Liz Truss an "imbecile". Former veterans' minister, Johnny Mercer's wife branded new Prime Minister, Liz Truss an "imbecile".

A Bloody Sunday campaigner has welcomed the sacking of Veterans’ Minister Johnny Mercer by new Prime Minister Liz Truss.

John Kelly, whose brother Michael was shot dead on Bloody Sunday, has also called on the minister appointed to oversee Mr Mercer’s brief – former British army major, James Heappey - to stop the British government’s proposed Legacy Bill.

While Mr Mercer refused to give any interviews following his sacking yesterday, his wife, Felicity Cornelius-Mercer took to social media to call Ms Truss “an imbecile”. Ms Cornelius-Mercer also posted a picture of the new PM depicted as the character Beaker from The Muppet Show.

She said her husband asked Ms Truss why he was being sacked and who would do a better job than him. Ms Cornelius-Mercer said her husband asked the Prime Minister: “Which of your mates gets the job, you promised a meritocracy” to which she said Ms Truss replied “I can’t answer that Johnny”.

Ms Cornelius-Mercer than posted: “This system stinks and treats people appallingly. Best person I know sacked by an imbecile @trussliz”.

Mr Mercer was appointed to the new role as “Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Defence People and Veterans” in 2019. He was particularly outspoken in opposition to efforts to make former members of the British army answerable to the courts for their actions while serving in Northern Ireland.

Confirming his sacking on Twitter, Mr Mercer made reference to the 2021 death of former soldier, Dennis Hutchings (80) while on trial over the killing of John Pat Cunningham in County Tyrone in 1974. The trial was halted after Mr Hutchings took ill in a Belfast hotel and died in hospital.

Mr Mercer said: “I could never cheapen my association with the sacrifice of those who defend this nation in ways I have seen far too much of, whilst simultaneously allowing them to be dragged to Northern Ireland to die alone in hotel rooms.”

Mr Kelly said of Mr Mercer: “I’m glad to see the back of him. He never spoke of the British army’s violence or of the killers and murderers from the British army. To us it appeared he thought nothing of the victims of the British army.”