Patrick Mercer
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Colonel Patrick Mercer OBE |
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Member of Parliament for Newark |
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In office 7 June 2001 – 30 April 2014 |
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| Preceded by | Fiona Jones |
| Succeeded by | Robert Jenrick |
| Majority | 16,152 (31.5%) |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Patrick John Mercer 26 June 1956 , Cheshire, England |
| Nationality | British |
| Political party | Independent |
| Other political affiliations |
Conservative (until 2013) |
| Spouse(s) | Cait Mercer |
| Alma mater |
Exeter College, Oxford Cranfield University |
| Religion | Church of England |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |
 United Kingdom
|
| Service/branch | British Army |
| Years of service | 1975–1999 |
| Rank | Colonel |
| Unit | Worcestershire and Sherwood Foresters Regiment |
Colonel Patrick John Mercer, OBE (born 26 June 1956) is an author and former British politician. He was Conservative shadow homeland security spokesman before being forced to resign by David Cameron in 2007 for making "unacceptable" racist remarks in an interview with The Times. He was elected as a Conservative in the 2001 general election, until resigning the party's parliamentary whip in May 2013 following questions surrounding paid advocacy, and was an Independent MP representing the constituency of Newark in Parliament until his resignation at the end of April 2014 after the Standards Committee suspended him for six months for "sustained and pervasive breach of the house's rules".
He is a frequent commentator on defence and security issues, having served as an 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 has to date written four military novels. He is a patron of the Victoria Cross Trust.
Born in Stockport in Cheshire in 1956, Mercer is the son of Eric Mercer, 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.
Mercer was educated at The King's School, Chester, 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.
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