Johnny Mercer grew up as one of eight siblings in a strict religious environment and attended boarding school from the age of seven. Gaining a full scholarship to Eastbourne College, he then joined the UK Military after 9/11. Serving in the UK Commandos, he served in Afghanistan in 2006, 2008 to 2009, and 2010.

Unwilling to accept the UK’s treatment of its combat veterans, Johnny ran for Parliament in 2015, becoming a government minister in 2019 and a cabinet minister in 2022. During his time in office he served under five prime ministers. He established the UK’s first Office for Veterans’ Affairs, taking spending on veterans to record levels, and introduced legislation to protect their rights.

In 2024 Johnny entered the private sector, working at PricewaterhouseCoopers, before taking a job in sovereign AI infrastructure, where he is now Head of Government Relations at Rhaelm.

Leading under fire

With 29 Commando Regiment Royal Artillery, Johnny served as a Joint Fires Controller in northern Helmand, calling in artillery and air strikes close to his own troops. He lost friends there, and has written honestly about fear and its cost.

An outsider in Westminster

Johnny had never voted before he stood for Parliament, yet he held Plymouth Moor View for nine years. In 2021 he left government over the protection of Northern Ireland veterans, and the cause stayed the same each time he returned.

What he built

Beyond the Office for Veterans’ Affairs, his tenure saw Op FORTITUDE for homeless veterans and Op PROSPER for veterans seeking work. He has also spoken openly about living with OCD since childhood, which has shaped his campaigning on mental health.

The writer

His first book, We Were Warriors (2017), became a Sunday Times bestseller. His new memoir, No Way to Run a Country, published by Pan Macmillan on 24 September 2026, tells the story of nine years in Parliament under five prime ministers.

Still serving

Johnny remains a senior adviser to AfghanEvac, pressing Britain to honour its debt to the Afghan commandos who fought alongside British forces. The uniform has gone. The sense of duty has not.

In this episode

Johnny and Jonathan share an Army background, and it shows. They talk about courage when you are frightened yourself, turning promises into action, loyalty under pressure, and what is left when the rank and the title are gone.