MINISTERS are failing to tackle military veterans’ problems because they are too busy with Brexit, a leading Tory MP has declared.

Former Army officer Johnny Mercer said the government “could and should have” done more to help needy former troops.

3 MP Johnny Mercer claimed nobody is tackling veterans' problems as Parliament is too busy with Brexit

The Plymouth Moor View MP said: “Events have overtaken us. Brexit dominates the bandwidth”.

He added: “I get that, but we need to talk about as a party what we look like after Brexit and I hope the veterans care and being a party of defence means something.”

Mr Mercer’s intervention comes after The Sun last week revealed a military mental health ticking timebomb is exploding.

The armed forces saw 499 personnel discharged for suffering conditions like PTSD - the equivalent of a battalion.

3 Britain’s stretched Armed Forces are now losing an entire battalion a year to mental health problems Credit: AP2003

The hotly tipped MP – who ruled himself out as a future PM yesterday – also attacked a suspected Treasury bid to escape a Tory manifesto pledge to increase the defence budget by half a per cent above inflation each year.

It was reported that officials argue the Conservatives’ failure to win a majority means they are no longer bound by the manifesto pledge.

3 Former Army officer Mr Mercer said the government 'could and should have' done more to help needy former troops Credit: News Group Newspapers Ltd

But Mr Mercer insisted: “People voted for a Conservative government and part of that was a 0.5% increase above inflation.

“We need to see that because I think defence spending is too low.

“I think if you look at both the threats that we are currently facing and what the UK looks like after Brexit, there is an increased role for our armed forces and we’ve got to fund it.”

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