Conservative MP Johnny Mercer has claimed his friends were asked for ‘dirt’ on him to coerce him into voting for Theresa May’s Brexit deal.

During an appearance on BBC One’s Have I Got News For You, Mr Mercer claimed the his old Army colleagues were approached in a ‘blackmail’ bid.

He added he was told that whips merely wanted to ‘kick the tyres’ and check his military background.

But the MP, who toured Afghanistan during his time in the Army, alleged that the deputy chief whip was looking for material to blackmail him with.


Mr Mercer said: ‘The deputy chief whip has decided to go and ask friends of mine that I served with in the military whether or not things in my book were correct.

Tory MP Johnny Mercer claimed the deputy chief whip tried to ‘blackmail’ him so he would vote in favour of May’s Brexit deal (Picture: BBC)

‘When I confronted him about it, he claimed that was his job to “kick the tyres”.



‘When I spoke to my friend, he hadn’t done anything like that at all – he’d tried to get some dirt and blackmail me to vote for the Prime Minister’s deal in January.’

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Host David Tennant asked: ‘So that’s why they did it – to try and force your vote?’

Mr Mercer replied: ‘Yeah. Nice place, politics. Why did I sign up?’

The alleged blackmail attempt did not appear to work and Mr Mercer voted against the deal during the first meaningful vote on January 15th.

He made the claims while appearing on BBC’s Have I Got News For You (Picture: PA)

He initially voted against her deal, before changing his mind and voting in favour of it (Picture: PA)

However he then switched his vote and voted in favour of her deal on the second and third votes on March 12 and 29.

He was also asked about the possibility of his party losing votes in the European Elections due to May’s failure to secure Brexit.

Mr Mercer replied: ‘Yes, obviously, it’s a big problem.

‘The Government has its number one strategic policy and fails to deliver it, people get a bit p****d off.

‘I think we might see that in the election.’

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