Patrick Mercer struck Guido as someone decent who said something ill-judged. Gordon Brown claims he has brought him into his tent “for his talent“, but in reality it is calculated to cause mischief for Cameron.
When he got the push from Dave, Labour’s Armed Forces Minister, Adam Ingram said
“Racist abuse can have no place in any walk of life, and it is appalling and inappropriate for any politician, never mind a senior Tory MP like Patrick Mercer, to suggest that ‘this is just the way it is in the Army’. Our troops and our officers are 21st century people who recognise that there is no place for prejudice in the modern world… Patrick Mercer may have a military background but he no longer speaks for the Armed Forces. It is an insult to the brave men and women who serve in our armed forces with great distinction…”
Now Brown supposedly wants his advice.
