PM rebukes minister Johnny Mercer for going BARE FOOT on a prepare
Downing Street today rebuked top minister Johnny Mercer after he was snapped with bare feet on a train while penning a bombshell memo about Rishi Sunak.
The veterans’ affairs minister was photographed by a fellow passenger without shoes or socks as he travelled from London to Exeter earlier this month.
Images showed the Plymouth Moor View MP working on his laptop, while close-ups of his screen revealed Mr Mercer’s scathing words about the PM’s team in No10.
In an extraordinary missive, Mr Mercer blasted aides for allowing Mr Sunak to hog the limelight and acting as if he is still as popular as he was when he first took office.
The minister demanded that more popular Cabinet colleagues like Penny Mordaunt and Kemi Badenoch are instead given more media appearances.
But, despite the cutting nature of Mr Mercer’s comments, much focus was also put on the minister’s decision not to cover his feet while sitting among fellow train passengers.
Asked whether Mr Sunak thinks it is appropriate to take your socks off on public transport, the PM’s press secretary told reporters this afternoon: ‘Absolutely not.’
She added: ‘I think the PM will probably talk to him about the feet thing.’
Mr Mercer attempted to explain his decision to go bare foot in a social media post, writing: ‘So some little weirdo has gone round snapping my laptop reading private messages from a private email account.
‘My shoes and socks were off because I’d just cycled across Dartmoor in the rain. Shoot me now. Or grow up.’
Johnny Mercer vented his frustrations in a bombshell memo written on his laptop, which was in full view of fellow train passengers as he travelled to London from Exeter
The veterans’ affairs minister blasted Downing Street aides for allowing Rishi Sunak to hog the limelight and acting as if the PM is still as popular as he was when he first took office
Mr Mercer demanded that more popular Cabinet ministers like Penny Mordaunt and Kemi Badenoch are instead given more media appearances
Mr Mercer attempted to explain his decision to go bare foot while among fellow train passengers in a social media post
Mr Mercer vented his frustrations in a bombshell memo written on his laptop, which was in full view of fellow train passengers as he travelled to the capital from the South West.
He warned No10 officials to stop ‘placating’ Mr Sunak and giving airtime to ‘average’ colleagues.
Images of Mr Mercer’s laptop screen were handed to The Times after being photographed by a passenger in the same carriage on 6 May – four days after the local elections.
In his memo, the minister for veterans’ affairs wrote: ‘Political communication seems haphazard, un-themed and loose. We have average performers during important slots.
‘How many people did (Transport Secretary Mark) Harper win over for us this weekend?
‘Team in No10 operating as though the PM is as popular in the polls as he was two years ago.
‘It appears to be all about placating him/managing him/promoting him on social media.
‘We are only going to get through this as a team. There are good, capable senior colleagues around the Cabinet table who people clearly like, who should see more air time and be more prominent.’
Images of Mr Mercer’s laptop screen were handed to The Times after being photographed by a passenger in the same carriage on 6 May – four days after the local elections
Mr Mercer warned No10 officials to stop ‘placating’ Mr Sunak and giving airtime to ‘average’ colleagues
Polls of Conservative members showing that Business Secretary Ms Badenoch and Commons Leader Ms Mordaunt are more popular than Mr Sunak ‘should not be ignored’, Mr Mercer said.
Both Ms Badenoch and Ms Mordaunt are seen as potential Tory leadership contenders if the party loses the general election.
Mr Mercer, who has been an outspoken backer of Mr Sunak, also wrote that too many special advisers were ‘overpromoted and underskilled’ and had ‘poor political judgments’.
He said that despite his access to No10 and the Prime Minister, ‘I don’t feel part of the team’.
His efforts to persuade No10 to allow veterans to use their IDs at polling stations had been blocked by special advisers, he said, adding: ‘Feels like even I cannot have any impact on the grid/government comms.’
Mr Sunak’s latest popularity rating on the ConservativeHome website is minus 51 – lagging far behind Ms Mordaunt (left) on minus 23 and Ms Badenoch (right), on minus 15
Fellow Tory MP Michael Fabricant hit out at Mr Mercer’s decision to ditch socks and shoes as he sat in the train carriage from Exeter St Davids to London Paddington
Mr Sunak’s latest popularity rating on the ConservativeHome website is minus 51 – lagging far behind Ms Mordaunt on minus 23 and Ms Badenoch, who tops the rankings on minus 15.
Labour‘s shadow paymaster general Jonathan Ashworth said: ‘With high-profile Tory ministers exposed as lacking confidence in Rishi Sunak and his weak leadership, it’s no wonder the British public are demanding it’s time for change.
‘The only way to turn the page and end the ongoing Tory chaos is with a Labour government delivering change the country needs.’
Fellow Tory MP Michael Fabricant hit out at Mr Mercer’s decision to ditch socks and shoes as he sat in the train carriage from Exeter St Davids to London Paddington.
He posted on X/Twitter: ‘I remember flying back from Brussels once and a BA official at the boarding desk telling someone to put their shoes and socks on before boarding the flight.
‘When asked why, she replied “People don’t like looking at other people’s toenails or smelling their feet.” I agree.’
Asked whether Sir Keir Starmer think it is acceptable to travel on public transport without shoes and socks, a spokesman for the Labour leader said: ‘No.’
