Tory MP Johnny Mercer criticised the Government claiming soldiers faced being investigated once they finish their service. The Conservative MP, who has withdrawn his support for the government, said he “no longer shared the values or ethos” of the Tory party, announcing he had “gone on strike”. Speaking on BBC’s Radio 4 Today programme, he said: “I have made it clear, I voted for Brexit, I have made it clear I will vote again, but this is a huge issue in communities like mine. ] I have tried time and time again in the last four years to do something about.

“It’s pretty clear Nick, what we do in this country once our servicemen and servicewomen have finished service, anybody can come along and investigate allegations of what they have been up to and haul these people back through courts and investigation with usually no evidence at all.

“You will remember a case of a chap called Phil Shiner who built this up over many many years.

“There is one thing that stands between these people and this process and that is the Government who have singly refused to act for four years. I am simply not prepared to put up with it any more.”

He added: “This is not about me Nick, the Prime Minister has said this many times, you will remember when I exposed the Iraq Historical Allegation Team in 2017/18, that was closed down overnight and the Prime Minister stood on a conference stage and took rapturous applause and said she was going to end this process.

I am simply not prepared to put up with it any more

Johnny Mercer

“The reality is I am afraid, on a Monday morning when I drove back up to London, I received a call from another pensioner who has just turned down dialysis treatment, his kidneys are failing, because he wants to fight his case.

“He will die before he goes to court. He has been accused over a serious charge.

“I, given other events that have come to light feel I cannot any longer maintain my integrity and continue to vote for policies in this Government.”

In the letter to the Government, Mr Mercer wrote: “I cannot continue to support you while this injustice (prosecuting veterans) continues unabated and the behaviour of your Whips has ground out of me any residual co-operation.

“As you know, the historical prosecution of our servicemen and women is a matter that is personally offensive to me.

“Many are my friends, and I am from their tribe.”

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