Sacked veterans minister Johnny Mercer’s wife calls Liz Truss an IMBECILE comparing her to a Muppet

The wife of sacked minister Johnny Mercer has called new Prime Minister Liz Truss an ‘imbecile’.

Felicity Cornelius-Mercer said the Cabinet system ‘stinks’ and ‘treats people appallingly’ after her husband was removed as veterans affairs minister.

Mr Mercer, the Plymouth Moor View MP, had appeared angry about Ms Truss’s move, saying he was ‘disappointed’ but accepted the PM is ‘entitled to reward her supporters’.

He also suggested he could quit the Commons, saying: ‘I have to accept that I will never possess the qualities required for enduring success in politics as it stands, and to be fair to my wonderful family, I must consider my future.’

His wife went further, tweeting a picture mocking Ms Truss as Beaker, a character from The Muppets television show and giving an account of Mr Mercer’s exit discussions.

Felicity Cornelius-Mercer has called new Prime Minister Liz Truss an ‘imbecile’ in a tweet

Johnny Mercer, pictured with his wife Felicity, was removed as veterans affairs minister

Ms Cornelius-Mercer tweeted: ‘He asked her ‘why would you do this, who is going to be better at this role than me, which of your mates gets the job, you promised a meritocracy?’

‘PM – I can’t answer that Johnny.

‘This system stinks & treats people appallingly. Best person I know sacked by an imbecile @trussliz.’

She added in a follow-up Tweet, ‘Yes I am feeling bitter. Please allow it – 24hrs then back to positives’.

Mr Mercer had tweeted a lengthy resignation statement accompanied by the words: ‘I will be spending time with my family and doing no media requests.’

It comes as Ms Truss took brutal revenge on Team Rishi tonight by axing a trio of his biggest supporters in the opening moves of her first Cabinet reshuffle.

Dominic Raab tweeted to reveal he had been evicted from his roles as justice secretary and Deputy PM — with Therese Coffey confirmed as taking the latter title along with the health brief.

The newly-installed PM took to a podium outside the famous black door after returning to London from the Queen ‘s Balmoral residence in Scotland – where the transfer of power happened

As Ms Truss shapes her team, Kwasi Kwarteng has been announced as Chancellor and James Cleverly is Foreign Secretary. 

Suella Braverman takes the other Great Office of State as Home Secretary — meaning for the first time there is no white man in any of the top posts. 

Wendy Morton has also been installed as the Tories’ first female chief whip, in charge of parliamentary party discipline. Ben Wallace remains Defence Secretary after backing her campaign and Brandon Lewis is made Justice Secretary.

Despite pleas to bring the Tories together, a host of other supporters of the former Chancellor have paid the price. 

Grant Shapps, Steve Barclay, George Eustice and Shailesh Vara have been ditched as transport secretary, health secretary, environment secretary and Northern Ireland secretary respectively. 

Tory chairman Andrew Stephenson and levelling up secretary Greg Clark, who all stayed neutral, also declared they were leaving their posts.

Nadhim Zahawi, who ran to be leader before supporting Truss, was sacked as chancellor but remains in the Cabinet as Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Equalities Minister, while Alok Sharma was re-appointed as Cop26 president. 

And Penny Mordaunt, who came close to blocking Ms Truss’s run for power, becomes Leader of the Commons.