Defence minister Johnny Mercer receives massive online backlash after tweeting that he’d ‘never met a straight woman who didn’t fancy him’
- Married MP was branded ‘smug’ and ‘delusional’ by hundreds of furious women
- He claimed it was a ‘self-deprecating joke’ and refused to take the tweet down
- One user fumed: ‘I’m straight and find you to be the worst sort of smug, self-satisfied mediocrity that has repulsed me all my life’
New Defence Secretary Johnny Mercer has been bombarded with criticism after tweeting that he has ‘never met a straight woman who didn’t fancy him’.
The married MP was branded ‘smug’ and ‘delusional’ by hundreds of furious women on Twitter.
But he claimed it was a ‘self-deprecating joke’ and refused to take the tweet down despite fierce backlash.
New Defence Secretary Johnny Mercer is facing fierce backlash after tweeting that he has ‘never met a straight woman who didn’t fancy him’
The married MP retweeted a post by researcher and ‘neoconservative’ Ben Harris and commented ‘Me Neither’, before sending it to Guardian columnist Marina Hyde, one of his outspoken critics
On Saturday afternoon, Mr Mercer retweeted a post by researcher and ‘neoconservative’ Ben Harris which read: ‘I don’t think I’ve ever met a straight woman who doesn’t fancy @JohnnyMercerUK.’
He added the comment ‘Me Neither’ and sent it to Guardian columnist Marina Hyde, one of his outspoken critics.
The Plymouth MP immediately came under fire from hundreds of social media users.
Samantha Malin fumed: ‘I’m straight and find you to be the worst sort of smug, self-satisfied mediocrity that has repulsed me all my life.’
Rachael Nosworthy added: ‘Absolutely not, I would rather gouge my eyes out with hot spoons pal.’
Ann Baker commented: ‘He’s just far to full of himself, guess there’s no room in his life for anyone else, just him and his reflection in the mirror! This guy is delusional.’
The Plymouth MP immediately came under fire from hundreds of social media users after the tweet
Claire Savage replied: ‘Hello, I don’t remotely fancy you Johnny, you remind me of a naughty little boy caught out lying and I’ve already got three of them.’
Hannah Le Rouge wrote: ‘He fancies himself more than any woman ever will.’
Following the criticism, Mr Mercer later claimed the original tweet was a ‘self-deprecating joke.’
He added: ‘The furore over this. It’s a self-deprecating joke; Hyde hates me, and I neither worry nor care if others do or don’t.
‘If I did believe this would I ever post it? Huge apologies obvs to Hyde/Maltby and other self-appointed intellectual giants/commentators so profoundly upset.’
Following the criticism, Mr Mercer later claimed the original tweet was a ‘self-deprecating joke’
But Mr Mercer refused to say sorry for the tweet despite the backlash.
He tweeted: ‘No, of course I’m not going to apologise for a crap joke. The predictable were.. predictable. And deliberately mis-construed it. Shock. I couldn’t care less. Enjoy the rest of your summer.’
Mr Mercer is married with children and starred half-naked in a Dove advert before entering politics.
He was made Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Defence People and Veterans by Boris Johnson in July.