Editing Patrick Mercer (section)

===Parliament from 2005===
During the Conservative leadership contest which followed the 2005 election, Mercer publicly backed [[David Davis (British politician)|David Davis]] over [[David Cameron]], [[Kenneth Clarke]], and [[Liam Fox]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://conservativehome.blogs.com/toryleadership/who_is_backing_who/ |title=Who backs who in Conservative leadership election 2005 |publisher=Conservativehome.blogs.com |access-date=31 May 2013}}</ref>

Since 2005, he has repeatedly warned against the imposition of [[control order]]s as being 'counter productive'. Citing his experience of [[internment in Northern Ireland]], as a serving soldier, he highlighted the danger of alienating populations needed for intelligence gathering.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/newsnight/9150106.stm |title=BBC Newsnight, Control Orders 2 November 2010 |work=BBC News |date=2 November 2010 |access-date=31 May 2013}}</ref>

In March 2007, Mercer gave an interview to ''[[The Times]]'' in which he talked about "idle and useless" ethnic minority soldiers who had used racism as a "cover" and admitted that black soldiers in his regiment had been referred to as "black bastard" and "[[nigger]]".<ref name=BBC2007/> Initially, the Conservative Party stated that the comments were a "private matter",<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.politics.co.uk/news/2007/03/08/cameron-drops-mercer-over-race-row |title=Patrick Mercer resigns and apologises |work=Politics.co.uk |date=8 March 2007 |access-date=31 May 2013}}</ref> but soon David Cameron forced Mercer to resign as Shadow Minister for Homeland Security.<ref name=BBC2007/> Mercer publicly apologised and said "I had the privilege to command soldiers from across the east Midlands, of whom many came from racial minorities. It was a matter of great pride to me that racial minorities prospered inside the unit. What I have said is clearly misjudged and I can only apologise if I have embarrassed in any way those fine men whom I commanded. I have no hesitation in resigning my front-bench appointment."<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1544893/Tories-sack-MP-who-attacked-idle-black-troops.html |title=Tories sack MP who attacked 'idle' black troops |newspaper=[[Daily Telegraph]]|date=8 March 2007 |access-date=2 June 2013 |location=London |first=Sally |last=Peck}}</ref> A black former corporal who had served with Mercer came to his defence, and the chairwoman of his Conservative Association said she was "extremely angry" that Mercer's comments had been taken out of context.<ref>{{cite news|title=Cash for questions: Patrick Mercer no stranger to controversy|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/conservative/10092624/Cash-for-questions-Patrick-Mercer-no-stranger-to-controversy.html|work=The Daily Telegraph|access-date=7 August 2013|location=London|first1=Holly|last1=Watt|first2=Claire|last2=Newell|date=31 May 2013}}</ref><ref name=BBC2007>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/6431005.stm |title=Top Tory axed over Army race row|work=BBC News|date=8 March 2007| access-date= 6 June 2010}}</ref>

In December 2008, Mercer was appointed as Chairman of the House of Commons Sub-Committee on Counter-Terrorism, to further his work as a member of the [[Home Affairs Select Committee]].{{citation needed|date=March 2022}}

In March 2009 Mercer volunteered for three days at a charity named Save the Family, learning and helping displaced families as part of a programme devised by Iain Duncan Smith.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.centreforsocialjustice.org.uk/press-releases/patrick-mercer-mp-to-work-with-homeless-families-at-save-the-family-flintshire-17-19-march-2009 |title=Patrick Mercer MP to work with homeless families at Save the Family, Flintshire 17–19 March 2009 |publisher=The Centre for Social Justice |date=12 March 2009 |access-date=25 February 2017}}</ref>