Mr Mercer said becoming a public figure was "never easy for him", but added he is proud of the work he has done to support military veterans in the UK.
Mr Mercer came in second for the Conservatives, after receiving 12,061 votes. Mr Thomas, the new Labour MP, received 17,665 votes, securing victory with a 5,604 majority. Meanwhile, Reform's Shaun Hooper was in third place, with 9,670 votes.
Mr Mercer had shared a short and sweet response as he left the Plymouth election count. When asked by a student journalist on behalf of ITV what he made of the result, he replied: "It is what it is," before repeating the phrase as he walked away.
Mr Mercer has now shared a long statement on his Facebook page to reflect on his time as an MP and his work for veterans over the past 10 years. The former Minister of State for Veterans' Affairs said: "As the smoke clears on the events of this week, I just wanted to say a huge thank you to everybody who has supported me over the last ten years.
Becoming a public figure has never been natural for me [but] I had a cause that wouldn't release its grip, that burnt itself deep into my soul as a young man. I had to become somebody in order to fight politically for those of my generation who desperately needed it, after a war in Afghanistan which casts shadows to this day.
"I am proud of what we have done.
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