Defence Secretary Ben Wallace to quit Cabinet and stand down as MP

Ben Wallace will resign at the next Cabinet reshuffle and will not seek re-election as an MP after four years as Defence Secretary.

Mr Wallace, who survived three prime ministers as Defence Secretary, played a key role in the UK’s response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and was a close ally of Boris Johnson.

Last week, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak shut down comments from Mr Wallace in which he suggested Ukraine should show “gratitude” for the military support it has been given.

Mr Wallace had made the remark after the country’s president, Volodymyr Zelensky, branded it “absurd” for Nato to insist there were still conditions for his nation to meet before it can gain membership once the war with Russia is over.

Mr Zelensky later said: “I don’t know what he meant and how else we should be grateful.”

Mr Wallace is the longest continuously serving minister in Government, having been security minister under Theresa May before being promoted to Defence Secretary by Mr Johnson.

He is hugely popular with grassroots Tories, but ruled himself out of the running for the Conservative leadership last year, despite being an early frontrunner in the race to replace Mr Johnson.

https://www.gbnews.com/politics/ben-wallace-defence-secretary-quits?wpb=bw1