Ben Wallace
Britain’s Defence Secretary Ben Wallace has resigned, the prime minister’s office confirmed Thursday.
Wallace stated last month that he would step down in the next UK government cabinet reshuffle.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak praised Wallace, 53, in a letter for the dedication and skill he brought to the post, which saw him take a leadership role in Western allies’ support for Ukraine against Russia.
“You have served our country with distinction”, Sunak said, adding that he had understood what Vladimir Putin’s true intentions in Ukraine were before others.
“Your determination to get Kyiv weaponry before the Russians attacked had a material effect on the ability of the Ukrainians to thwart the invasion”, the letter reads.
Wallace, a veteran army officer, was the UK’s choice to succeed to succeed NATO secretary general Jens Stoltenberg.
However, he was unable to get essential US support to replace him, and Stoltenberg has now extended his time as the alliance leader.
He stated in July that he was resigning not because he believed the ruling Conservatives, who are currently trailing the main opposition Labour Party in the polls, would lose the next election, but because his constituency in northwest England was being eliminated due to boundary changes.
Wallace has been a member of the UK parliament for 18 years and is the Conservative Party’s longest-serving defence secretary since Winston Churchill.
He was the only minister who stayed through the turbulent transition from his political ally Boris Johnson to the brief-lived Liz Truss and subsequently Sunak.
He was Theresa May’s security minister before becoming defence secretary in 2019.
Ben Wallace had great popularity among the Tories’ grassroots membership and was frequently predicted to be party leader, although he never actively sought the position.
