Ben Wallace quits as British defence secretary

Ben Wallace has stepped down as Rishi Sunak prepares to appoint a new defence secretary to oversee the UK‘s support for Ukraine and an overhaul of the military.

Wallace announced last month he would resign from the senior Cabinet role at the next reshuffle, after four years in the job.

There have since been weeks of speculation over his replacement.

“As I finish my tenure, I can reflect that the Ministry of Defence that I leave is now more modern, better funded and more confident than the organisation I took over in 2019,” he wrote in a resignation letter.

Armed Forces Minister James Heappey and Chief Secretary to the Treasury John Glen have both been linked with the role.

The Daily Telegraph also suggested former defence secretary Liam Fox could be named. Dr Fox, who served in the role under prime minister David Cameron between 2010 and 2011, was forced to resign after allowing his friend and best man Adam Werritty to take on an unofficial and undeclared role as his adviser.

The senior Tory MP backed Sunak in last summer’s Conservative leadership race.

Wallace, who served as defence secretary under three prime ministers, played a key role in the UK’s response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and was a close ally of Boris Johnson.

Seen as popular among Tory members, he was at one time seen as a potential leadership contender.

He ruled himself out of the running for the Conservative leadership last year despite being an early front-runner.

His successor will take on the high-profile role as the war in Ukraine continues.