DAccording to the Sunday Times newspaper, British Defense Secretary Ben Wallace intends to resign in the foreseeable future. The newspaper reported on Saturday evening that he had decided to leave the cabinet at the next cabinet reshuffle. The next government reshuffle could therefore be in September. In addition, he will no longer stand in the next parliamentary elections, which are scheduled to take place in 2024.
“I won’t run next time,” the newspaper quoted him as saying. According to the report, however, Wallace ruled out stepping down as an MP early and thus triggering a by-election in his constituency.
Wallace, 53, has been a Tory MP for 18 years and is the longest-serving Defense Secretary since Winston Churchill. He took over the post from then-Prime Minister Boris Johnson in 2019 and subsequently retained it under both his successor Liz Truss and current Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.
“I entered politics in the Scottish Parliament in 1999. That’s 24 years. I’ve spent more than seven years with three phones by my bed,” Wallace told the newspaper. When asked what the phones were for, the 53-year-old replied, “Secret, secret and secret,” according to the report.
“I’m not Amazon”
Britain has been one of Ukraine’s closest allies and staunch supporters since Russia’s war of aggression began. Among other things, Great Britain was the first Western country to provide Ukraine with heavy battle tanks and most recently also advocated the delivery of combat aircraft. Wallace played a crucial role in this.
Last week he warned the Ukrainian government to exercise restraint in criticizing Western arms supplies. During a visit to Kiev, Ukraine presented him with a wish list of weapons. “I told the Ukrainians last year when I drove 11 hours to be given a list: I’m not Amazon,” Wallace was quoted as saying in media reports.
Ambitions for a top position in NATO
Wallace had ambitions to become NATO Secretary General. However, the hope of becoming Jens Stoltenberg’s successor was not fulfilled. “It’s not going to happen,” the Economist quoted him as saying in June. As Britain’s defense secretary, Wallace is helping to coordinate how Ukraine will be helped to defend itself against Russia.
There had been speculation about his future before. According to the Sunday Times report, Wallace had announced his plans to Sunak on June 16. According to the Times, Conservative Prime Minister Sunak is preparing to reshuffle his top team ahead of the next election. His party is currently well behind the Labor Party in polls.
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