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Ben Wallace (politician)

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Ben Wallace (politician)
NameBen Wallace
CaptionOfficial portrait, 2020
OfficeSecretary of State for Defence
Term start24 July 2019
Term end31 August 2023
PrimeministerBoris Johnson, Liz Truss, Rishi Sunak
PredecessorPenny Mordaunt
SuccessorGrant Shapps
Office1Minister of State for Security
Term start117 July 2016
Term end124 July 2019
Primeminister1Theresa May
Predecessor1John Hayes
Successor1Brandon Lewis
Office2Member of Parliament, for Wyre and Preston North
Term start26 May 2010
Term end231 August 2023
Predecessor2Constituency established
Successor2TBD
Office3Member of the Scottish Parliament, for North East Scotland
Term start36 May 1999
Term end31 May 2003
Predecessor3Constituency established
Successor3Nanette Milne
Birth nameRobert Ben Lobban Wallace
Birth date15 May 1970
Birth placeFarnborough, Kent, England
PartyConservative
SpouseLiza Cooke
Alma materRoyal Military Academy Sandhurst
BranchBritish Army
Serviceyears1991–1998
RankCaptain
UnitScots Guards
BattlesThe Troubles, Bosnian War

Ben Wallace (politician). Robert Ben Lobban Wallace is a former British politician who served as Secretary of State for Defence from 2019 to 2023, making him the longest continuously serving individual in that role since the Cold War. A former British Army officer, he was the Member of Parliament for Wyre and Preston North from 2010 until his resignation in 2023. His tenure as Defence Secretary was dominated by the UK's response to the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, overseeing significant military support for Ukraine.

Early life and education

Robert Ben Lobban Wallace was born on 15 May 1970 in Farnborough, then in Kent. He was educated at Millfield, an independent school in Somerset. He did not attend university, instead choosing to pursue a military career. He underwent officer training at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, commissioning into the Scots Guards in 1991.

Military career

Wallace served as a Captain in the Scots Guards from 1991 to 1998. His service included operational tours during The Troubles in Northern Ireland. He also served with the United Nations Protection Force in the former Yugoslavia during the Bosnian War. His military experience profoundly shaped his later political perspectives on defence and security matters.

Political career

Wallace began his political career in Scottish politics, being elected as a Member of the Scottish Parliament for the North East Scotland region in the first 1999 Scottish Parliament election. He served until 2003, focusing on justice issues. After moving to England, he was elected as the Conservative MP for the newly created Wyre and Preston North constituency in the 2010 United Kingdom general election. He held several government roles, including Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Northern Ireland and, from 2016 to 2019, Minister of State for Security at the Home Office under Prime Minister Theresa May.

Defence Secretary tenure

Appointed Secretary of State for Defence by Prime Minister Boris Johnson in July 2019, Wallace became a pivotal and respected figure in Cabinet. His tenure was defined by the UK's strategic and military response to the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, where he was instrumental in coordinating international support and authorising the supply of weaponry such as NLAW anti-tank missiles and Challenger 2 tanks. He oversaw the publication of the 2021 Integrated Review and the subsequent refresh in 2023, which increased defence spending. He resigned from the role and from Parliament in August 2023.

Personal life

Wallace is married to Liza Cooke, a former Royal Army Educational Corps officer, and they have three children. The family lives in his former constituency in Lancashire. He has been open about the psychological impact of his military service, discussing his experiences with PTSD. Known for a direct and sometimes blunt communication style, he maintained a relatively low public profile on matters unrelated to his ministerial brief.

Honours and awards

In recognition of his government service, Wallace was appointed a Companion of the Order of the Bath (CB) in the 2022 Prime Minister's Resignation Honours. For his role in supporting Ukraine, he was awarded the Ukrainian Order of Liberty by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in 2023. He also holds the UNPROFOR medal for his service in the former Yugoslavia.

Category:1970 births Category:Living people Category:Conservative Party (UK) MPs for English constituencies Category:Secretaries of State for Defence of the United Kingdom Category:British Army officers Category:Scots Guards officers Category:Members of the Scottish Parliament 1999–2003