Who is Ben Wallace MP? Could defence secretary be next UK Prime Minister, did he back Brexit, who is his wife

According to a recent YouGov poll, Ben Wallace has surfaced as a favourite amongst Conservatives to replace Boris Johnson, pulling slightly ahead of Penny Mordaunt
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After Boris Johnson announced on Thursday 7 July that he would be resigning from his role as the Prime Minister, attention has turned to who could be in the running to replace him - and an early frontrunner has emerged in current defence secretary Ben Wallace.

This is what you need to know.

Who is Ben Wallace?

Wallace is a British politician and former soldier who currently serves as the Secretary of State for Defence, and as the Conservative MP for Wyre and Preston North.

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He was born on 15 May 1970 in Farnborough, England, and attended Millfield, an independent school in Somerset. Whilst he was at school, he joined a young officers’ course for the Royal Scots Dragoon Guards.

Ben Wallace MP, Secretary of State for Defence delivers his keynote speech during the Conservative Party Spring Conference at the Blackpool Winter Gardens on March 19, 2022 in Blackpool, England (Photo by Ian Forsyth/Getty Images)Ben Wallace MP, Secretary of State for Defence delivers his keynote speech during the Conservative Party Spring Conference at the Blackpool Winter Gardens on March 19, 2022 in Blackpool, England (Photo by Ian Forsyth/Getty Images)
Ben Wallace MP, Secretary of State for Defence delivers his keynote speech during the Conservative Party Spring Conference at the Blackpool Winter Gardens on March 19, 2022 in Blackpool, England (Photo by Ian Forsyth/Getty Images)

After he left school at 18, Wallace took up a position as a ski instructor in Austria for a short while before entering into the Royal Military Academy in Sandhurst. When he was 20, he was commissioned into the Scots Guards, where he toured in Germany, Windsor, Cyprus and Northern Ireland for eight years, rising to the rank of captain.

In 1992, a patrol that Wallace was commanding captured an entire IRA unit that was attempting to carry out a bomb attack on British soldiers.

Speaking to the Times in 2021, Wallace said: “The IRA were very, very active. We had over 100 incidents: would-be bombings, shootings, riots.

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“We had two soldiers die, one murdered, one committed suicide. There were some scary times but I never felt scared.

Ministry of Defence of Defence Secretary Ben Wallace during a visit to speak to serving military personnel at the Horse Guards building in Westminster (Photo: PA)Ministry of Defence of Defence Secretary Ben Wallace during a visit to speak to serving military personnel at the Horse Guards building in Westminster (Photo: PA)
Ministry of Defence of Defence Secretary Ben Wallace during a visit to speak to serving military personnel at the Horse Guards building in Westminster (Photo: PA)

“I can remember lying in bed and hearing a machine gun open up against the fence a few metres away from me. I was on the way to the cookhouse and they threw some grenades against the fence that blew up. Someone tried to throw a bomb at me once.”

Until the general election in 2005, Wallace was employed by QinetiQ, a British multinational defence technology company, as its Overseas Director in the Security and Intelligence Division.

Is he married?

Wallace married Liza Cooke in 2001 - they met when she worked as a researcher in the Scottish Parliament and he was an MSP, and together they have two sons and a daughter.

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According to a register of members’ financial interests from 2019, Wallace employed his wife as a part time research assistant until 30 April 2019.

Defence Secretary Ben Wallace after the change of colours parade at Baker Barracks on Thorney Island, West Sussex (Photo: PA)Defence Secretary Ben Wallace after the change of colours parade at Baker Barracks on Thorney Island, West Sussex (Photo: PA)
Defence Secretary Ben Wallace after the change of colours parade at Baker Barracks on Thorney Island, West Sussex (Photo: PA)

According to a number of publications, Wallace and Cooke separated in 2020.

Wallace’s website states that he lives with his family in Lancashire.

What has his political career been like?

Wallace entered into politics in 1999, after he was elected as a Conservative Member of the Scottish Parliament to represent North East Scotland as a list MSP.

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In 2003, he stood down from his position in a bid to be elected into the House of Commons. At the time, he was the Scottish Conservatives’ shadow health spokesperson.

Wallace was elected as MP for the constituency of Lancaster and Wyre at the 2005 general election, taking the seat from Labour. The constituency was disbanded for the 2010 general election and Wallace instead stood for the new seat of Wyre and Preston North, which he obtained.

He was subsequently reelected at the 2015, 2017 and 2019 general elections.

Secretary of State for Defence, Ben Wallace updating MP’s on Ukraine (Photo: UK Parliament/Jessica Taylor/PA) Secretary of State for Defence, Ben Wallace updating MP’s on Ukraine (Photo: UK Parliament/Jessica Taylor/PA)
Secretary of State for Defence, Ben Wallace updating MP’s on Ukraine (Photo: UK Parliament/Jessica Taylor/PA)

Following his 2010 reelection to Parliament, Wallace was selected as the parliamentary private secretary to then-Justice Secretary and Lord Chancellor Kenneth Clarke. Wallace later turned down the position of Lord Commission of the Treasury in order to remain as Clarke’s PPS.

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After Clarke returned to the back benches, Wallace accepted a job in the Government as a whip. In 2015, he was promoted to the position of Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State in the Northern Ireland Office.

Boris Johnson’s predecessor, Theresa May, appointed Wallace as the Minister of State for Security in the Home Office. He was the security minister during the 2017 terror attacks and the attempted assassination of Sergei Skipral in Salisbury.

When Johnson became Prime Minister in 2019, he selected Wallace as Secretary of State for Defence, replacing Penny Mordaunt.

Did he vote for Brexit?

While Wallace almost always voted against UK membership of the EU between 2016 and 2019, he was a supporter of the Remain campaign during the Brexit referendum.

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After it was revealed that the UK had voted to leave, Wallace tweeted: “As a remainer, I am of course gutted by the result. But it is now my duty to make sure the UK thrives in the world and stays together.”

Defence Secretary Ben Wallace appearing on the BBC1 current affairs programme The Andrew Marr Show on Sunday March 21, 2021 (Photo: PA)Defence Secretary Ben Wallace appearing on the BBC1 current affairs programme The Andrew Marr Show on Sunday March 21, 2021 (Photo: PA)
Defence Secretary Ben Wallace appearing on the BBC1 current affairs programme The Andrew Marr Show on Sunday March 21, 2021 (Photo: PA)

In March 2019, he posted on social media that he “respects the outcome of the referendum and wants to see Brexit delivered”. He added that “voted against delaying leaving the EU” and that he “would not support a second referendum”.

What is his voting record like?

You can see Wallace’s voting record, as well as the voting record of other MPs, using the site They Work For You.

According to his profile on the site, Wallace votes on the vast majority of issues in the same way as his fellow Conservative MPs.

His voting record includes:

  • Almost always voting for a reduction in spending on welfare benefits - 45 votes for, zero votes against and eight absences between 2010 and 2016
  • Almost always voting against UK membership of the EU - two votes for, 19 votes against and three absences between 2016 and 2019
  • Consistently voting for university tuition fees - five votes for and zero votes against between 2010 and 2017
  • Almost always voting for stronger enforcement of immigration rules - eight votes for, zero votes against and one absence between 2015 and 2016
  • Generally voting against measures to prevent climate change - seven votes for, 12 votes against and 14 absence between 2008 and 2020
  • Generally voting against equal gay rights - two votes for, nine votes against and three absence between 2000 and 2019

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