British defense secretary Ben Wallace resigns

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s office announced that Wallace had formally stepped down as the country’s defense secretary, more than a month after he said that he would resign in the next UK government cabinet reshuffle.

Wallace, who has been in the UK parliament for 18 years, is regarded as the longest-serving Conservative defense secretary since Winston Churchill.

In a letter to 53-year-old Wallace, Sunak praised the “dedication and skill” Wallace brought to the role that saw him take a leading role in Western allies’ support for Ukraine against Russia.

“You have served our country with distinction,” the British premier further said, adding that he had seen “before others did what Vladimir Putin's true intentions in Ukraine were.”

“Your determination to get Kiev weaponry before the Russians attacked had a material effect on the ability of the Ukrainians to thwart the invasion,” Sunak further hailed Wallace, who said he would also quit as a legislator at the next national election in order to pursue new opportunities and to “invest in the parts of life I have neglected.”

A former army officer, Wallace was London’s choice to replace Norwegian Jens Stoltenberg as NATO secretary general. However, due to receiving insufficient support from the United States, Wallace failed to become the head of the US-led military alliance.

Wallace was picked as defense secretary by former Prime Minister Boris Johnson back in July 2019 after holding junior ministerial posts in earlier governments.

Additionally, on Thursday, the British government named former energy secretary Grant Shapps, a key Sunak ally, as Wallace's successor while appointing Claire Coutinho as the new energy secretary.

Sunak has already begun a mini Cabinet reshuffle ahead of a general election that is expected to take place in 2024.

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