Ben Wallace
| Ben Wallace link Powerbase Sourcewatch Website (Soldier, businessman, politician) | |
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| Born | Robert Ben Lobban Wallace 1970-05-15 Farnborough, Kent, England |
| Nationality | British |
| Alma mater | Millfield School,Royal Military Academy Sandhurst |
| Children | 3 |
| Spouse | Liza née Cooke |
| Party | Conservative |
UK/Defence Secretary 2019 - 2023 | |
Ben Wallace is a British Conservative Party politician who stood down as Secretary of State for Defence on 31 August 2023, after five years in that post. He had previously been Minister of State for Security and Economic Crime from 2016 to 2019.
Ben Wallace has been the Member of Parliament (MP) for Wyre and Preston North constituency since the 2010 UK General Election. Wallace was first elected as the MP for Lancaster and Wyre constituency in the 2005 UK General Election, prior to which he was a Captain in the British Army.[1]
Military career
At the age of 19 Wallace attended the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, before being commissioned as a platoon commander into the Scots Guards. During his eight-year military service Ben Wallace was in Germany, Windsor, Cyprus, Central America and Northern Ireland. In 1992 he was mentioned in dispatches.[citation needed] Ben Wallace's last post was as Company Commander of F Company Scots Guards.
From 2003 to 2005 he was overseas director of QinetiQ, the UK's former Defence Evaluation and Research Agency (DERA). During his employment he worked with a number of overseas Government security agencies.
Statements
"Terrorism"
In March 2017, Ben Wallace was quoted on the UK's new "Action Counters Terrorism" campaign that "The horror of recent terrorist attacks in Europe and beyond is a shocking reminder of the threat we all face..."[2]
Tweeting against Corbyn
In 2018, Tory security minister Ben Wallace was accused of comparing Jeremy Corbyn to double agent Kim Philby who worked as a British spy before defecting to the Soviet Union during the Cold War. He tweeted:
- "'Jeremy has been interested in foreign policy issues his entire political career' - Labour MP Louise Haigh - yup so was Kim Philby."
Spokesperson for Mr Corbyn, Matt Zarb-Cousin, replied:
- "Ben as the UK's Minister of State for Security I'm gonna ask you to rethink this comparison between a British spy who defected to the Soviet Union and HM's Leader of the Opposition.
- "Do we really want our political culture to degenerate to this level? Let's have some respect."
Wallace told Sky News:
- "It was a light-hearted dig at Louise Haigh's excuse that Corbyn was interested in foreign affairs.
- "I was simply saying Kim Philby was also interested in foreign affairs."[3]