Ben Wallace is a British MP and former soldier who has been the Secretary of State for Defence since July 24, 2019. He has also been a Member of Parliament for Wyre and Preston North, formerly Lancaster and Wyre, since 2005.

Ben Wallace made a statement in the House of Commons on the development of Russia’s strike on its neighbour on September 5 to update MPs as they returned to Westminster following the summer recess. He highlighted that Russia continues to lose significant equipment and personnel in Ukraine, adding that the losses will have a lasting impact on Moscow’s effectiveness in the fight.

“Russia continues to lose significant equipment and personnel … This will have long lasting impact on Russia’s army and its future combat effectiveness,” Wallace said.

Who is Ben Wallace?

Wallace was born in Farnborough, London, on May 15, 1970. His father served in Malaya as a trooper in the 1st King’s Dragoon Guards. He graduated from Millfield, a Somerset independent school. Hailing from a military background, Wallace followed in his father’s footsteps and joined Royal Military Academy Sandhurst in 1996. Within five years, he quickly rose up to the rank of Captain after his commendable service in Northern Ireland where he captured an entire IRA active service unit attempting to carry out a bomb attack against British troops.

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Wallace was also on duty the night Diana, Princess of Wales, died, and was part of the cohort despatched to Paris to bring her body home.

Wallace married Liza Cooke in 2001, and the couple has three children: two sons and a daughter. His wife worked in his office as a part-time parliamentary assistant until April 30, 2019. 

Ben Wallace’s political career

Ben first entered politics in 1999 as a member of the Scottish Parliament. He was elected to the UK House of Parliament in 2005 after relocating to Lancashire. His first role in government was as Parliamentary Private Secretary to the Justice Secretary, the Rt. Hon Ken Clarke QC. 

Wallace has the UK’s longest-serving Defence Minister and was named as the ‘Campaigner of the Year’ by The Spectator in 2008 for his efforts to enhance transparency and reform parliamentary expenditures.