UK Defense Secretary Ben Wallace formally resigns

U.K. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is undertaking a mini-reshuffle ahead of Parliament’s return from the summer break next week.

Ben Wallace has formally resigned from his defense post having announced his intention to step down as an MP at the next election earlier this summer.

He held the role since 2019, overseeing the withdrawal of British forces from Afghanistan and helping co-ordinate the U.K.’s response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

In his resignation letter Thursday, Wallace said it had been an “honour to serve alongside the men and women of our armed forces and intelligence services who sacrifice so much for our security”.

Having first joined the House of Commons as an MP in 2005, Wallace said he had “taken the decision to ask that I be allowed to step down” because it was time to “invest in the parts of my life that I have neglected, and to explore new opportunities”.

He added that the Ministry of Defense was “back on the path to being once again world class with world class people” as he pressed for the U.K. to invest further in its military forces.

In response, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak praised Wallace for serving “with distinction” in the role.

“Your strategic foresight and clarity has been invaluable to our country and the security of our continent,” Sunak wrote.

“I fully understand your desire to step down after eight years of exacting ministerial duties,” he added.

Sunak is expected to announce a replacement later today, with Energy Secretary Grant Shapps, Economic Secretary John Glen, and former Defense Secretary Liam Fox among those being touted for the role.