He was replaced by Ben Wallace, who announced his resignation after controversial statements about Ukraine
Grand Shabbs was appointed as the new Defense Minister on Thursday after Ben Wallace announced his resignation. Grant Schabbs, the energy minister until now, replaced Ben Wallace after controversy over reports on Ukraine.
The new minister, who will join Boris Johnson, Liz Truss and now Rishi Sunak in his fifth government post in a year, left a message of thanks to his predecessor and thanked the prime minister for his confidence.
I am honored to be appointed Secretary of Defense @Rishi Sunak I would like to pay tribute to Ben Wallace for his enormous contribution to UK security and global security over the past 4 years. https://t.co/CXWOaYnmUJ
Rt Hon Grant Shapps MP (@grantshapps) August 31, 2023
Ben Wallace, 53, revealed his intention in the summer to retire from political life after nine years in government, including four as defense minister. An exodus ended with the minister’s words during a NATO summit in Vilnius. The official suggested that Ukraine should show some “thanks” for Western aid.
In the Lithuanian capital, the minister said that this is what the people of NATO countries expect from the Ukrainian side, recalling that he had made an 11-hour trip to give the army a “list” of what it needed. “I’m not like Amazon,” he said at the time.
“I was elected Vice President in 2005 and after so many years, it was time to devote myself to aspects of life I had neglected and explore new opportunities,” he wrote in his resignation letter released by the Prime Minister’s Office. The minister, Rishi Sunak, is expected to announce the successor soon.
That’s it folks! It is a privilege to serve this great nation. Ben Wallace’s resignation letter and Prime Minister’s response: 31 August 2023 – https://t.co/wuRcmekTU8https://t.co/847yME5p7n
– Rt. Hon Ben Wallace MP (@BWallaceMP) August 31, 2023
In the letter, Wallace praised the UK’s response to the war in Ukraine and thanked Sunak for his investment in the military and their “friendship”, adding: “You and the government will have my continued support”.
In response, the Prime Minister wrote that Wallace had “served the country with distinction”, praising his “clarity and strategic vision”.
Famed for his role in supporting Ukraine in the face of Russian invasion, Wallace was tipped as a potential candidate for Conservative Party leader and prime minister, but he dropped out of the race last summer to replace Boris Johnson, instead backing eventual winner Liz Truss. .
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