News about Ben Wallace

The figure - set against a backdrop of conflict in Europe and the Middle East - represents a loss of 5,000 troops in two years and 10,000 in five years. Armies across Europe are shrinking but it appears the UK is losing servicemen and women at a faster rate than its allies. Defence Secretary John Healey (left) said yesterday he was 'really angry' about the state defence was left in by the previous government. Speaking in the Commons, he cited 'billion-pound black holes in defence plans, service morale at record lows and Army numbers set to fall below 70,000 next year'.

RAF Typhoon jet fighters may lack the defence mechanisms needed to stop an attack such as the one launched by Iran on Tuesday. The attack saw Iran fire nearly 200 long-range missiles in its largest assault yet on Israel. The UK was relegated to a supporting role, assisting the US in defending Israel. Ben Wallace (right) claimed the UK's Type-45 anti-missile destroyers would also have a hard time responding, The Telegraph first reported.

The Tory leader contenders are embroiled in a bitter spat after Robert Jenrick (left) made the comments in a social media video released to coincide with the party conference. The former immigration minister doubled down as he was asked on the stage in Birmingham whether he believes 'special forces are killing rather than capturing terrorists because lawyers will set them free under the European Court (of Human Rights)'. 'I do, I do,' he insisted. Mr Jenrick went on to cite a complaint made by former defence secretary Ben Wallace, that the UK would not have been able to capture Osama Bin Laden because of ECHR rules rendition of people living in foreign countries. But Tom Tugendhat (top right) - a former soldier - delivered a stinging rebuke to his colleague at a fringe event. And James Cleverly (bottom right) urged him to provide proof for his claim.

Robert Jenrick wriggled today over a Tory leadership campaign video (left) claiming that UK special forces are 'killing rather than capturing terrorists' to avoid European human rights laws. Touring broadcast studios, the former immigration minister repeatedly dodged saying whether he knew the statement to be true. Rivals for the Conservative top job have heaped pressure on Mr Jenrick - seen by many as the favourite to win - to back up the allegation about the European Court of Human Rights. Shadow home secretary James Cleverly (right), a former soldier, said UK forces did not 'murder people'. Meanwhile, Tom Tugendhat (inset) has called for defence spending to be 3 per cent of GDP by 2030.

Agnes Wanjiru, 21, was last seen alive with British troops at a hotel in Nanyuki in March 2012, before her mutilated naked body was found with stab wounds dumped in a septic tank three months later near an army base. Soldiers who took part in the drunken and debauched night of group sex with local prostitutes said they were shown her body that evening by her alleged killer, known as Soldier X, it has previously been reported. A British soldier, known as Soldier Z, claims the identity of Agnes' murderer is widely known and one senior member of the force would even joke with her killer saying: 'OK [Soldier X] no strangling people this weekend.' The sickening revelation is made in a new ITV documentary The Base: A British Army Scandal which airs tonight at 10.20pm.

Giving evidence at the High Court, Ben Wallace (left) fired back at Johnny Mercer (right) who previously suggested he had shown a 'lack of curiosity' about the allegations. Mr Wallace also denied the claim made by the former Veterans Minister that he had shared specific details about SAS tactics used to 'cover-up' the apparent shoot-to-kill policy. Mr Wallace and Mr Mercer were in government together as disturbing evidence emerged five years ago around Extra-Judicial Killings of Taliban suspects in British custody. As many as 80 Afghans may have been murdered in suspicious circumstances between 2010 and 2013 however not a single UK soldier has ever been charged over the alleged war crimes.

Ben Wallace , speaking as Kyiv-led forces continued their shock invasion of Kremlin territory, stated that 'Ukraine should be allowed' to fire the Storm Shadow missiles.

An Ex-tory defence secretary yesterday joined calls for Ukraine to be allowed to unleash Western-supplied rockets inside Russia. Ben Wallace, speaking as Kyiv-led forces continued their shock invasion of Kremlin territory, stated that 'Ukraine should be allowed' to fire the Storm Shadow missiles. It comes after the White House denied reports it was blocking a request by the UK for Ukraine to use the missiles. Mr Wallace, who stepped down last year, was behind the UK initially providing Ukraine with Storm Shadow missiles - which have a range of over 155 miles and are highly accurate. By contrast, the US-supplied Himars missiles have a range of around 50 miles. Both weapons have proved effective in striking Russian military infrastructure on the Crimean Peninsula and in eastern Ukraine. Neither has been used amid its incursion in the Kursk region due to restrictions imposed by the White House - apparently because this would represent an escalation of the conflict.

Former British Marine Pen Farthing is a man who has the Commando spirit writ through him: he never gives up. But a year after miraculously escaping the bloody chaos of Kabul, with 171 cats and dogs from his animal rescue charity as Afghanistan fell to the Taliban in 2021, he was 'one push' away from doing just that - giving up entirely. 'I was in a despair so total that I couldn't see how to live with it,' he tells me. The reason for his despair? Following his courageous campaign to airlift the charity's animals and workers to safety, as the Taliban seized control of the capital, he found himself caught up in the middle of an atrocious smear campaign that cruelly accused him of putting pets before people and British soldiers' lives at risk.

Colombia's win over Uruguay in the Copa America semifinals descended into chaos on Wednesday night when Darwin Nunez leapt into the crowd and swung punches at opposition fans. Yet believe it or not, the Liverpool forward is not the first sports star to trade blows with spectators. Countless athletes have let the red mist descend and brawled with supporters in stadiums over the years, with most receiving hefty fines and suspensions as a result.

Mr Wallace (left) gave his 'whole-hearted support' to giving free passports to Armed Forces veterans aged 75 and over and called on Rishi Sunak to implement the plan if the Tories are re-elected on July 4, saying our 'wonderful veterans truly deserve this'. Mr Wallace said: 'The incredibly moving and emotional events to mark the 80th anniversary of D-Day are a powerful reminder of just how much we owe as a nation to the men and women who served in our Armed Forces.' Our campaign involves extending a free-passports scheme introduced in 2004 for Second World War veterans to those involved in later conflicts. Last night, ex-servicemen who would qualify from the extension joined TV presenter and author Richard Osman (top right), and actress Dame Sian Phillips, to voice support. Ex-Labour politician Lord Blunkett (top centre), Call The Midwife star Jenny Agutter (bottom right) and Gyles Brandreth (bottom centre) have all previously backed the campaign.

Germany has updated its strict wartime measures for the first time since the Cold War as the country's leaders prepare for the possibility of conflict by the end of the decade. The Federal Government has presented shocking new changes that could see Germany return to compulsory conscription, the evacuation of citizens and food rationing if war breaks out on the continent. In the event of war, Germany would also look to protect its civilian population by facilitating makeshift bunkers in the subway, preparing hospitals for a sudden spike in the number of patients and storing emergency food reserves in secret locations.

Going back to his Northallerton, in his Richmond constituancy, the Prime Minister joked that he avoided catching pneumonia after getting wet while speaking outside 10 Downing Street , but admitted he was not sure what state his suit was in. On a sunny morning, he met the group of eight veterans and sat in the Buck Inn, a Wetherspoons pub on the High Street, where the group was sipping tea and some tucked into breakfasts. Vicky Rudd, sat next to her husband Doug, from Richmond British Legion, asked Mr Sunak about his health, concerned he might have caught pneumonia 'after seeing that picture' of the election announcement speech.

It is always a struggle to get anyone in a government office to pick up the phone. But members of the public calling the Department of Health switchboard have been lucky enough to be connected to the Health Secretary herself. Callers were put through to Victoria Atkins under a new system designed to auto-divert calls to relevant officials via Microsoft Teams. Several were connected to the minister before officials replaced her laptop to stop this happening, Politico reported.The embarrassing error comes after Chancellor Jeremy Hunt's Budget announcement that an extra £3.4billon would be spent on NHS productivity over five years - with the aim of ramping up digitisation and automation in a health service that until recently used fax machines.

The Ministry of Defence gave Ukrainian soldiers free cigarettes despite Rishi Sunak's (pictured) plan to ban smoking in the UK. Former Defence Secretary Ben Wallace struck a deal with Oleksii Reznikov, the then Defence Minister of Ukraine, to allow tobacco donated by an international tobacco firm to the troops to be imported duty free as part of their rations. A packet of 20 cigarettes in the UK has cost £15.67 since December - a large hike up from the £1.70 price tag in Ukraine. The difference led to Ukrainian soldiers complaining they were too expensive, as well as there not being enough supply at training bases.

Israeli military spokesman Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari (bottom right) said his country 'cannot stand still from this kind of aggression' and that Iran would not get off 'scot-free' after it fired 300 missiles, drones and rockets at Israel. This comes after Iran threatened to use 'weapons it has never used' in a 'painful and severe' response if Israel launches airstrikes in retaliation to Tehran's weekend salvo. Iran said its attack was an act of self-defence following a deadly Israeli air strike on its consulate in Syria , and that it would consider the matter 'concluded' unless Israel retaliated. Iran's President Ebrahim Raisi warned that 'the slightest action against Iran's interests will definitely be met with a severe, extensive and painful response'.

Israel earlier vowed that it will respond to Iran's unprecedented drone and missile attack, amid fears that the Middle East is teetering on the edge of an all-our war. As the West urged for calmer heads to prevail in the Jewish state, Iranian Parliament's National Security Committee Abolfazl Amoue stated that Iran is 'prepared to use a weapon that we have never used' if Israel responds further. Speaking on Monday, he said Israel should consider its next steps and 'act wisely.' Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi also warned Israel it will face a 'painful response' if it takes the 'slightest action' in response to his country's attack. The threats raise fears that Iran's lacklustre drone and missile barrage - 99 percent of which was intercepted by Israel and its allies - could further push Tehran to develop nuclear weapons .

Chief of Staff of the IDF Lt Gen Herzi Halevi (top left) said that Israel is still considering what steps it will take, but was unequivocal as he declared that the Iranian bombardment of his country on April 13 'will be met with a response'. Leaks from Israel's war cabinet have reportedly suggested that a 'painful' revenge strike on Iran is being planned that will not cause mass casualties, though hardliners have demanded that Netanyahu shows that it is willing to 'go berserk'. As Benjamin Netanyahu continues to debate what retaliation it will unleash, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is expected to use a phone call with the Israeli premier today to urge him to show 'restraint'. But leading voices in defence, including respected former minister Ben Wallace, have urged Western leaders to support Israel in its response to 'bullies' like Iran - and to even stand up to the regime themselves if necessary.

Former defence ministers warn that Britain has failed to plan for war in a 'whole-nation mission' as Vladimir Putin's visit to Ukraine ignites concerns of an all-out war against Russia. Outgoing military minister James Heappey revealed that only Ministry of Defense (MoD) officials registered for an exercise to brace for wartime scenarios, which was supposed for the entire government. He called on ministers to do more to brace for conflict just weeks after resigning from his MoD post. Ben Wallace, the Conservative former defence secretary, agreed with his colleague that too many in government were 'just hoping that it will go away'.

Official estimates show that standing down will cost an average of £116,000 per MP. The sum includes staff redundancy, the cost of closing down an office, data destruction, and winding-up payments to MPs - akin to redundancy. Last year, the severance bill was doubled to more than £19,000, with MPs being paid for four months rather than two as they closed their office and monitor employee departures. Both MPs are eligible for the benefit if they vote in a general election.

Following a sexism row in London, the ex-defence secretary spoke out after the heads of the civil service and MI6 resigned from their membership in the Garrick Club in London. After the list of members was published by the Guardian and others, including the King, Cabinet Secretary Simon Case and Sir Richard Moore, both withdrew their cards. However, when asked about the situation in an LBC interview today, Mr Wallace, who is against the Commons at the next election, said the ferociousness was overblown.

When Ben Wallace warned British forces that they may have to combat in Ukraine, he called for a cross-party commitment to 3 percent of GDP as a minimum spending level on defense.

As he warned British forces that they may have to combat in Ukraine, Ben Wallace has called for a cross-party commitment to 3 percent of GDP as a minimum defense budget level. Before vital funds were poured into our armed forces, the country could not wait for the economy to improve, according to the former defense minister. After this newspaper highlighted troubling black holes in the UK defense budget, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is under increasing pressure to ratchet-up investment into the military.

Even if that means they'm marching toward the sound of the guns, conservative MPs have been advised to get behind Rishi Sunak (right). Former defense minister Ben Wallace maintained that they support the PM "whether you like him or not," while Cabinet Secretary Kemi Badenoch (left) led Cabinet efforts to lift Mr Sunak's profile, reminding rebel MPs to'stop messing around.' Mr Sunak said yesterday that he was "not interested" in the Westminster rumour mill and that all Conservatives were united behind him. However, there was no public statement from Commons leader Penny Mordaunt, who has been identified by some rebels as a possible 'unity candidate' to replace the PM.