News about Ben Wallace
Israel says Iran will not get off 'scot-free' following its barrage of missiles and drones, despite Tehran's threat they will employ 'weapons we have never used before' in response to any retaliatory attack
www.dailymail.co.uk,
April 16, 2024
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'.
Iran threatens to use 'weapons it has never used' in 'painful and severe' response if Israel launches retaliatory airstrikes - amid fears lacklustre drone barrage will further push Tehran to develop NUKES
www.dailymail.co.uk,
April 16, 2024
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 .
Israel's top general says Iran WILL see 'a response' despite Western calls for calm: Hawks demand Netanyahu smashes 'bullies' amid fears the lacklustre drone barrage leaves Tehran 'never closer' to developing NUKES
www.dailymail.co.uk,
April 16, 2024
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.
Ex-defence ministers warn that Britain has failed to prepare for war in a "fully integrated approach" as Putin's invasion of Ukraine sparked fears of a full conflict with Russia
www.dailymail.co.uk,
April 7, 2024
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'.
At the General Election, tax payers face a historic £10 million bill to pay the costs of MPs leaving the country
www.dailymail.co.uk,
March 30, 2024
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.
Members of the all-male Garrick club say they should be "left alone" after Civil Service chief Simon Case and the MI6 chief resigned amid a sexism row
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March 21, 2024
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.
During the Ukraine war, Wallace demands that parties make a pledge on defense spending
www.dailymail.co.uk,
March 19, 2024
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 warns British forces will have to fight in Ukraine, Ben Wallace recommends that both sides commit to investing 3% of GDP on defense
www.dailymail.co.uk,
March 18, 2024
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.
Kemi Badenoch issues rallying cry for Tories to get behind Rishi Sunak as she tells rebel MPs to 'stop messing around'
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March 18, 2024
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.
Since being denied electronic warfare cover in a desperate attempt to save money, the Royal Family and RAF's VIP jet has been left defenseless
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March 15, 2024
In a desperate attempt to save money, an RAF jet hit by the Kremlin was denied electronic warfare cover. When Russia jammed its GPS device, the aircraft, which has been used regularly by senior members of the Royal Family and prime ministers, was practically defenseless. On Wednesday, the VIP jet was carrying Defense Secretary Grant Shapps home from a Nato exercise in Poland after it suffered a half-hour satellite and communications blackout. The plane also has no counter-measures against a missile strike, owing to the lack of military-grade GPS.
With polls pointing to Labour's landslide, Theresa May joins Tory Exodus as the 60th MP to announce his resignation parliament
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March 8, 2024
Theresa May joined the Tory Exodus from Parliament today as the former prime minister declared that she would not run in the looming general election. The ex-premier was the 60th Conservative MP to announce that they would not be seeking re-election to the House of Commons, more than at any other time since 1997. According to polls, Labour is expected to win by a similar landslide this year, with many Tories avoiding a humiliating loss. If the general election is called, Mrs May will join a line of Conservative former Cabinet ministers in standing down from Parliament. Former chancellors Sajid Javid and Kwasi Kwarteng, former defense minister Ben Wallace, former transportation secretary Chris Grayling, and former business secretary Sir Alok Sharma were among them. Mrs May was seen today visiting a school in her Maidenhead constituency after announcing that she would not be resigning from the Commons after 27 years as an MP. As part of the FA's 'Let Girls Play' campaign, the ex-PM joined students and workers at St Mary's Catholic Primary School to watch a football session. On International Women's Day, more than 450,000 girls will compete in football games around the world.
If a war breaks out with Putin, the EU threatens to cut off Britain's arms supply to look after itself
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March 6, 2024
In new measures to brace for a potential conflict with Russia, the European Union has threatened to cut arms to the UK and keep arms within the bloc. Thierry Breton (pictured, bottom right) the EU's defense minister retorted the bloc's military plan yesterday, saying that the union had to look after itself in a "security crisis." EU countries would also be compelled to limit the number of arms they could buy from UK-based companies, including BAE systems, if they wanted to receive additional funds from the EU's budget allocation.
As Russia uses Olaf Scholz as its 'useful idiot,' fears that German military leaks are just the 'tip of the iceberg.'
www.dailymail.co.uk,
March 5, 2024
According to German Tabloid Bild, 'The leak may have been just the tip of the iceberg.' August Hanning (inset), Berlin's former intelligence chief, told German Tabloid Bild, 'The leak might have been just the tip of the iceberg.' According to the intelligence analyst, the Russians may have listened in on much more than the 38-minute chat between high-ranking German military officers. According to Telegraph reports, German chancellor Olaf Scholz (left) was being used by Russia as a "useful idiot" after the country had identified Germany as the country's 'weakest link." The German government has vehemently denied allegations that Russia's leak of a high-ranking German military officer's conversation showed that Berlin was preparing for war against Russia yesterday.
Russian spies intercepted a mysterious call by a German air force chief who said British troops were 'on the ground' in Ukraine
www.dailymail.co.uk,
March 3, 2024
After discussing highly classified military information on a phone line, a German air force chief revealed clandestine UK operations in Ukraine. After using an unmanned telephone line to discuss military planning, a call between Lieutenant General Ingo Gerhartz and senior Luftwaffe officers was intercepted by Russian spies. The talks included news that the British military is stationed in Ukraine as well as critical information on the transport of British Storm Shadow missiles to Ukraine. 'Much serious,' says German Chancellor Olaf Scholz. The breach could damage Britain and France's arms exports to Ukraine, as well as banning Kyiv's vital use of cruise missiles in its war against Russia. The security blunder will terrify Britain and other Nato allies, who will increasingly see Germany as unreliable.
After 93 report motion of no confidence in the Gaza ceasefire vote, Speaker Lindsay Hoyle's allies warn MPs that they should be "careful what you want."
www.dailymail.co.uk,
March 2, 2024
Sir Lindsay Hoyle's allies have warned MPs that they should not do what you want.' As 93 MPs have signed a motion of no confidence in him, the Commons Speaker is under threat. It came as a result of his violation of convention by allowing a vote on a Labour amendment to an SNP motion calling for a ceasefire in Gaza. In comparison, the Commons Privileges Committee is expected to launch an investigation into Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer's discussion with the Speaker before the discussion began. A source said, 'The heat will be on Keir.'
Ben Wallace says a 'toxic' addiction to politics wrecked his 20-year marriage as he struggled to switch off and spend time with his family
www.dailymail.co.uk,
February 29, 2024
Mr Wallace, 53, who is standing down at the next election, told of the struggles of being alert for a crisis and sleeping with three phones by his bed. The Wyre and Preston North MP is now separated from Liza Cooke, who married in 2001, and Andy Coulson's Crisis What Crisis podcast informed him that he had become addicted to his job. He characterized the Westminster bubble as a "aborrowation that is also harmful," and adds: "It can destroy marriages, lives, and families.' And I watch young MPs, researchers, and civil servants get involved, and I see the use of heroin grow.' Reflecting on his time in office, he said: "I didn't really cope with switching off," he said, bringing the personal toll. For a variety of reasons, I couldn't switch off for a variety of reasons. We have all the problems in front of us, but secondly, I adored it. ' There was a heroin use.' Mr Wallace served as Secretary of State for Defence from July 2019 to August last year. He began working at the Home Office as a security minister before that.
According to DAVID PATRIKOS, Ukraine is desperate for money and men, using violent press gangs to snatch soldiers from the streets - a tactic I assumed only existed in history books
www.dailymail.co.uk,
February 29, 2024
The conflict in Ukraine has always been a mash-up of the modern and the historical. When a Ukrainian friend told me recently that the growing problem of press gangs in Ukraine was highlighted (pictured right in Ukraine). He and some friends got off at a Kyiv train station and were immediately confronted by a crowd of armed soldiers, examining the papers of all military-aged males and yelling those who do not have the required exemptions.
In light of funding difficulties, Britain's cash-strapped Navy may be compelled to sell the HMS Prince of Wales, a £3.5 billion aircraft carrier.'
www.dailymail.co.uk,
February 28, 2024
According to naval sources, the future of Britain's second aircraft carrier is in jeopardy due to funding difficulties. After it was announced that the Budget next week would not include any significant increase in defense spending, senior figures have spoken out. They are concerned that HMS Prince of Wales, which cost £3.5 billion to build, could be masked or sold for a pitiful price to a friendly world in retaliation for the fleet's flagship HMS Queen Elizabeth.
With a explosion at Tory'hollowing out' of the Armed Forces, Labour warns that Europe can no longer depend on the US to shield it from Russia
www.dailymail.co.uk,
February 28, 2024
Mr Healey used a London address to warn that the continent must face the new'reality' rather than Russian imperialism, as the US focuses more on China's growing threat rather than Russian imperialism. Mr Healey also used his Policy Exchange address to criticize the exclusion of British troops from the Tories' 'hollowing out' of Britain's military service. It comes amid a tumultuous debate about whether there are any more funds available for defense in next month's Budget.
After Ben Wallace is turned down for the job, Britain's outgoing Dutch prime minister Mark Rutte is expected to replace him as the next Nato chief
www.dailymail.co.uk,
February 22, 2024
Nato is trying to choose a replacement for Jens Stoltenberg, who will have been in the role for a decade by October. Mr Rutte (left), the Netherlands' longest-serving prime minister, declared in July that he would leave politics following his coalition government's demise. Though talks about the formation of a new government in the aftermath of the country's November elections dragged on, he has been a caretaker prime minister.
That'll scare Putin! After the flagship aircraft carrier was forced to retract due to a broken propeller, four of the Royal Navy's tiniest ships, the 'plastic patrol craft,' set off to join NATO's biggest exercise since the Cold War
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February 5, 2024
Following the fleet's biggest ship, the £3 billion HMS Queen Elizabeth aircraft carrier, being compelled to withdraw due to a 'propeller problem,' four of the Royal Navy's tiniest ships are scheduled to head to the Arctic to represent the United Kingdom in a massive NATO exercise. Fourteen tiny P2000s, which normally patrol coastlines with five crews, were seen making final plans before heading to Norway for NATO's biggest joint exercise since the Cold War, despite concerns of increasing tensions along Europe's eastern frontier. The 65,000-ton aircraft carrier, which was normally operated by a team of 780, could be docked for 'a few months' as engineers try to repair it, notably absent from today's plans.
D-Day veteran who helped rig German defences with explosives the night before Normandy landings and rescued seven French sailors from burning vessel in the Channel dies aged 99
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January 30, 2024
Jack Quinn, who was 19 years old at the time, led a team of commandos to Gold Beach in Normandy the night before the full landings on June 6, 1944. They attached explosives to German beach defences and blasted them up before the Allied invasion force landed ashore. Mr Quinn defied orders to return to his armyship on the first day of the full invasion in order to save seven French sailors from a burning boat drifting into a minefield. It was an act of heroism that culminated in him being awarded the Croix de Guerre - the French equivalent of the Victoria Cross. The D-Day war brought France and Europe's first liberation, with more than 160,000 troops constructing land.
After the United Kingdom'cruelly' declined the offer of sanctuary, an Afghan interpreter who aided frontline British troops faces a 'death sentence' when he is sent back to the Taliban
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January 11, 2024
Nasir (not his real name, which is covered by a court order) who served four years in the British military and was wounded in a bomb blast while on patrol, thought he was going to move to the United Kingdom after being told twice that he was eligible for assistance. The 34-year-old sold his home and belongings in Afghanistan after being instructed by UK officials to travel to Pakistan where he, his wife and young son have been waiting to fly to England and begin his new life
LORD WEST: Grant Shapps: The United Kingdom is a tiny island, and we need the Royal Marines to protect ourselves. To reduce them would be ridiculous
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January 10, 2024
After the minister asked top brass to'justify their existence, Admiral Lord West argues that the Defence Secretary should shield the Royal Marines.' The Royal Marines, according to him, are the Navy's sea troops and its instant strike force, and are among the world's most capable, most highly trained, and effective troops.' From the Battle of Trafalgar to deployment in Afghanistan, he relates the Royal Marines' history of valour.