Boost for Truss as she is backed by Defence Secretary Ben Wallace who slams Sunak

28 July 2022, 22:34 | Updated: 20 October 2022, 13:53

Ben Wallace has come out for Team Truss
Ben Wallace has come out for Team Truss. Picture: Getty

By Will Taylor

Ben Wallace has declared for Liz Truss in the Tory leadership race – and launched a blistering attack on Rishi Sunak.

Listen to this article

Loading audio...

The defence secretary, who has proved very popular with Conservative members in the wake of the Ukraine invasion, said he did not have the "luxury" of walking out on the Government as Boris Johnson's tenure as PM began to collapse.

And he praised Liz Truss, who has generated real momentum in her bid to become Prime Minister, as a "what you see is what you get character".

Speaking to The Sun, Mr Wallace attacked Mr Sunak's resignation as Chancellor, which preceded dozens of departures that led to Mr Johnson finally admitting defeat in his attempt to stay in office.

Read more: Children shouldn't be allowed to make 'irreversible' gender changes, says Truss

"I don't have the luxury as Defence Secretary of just walking out the door - I have roles in keeping this country safe.

"And the guardian of the markets, you know, the guardian of our economy, is the Chancellor. I mean, what would have happened that day if the markets had crashed?"

He added: "We each had our own considerations. I have a duty until I’m replaced."

Ben Wallace has backed Liz Truss
Ben Wallace has backed Liz Truss. Picture: Getty

Mr Wallace said Mr Johnson overruled Mr Sunak in providing more cash for the military, supported Ms Truss's plans for tax cuts and expressed his desire to stay in his role under a Truss government.

"What you see is what you get with Liz and that is what the public wants more than ever at this moment," he said, describing her as authentic, honest and experienced.

Read more: Tory leadership hustings: Rishi Sunak and Liz Truss join Nick Ferrari | Watch again

"I get that she is not the slickest salesperson on the planet, right? She's not running a highly polished Hollywood production leadership campaign, but that's reflective of who she is," he said, following on from Mr Sunak's well-oiled PR machine.

"She knows how to govern. And her experience goes from running the finances of this country all the way through to Britain on the foreign stage."

Liz Truss has picked Ben Wallace's support
Liz Truss has picked Ben Wallace's support. Picture: Getty

His comments come as Mr Sunak and Ms Truss tried to appeal to Tory members in a party hustings hosted by LBC's Nick Ferrari.

Mr Sunak again said too many problems had happened for him to stay in Government when Nick asked about whether he had stabbed Boris Johnson in the back.

One of the biggest rounds of applause was when Nick asked about support for Mr Johnson appearing on the leadership ballot.

Ms Truss vowed to beat the "plastic patriot" Sir Keir Starmer, with Mr Sunak's campaign having referred to polling suggesting he was more popular than her or the Labour leader.

More Latest News

See more More Latest News

The UEFA Euro trophy is pictured after the UK and Ireland were elected to host the Euro 2028 fooball tournament

Major sporting events and grassroots sport to receive £900 million funding

A Ryanair passenger plane taxis on the runway at Luton airport.

Ryanair plane from UK crashes into barrier on landing after ‘severe turbulence’ leaving passengers scared

Lively's team applied to prevent Justin Baldoni obtaining the messages between her and Taylor Swift, arguing they were irrelevant.

Messages between Blake Lively and Taylor Swift can be handed over to Justin Baldoni as part of legal battle, judge rules

Trump to decide on US involvement in Iran 'in the next two weeks' as White House reveals attack timeline

Trump gives Iran two-week deadline as White House unveils attack timeline

The elderly woman was found holding kitchen utensils and she was targeted with the Taser when she refused to drop them.

Police officers face misconduct hearing after dementia patient, 90, 'handcuffed and hooded' for holding kitchen utensils

Coco Gauff of United States during the Roland-Garros 2025, French Open, Grand Slam tennis tournament on 7 June 2025 at Roland-Garros stadium in Paris, France

Coco Gauff suffers shock defeat to Wang Xinyu in Berlin

Exclusive
The Iranian State Radio and Television (IRIB) building could be seen burning from a distance after the strike

Implications of a US attack on Iran 'might be greater' than Iraq in 2003, former Defence Secretary claims

Father James has been jailed for seven years for preying on the vulnerable teenage boys at Ampleforth College in North Yorkshire.

Monk, 71, jailed after sexually abusing boys at ‘Catholic Eton’ for two decades

'Major incident' declared as smoke seen billowing from motorway tunnel with drivers told to 'stay in cars'

Rush hour chaos as smoke seen billowing from motorway tunnel with drivers told to 'stay in cars'

Expats take to social media to react to 'unbearable' UK heatwave that 'feels like a sauna'

'90 feels like 120 here': US expats react to 'unbearable' heatwave that makes UK 'feel like a sauna'

Jennifer Abbot, 69, was discovered stabbed to death in her Camden home

Woman, 66, arrested on suspicion of killing film director in 'Rolex murder'

Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer poses with a personalised England shirt as he meets with the England Women's football team, the Lionesses, at St George's Park in Staffordshire, England.

PM unveils new school PE drive as he meets Lionesses to give pupils 'opportunity to play for England'

Garner-Abbey had gone to the hotel with 22 year old Philip Wood, who was her partner at the time, but isn’t the father of the unborn child.

Pregnant teenager jailed for 'throwing rocks and stoking fires' in Rotherham migrant riots

F1 Grand Prix of Abu Dhabi

What have critics said about F1: The Movie?

HMP Dorchester Prison, Dorset, Britain, UK

Violence ‘excessively high’ in prisons driven by overcrowding and drugs, report reveals

Sexual predator Chinese student Zhenhao Zou has been jailed

Chinese PhD student jailed for life for raping 10 women offered to be chemically castrated for lighter sentence