Boris Johnson is stepping down as Prime Minister - and odds are already out for his replacement.
A number of names are being suggested as potential candidates, including former Chancellor Rishi Sunak, ex health secretary Sajid Javid, and Foreign Secretary Liz Truss. But Defence Secretary Ben Wallace has also emerged as a favourite to replace Boris Johnson.
A YouGov snap poll asked 716 Conservative members who they would vote for and Mr Wallace was ahead. So who is Ben Wallace and what is his background? Here is more information about the man who could become the next Tory leader.
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Who is Ben Wallace?
Mr Wallace is the current Secretary of State for Defence. He was appointed to the role on July 24, 2019.
When and how did he start his political career?
He first entered politics as a member of the Scottish Parliament in 1999. Following a move to Lancashire, he was elected to the UK House of Parliament in 2005. His first job in Government was as parliamentary private secretary to the veteran cabinet minister Ken Clarke, as Justice Secretary. He has served as a whip, the Northern Ireland Minister and lastly the UK’s longest serving Security Minister.
In 2008, he was awarded Campaigner of the Year by The Spectator after leading calls for improved transparency and the reform of parliamentary expenses. He was elected the Conservative MP for Wyre and Preston North in May 2010, and formerly MP for Lancaster and Wyre in 2005.
Where was he educated and what was his career outside politics?
He attended the Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst, and Millfield School in Somerset. After school he worked as a ski instructor in Austria before starting a career in the armed forces. On completing Sandhurst he was commissioned as an officer into the Scots Guards. During the 1990s, he saw service in Northern Ireland, Germany, Cyprus and Central America. In 2003, he joined the aerospace company QinetiQ.
Tell us about his personal Life
Mr Wallace, 52, lives with his family in Lancashire and enjoys rugby, skiing, motor sports and horse racing.
Why is Ben Wallace a favourite to become next Tory leader?
He is yet to announce whether he will put himself forward to be the next Conservative leader. But the Defence Secretary has won admirers in Westminster for his straight-talking and straightforward approach, particularly among Tory MPs who pressed for the UK to increase its defence spending, although cuts to the size of the Army remain a cause for concern.
Mr Wallace, who served in the Scots Guards, remains a key voice in the UK's response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine and this increased exposure could assist any leadership bid. He has consistently supported Mr Johnson, but has pressed the case for increased defence spending.
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