Ben Wallace pips Liz Truss to top in popularity poll as his stance on Ukraine sees him soar up Tory list
- Defence Secretary Ben Wallace has ended Foreign Secretary Liz Truss’ reign
- For a year, she was top of monthly party member survey for Conservative Home
- Mr Wallace won plaudits for overseeing evacuations from Afghanistan last year
- He is now emerging as a potential successor to Prime Minister Boris Johnson
Defence Secretary Ben Wallace is now the most popular Cabinet minister among Tory members, a poll has revealed.
Mr Wallace ended Foreign Secretary Liz Truss’s year-long reign on top of the monthly party member survey for Conservative Home.
The former Scots Guards officer, who has won plaudits for overseeing the evacuation of refugees and British nationals from Afghanistan last year and for leading the UK’s response to Russian threats to invade Ukraine, has emerged as a potential successor to Mr Johnson.
Defence Secretary Ben Wallace (right) is now the most popular Cabinet minister among Tory members, ending Foreign Secretary Liz Truss’ year-long reign on top of the monthly party member survey for Conservative Home. Pictured together on a visit to Australia in January
Mr Wallace enjoyed a net satisfaction rating of 79.7 in January, according to yesterday’s poll, up from 62 points in December.
Miss Truss, who is seen as one of the main challengers for the premiership should Mr Johnson step down, slipped seven points to 66.7.
The Defence Secretary last night declined to rule himself out of succeeding Boris Johnson as Prime Minister – but told the Daily Mail he would rather his local football team Preston North End was top of the league.
He added: ‘There is not going to be a vacancy. The Prime Minister is going to lead us into the next General Election.’
He went on: ‘I have been incredibly lucky to do two roles in subjects which I know something about.
‘There is a lesson there for modern government, when politics is so demanding and governing is so demanding, if you can have the advantages of being both interested and knowledgable in that subject you can deliver.
Mr Wallace has won plaudits for overseeing the evacuation of refugees and British nationals from Afghanistan last year and for leading the UK’s response to Russian threats to invade Ukraine
‘I have been privileged to do jobs I am interested in and care about.’
The survey of Conservative grassroots has propelled Mr Wallace up a list of senior politicians who could replace Mr Johnson should he be forced to resign over ‘party-gate’.
He has been the MP for Lancaster and Wyre in Lancashire since 2005 and Secretary of State for Defence since 2019, surviving numerous Cabinet reshuffles since then and proving himself as sure footed and knowledgeable.