The statement made by Ben Wallace, the Secretary of State for Defence, on 21 October 2022.
As the Party starts the process of looking for a new leader, I would like to put on the record that I will not be letting my name go forward as a candidate. I am privileged to be the UK Defence Secretary and the current threat requires stability in that office.
The reasons I gave last time for not standing, have not changed. I will be looking to all candidates to recognise that you cannot have economic security at home without national security. This requires real investment for our Armed Forces and intelligence agencies.