Ben Wallace (politician)
| Ben Wallace MP | |
|---|---|
| Member of Parliament for Wyre and Preston North Lancaster and Wyre (2005-2010) |
|
| Incumbent | |
| Assumed office 5 May 2005 |
|
| Preceded by | Hilton Dawson |
| Majority | 15,844 (30.9%) |
| Member of the Scottish Parliament for North East Scotland |
|
| In office 6 May 1999 – 1 May 2003 |
|
| Personal details | |
| Born | 15 May 1970 Farnborough, Kent, England |
| Nationality | British |
| Political party | Conservative |
| Spouse(s) | Liza, née Cooke[1] |
| Alma mater | Royal Military Academy Sandhurst |
| Occupation | Politician |
| Profession | Army Officer |
| Religion | Anglican |
| Website | www.benwallacemp.com |
| Military service | |
| Service/branch | British Army |
| Years of service | 1991–1998 |
| Rank | Captain |
| Unit | Scots Guards |
| Awards | Mentioned in Despatches |
Robert Ben Lobban Wallace (born 15 May 1970), known as Ben Wallace, is a British Conservative Party politician. He has been the Member of Parliament (MP) for Wyre and Preston North since the 2010 General Election, having been the MP for Lancaster and Wyre from 2005 to 2010.
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[edit] Early life
Wallace was born in the London Borough of Bromley at Farnborough and educated at Millfield School.[2]
He attended the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, before being commissioned into the Scots Guards. He served from 1991-98 including in Northern Ireland and Central America before retiring with the rank of Captain.
After leaving the Army, he became in 1999 a Conservative Member of the Scottish Parliament as a list MSP for North East Scotland, before standing down in 2003. From 2003 to 2005 he was a Director of QinetiQ, the UK's part-privatised National Defence laboratory.[2]
In March 2012, during a House of Commons session to mark the Diamond Jubilee of Elizabeth II, Wallace revealed how The Queen may have played a part in his initial selection as a candidate for the Scottish Parliament:
"On one occasion I was the Officer of the Guard at Buckingham Palace and I had to accompany Her Majesty The Queen to an investiture. I was at that time seeking a seat in the Scottish Parliament and I had been for the selection meeting on the Monday at Balmoral, in Crathie, to try and stand for the seat of West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine in the Scottish Parliament. I was not lucky and did not get through to the final round. However, Her Majesty The Queen asked me what I had done and I said that I had been up in her neck of the woods, but unfortunately I thought that members of the selection board thought I was a bit too young. She said, “I think they should think again.” The next day I got a 'phone call, to be told that the shortlist of two was too small and would be expanded to five. I was then selected as the Conservative candidate for West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine, and elected to the Scottish Parliament, and perhaps that is why I am standing here today."[3]
[edit] Parliamentary career
Wallace has a close relationship with the Preston branch of the Conservative Future movement. Lancaster CF campaigned with Wallace in his 2005 General Election campaign for the Lancaster and Wyre constituency; one that saw a 481 vote (0.92%) Labour majority swing to a 4171 vote (8.00%) Conservative majority. The overall swing was 4.50% from Labour to Conservative. This constituency was number nine on the 2005 Conservative 'target list'.
He was the Shadow Minister of State for Scotland and Chair of the British–Iran Parliamentary Group.
On 13 November 2008, Wallace was elected Campaigner of the Year in the Spectator/Threadneedle Parliamentarian awards, for his work promoting transparency of MPs expenses.
Following his re-election to Parliament, Wallace was appointed as Parliamentary Private Secretary to the Justice Secretary and Lord Chancellor, Rt Hon Ken Clarke MP.
[edit] Personal life
In 2001, he married Liza Cooke and they have three children. Wallace currently resides in Hornby, on the River Lune. He also used to aspire to being a ski instructor (an ambition he later fulfilled in Austria). He first became interested in politics at the age of 16, although he acknowledges that this interest was neglected until later in life.
[edit] References
- ^ http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm/cmregmem/110124/part2.htm
- ^ a b "Ben Wallace: Electoral history and profile". The Guardian. http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/person/9272/ben-wallace. Retrieved 2010-01-04.
- ^ http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201212/cmhansrd/cm120307/debtext/120307-0002.htm
[edit] External links
- Ben Wallace MP official constituency website
- Ben Wallace MP Conservative Party profile
- www.debretts.co.uk
- Contributions in Parliament at Hansard 1803–2005
- Electoral history and profile at The Guardian
- Voting record at PublicWhip.org
- Record in Parliament at TheyWorkForYou.com
- Profile at Westminster Parliamentary Record
- Profile at BBC News Democracy Live
- News articles
| Parliament of the United Kingdom | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Hilton Dawson |
Member of Parliament for Lancaster and Wyre 2005–2010 |
Constituency Abolished |
| New constituency | Member of Parliament for Wyre and Preston North 2010–present |
Incumbent |
- 1970 births
- Living people
- English people of Scottish descent
- People from Kent
- Old Millfieldians
- Graduates of the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst
- Scots Guards officers
- Members of the Scottish Parliament 1999–2003
- Conservative Members of the Scottish Parliament
- Members of the United Kingdom Parliament for English constituencies
- Conservative Party (UK) MPs
- UK MPs 2005–2010
- UK MPs 2010–
- Members of the Royal Company of Archers
