Defence Secretary Ben Wallace has supported Liz Truss for Conservative leader and prime minister.

Writing in The Times, he said M.s Truss was "authentic" and had the experience to address the country's challenges.
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Mr Wallace was himself seen as a contender but ruled himself out early on in the contest.
.Ms Truss's leadership rival Rishi Sunak said he was "winning round" Conservative Party members ahead of ballots going out next week.
"I'm fighting hard for every vote," he told the BBC.

In his article, M.r Wallace, who is prominent among Tory members, said he had sat with M.s Truss, the foreign secretary, in "cabinet, bilateral meetings,s, and international summits" and that she might not be a "slick salesperson", but she "stands her ground" and "is straight and means what she says".

In his article, he listed major issues facing the UK, including the financial aftermath of the Covid pandemic, global inflation, and the threat posed by Russian President Vladimir Putin, saying: "[.Ms. Truss] is the only candidate who has both the breadth and depth of experience needed to confront these challenges."

He added that former chancellor M.r Sunak would make a "fine member of anyone's cabinet" and "could do the job of the prime minister", but criticized his decision to resign from Boris Johnson's government earlier this month.

He argued that cabinet ministers had an "obligation" to stay in post and that quitting was "the wrong way to go about it".

Source: The BBC