Sir Ben Wallace, the former Conservative defence secretary, has taken up a new job advising Saudi Arabia on reform, governance and security.
The former MP has been given permission to move into a role as senior adviser to a firm called CTRD, working with the kingdom of Saudi Arabia – a country criticised for its brutal record on human rights and oppression of women.
The job was approved by the Advisory Committee on Business Appointments (Acoba) but it placed strict conditions on Wallace, saying he must not lobby the government or advise on matters of UK defence for two years after leaving office.
Once touted as a future party leader, Wallace left his job as defence secretary just over a year ago after leading the UK’s response to the war in Ukraine, saying he was standing down to “invest in the parts of life that I have neglected, and to explore new opportunities”.
He confirmed to the Guardian on Wednesday that he will now take up the position at CTRD with the restrictions in place, saying the role was not one that would involve advising on UK defence or contracts, and would not include lobbying.
Wallace is not the only former cabinet minister who has gone on to work for Saudi Arabia. Labour criticised the Acoba watchdog in 2021 after it approved former chancellor Philip Hammond to do advisory work for Saudi Arabia’s finance minister.
As defence secretary, Wallace signed an agreement with Saudi in 2023 to further cooperation on defence and continue a “decades long combat air relationship”. The UK is also a major supplier of arms to Saudi Arabia, which is engaged in a war against the Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen.
The watchdog said the risk of Wallace using information about defence sales was minimised because a year has passed since he was in office. As a former cabinet minister, he is also bound by the Official Secrets Act.
However, the watchdog added: “Whilst it is reasonable for you to draw on your general knowledge, skills and experience gained in office, there remains a risk, real or perceived, that you could offer unfair advantage to any company operating in defence and security – which needs to be mitigated.”
It recommended that Wallace should be prevented from advising either CTRD or the Saudi Arabia on all UK defence matters, while still allowing him to work on matters of reform, governance, security and defence outside its arrangements with the UK.
The watchdog said he could not contact the UK government, but he could respond if UK ministers or officials actively seek his input. The new appointment was published on the Acoba website and first reported by Civil Service World.
It is Wallace’s second job after he joined a US-British investment firm, Boka Group, that focuses on military technology ventures. He told the FT last week that the Boka job was “not about lobbying the government for defence contracts … it is about picking companies that will be in demand by somebody in the defence sector.”
Since losing the election, a number of former Tory MPs have announced new jobs, while many others are advertising on their LinkedIn profiles that they are looking for work.
Among the new roles, Rehman Chishti, a former Foreign Office minister, is now a visiting professor at the University of Oklahoma, Rob Halfon, a former education minister, has taken up a job at political advisory firm GK Strategy, and Michael Gove, the former cabinet minister, is now editor of the Spectator magazine.
