Ben Wallace ‘plotted revenge’ on Biden with threat to cancel major Chinook order

Ben Wallace to stand down at next election

The former Defence Secretary is understood to have sent a letter to his US counterpart Lloyd Austin which suggested the UK might back out of the agreement.

The move has raised speculation that Mr Wallace was “seeking revenge” on US President Joe Biden for dashing his hopes of becoming NATO general secretary.

The UK is set to receive 14 Chinook H-47 helicopters manufactured by the US-based company Boeing. The delivery of the first of these helicopters is expected in 2026.

Mr Wallace voiced his frustration over the lack of support from the White House in an interview last month. He said: “Why do you not support your closest ally when they put forward a candidate? I think it’s a fair question.”

Sources close to Mr Wallace suggested he had tried to cancel the project during the last spending review because of cost concerns.

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But he had been assured that delaying it would produce savings of close to £200 million.

The costs have since ballooned, rising by approximately £500 million to about £2.3 billion.

A source said: “Spending £2.3 billion on this will mean we will have less to spend on medium-lift helicopters that will be British-assembled and made.”

The row, which embroiled the British and American ambassadors, forced Downing Street to intervene in an attempt to defuse tensions.

A source close to Mr Wallace categorically denied the issue was in any way related to the Nato job, branding any suggested link “pathetic” and pointing out that he had raised the prospect of cancelling the deal two years ago.

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They added that Wallace’s concerns were based entirely around cost, capability and the actual value of the deal to the UK.

One former Downing Street insider told Express.co.uk that the move “may have been related to Ben’s anger over Biden ending his hopes of being Nato General Secretary.”

The insider also speculated that the story was leaked by Downing Street to damage Mr Wallace after he had just walked away from being a popular and well respected Defence Secretary.

Mr Wallace has previously thanked Rishi Sunak for his personal lobbying to get him appointed as NATO General Secretary.

However, it is understood that Biden was “opposed to a Brit” taking the role.

The US President instead is understood to be trying to get European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen to be the new General Secretary.

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