Ben Wallace said his time in politics has “been a long slog” as he prepares to step down as defence secretary, but he insisted he was leaving the military in a better state.

Asked how he felt about quitting a job he loved, the minister and former army officer said: “Look, we always have to let go of things. That’s life… There’s more to life than just one job sometimes.

“You have lots of other things as well. And it’s just… I’m happy to go.”

Mr Wallace, 53, made headlines over the weekend by revealing that he planned to quit as defence secretary at the next reshuffle, expected in the autumn, and to leave politics at the next election.

It came after a bid by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak to make the veteran politician the next secretary general of NATO failed last month.

Speaking to Sky News ahead of an announcement on Tuesday about an updated blueprint for the shape and size of the armed forces, the defence secretary talked about why he had decided to walk away from defence even as war still raged in Europe.

Read more: UK picking apart Russian army vehicles captured in Ukraine to learn their secrets

UK picking apart Russian army vehicles captured in Ukraine to learn their secrets

Why Ben Wallace’s days were numbered – both as defence secretary and MP

Defence Secretary Ben Wallace to stand down at next election

Mr Wallace has been an arch supporter of Ukraine, pushing the UK and its allies to go further and faster with increasingly lethal weapons.

“It’s been a long slog,” he said, speaking on the parade ground at Wellington Barracks in London.

“I left this barracks in 1998, right. I’m not standing the next election, right. I went into the Scottish Parliament in 1999. I’m not standing in the next election.

Read more: Why Ben Wallace’s days were numbered – both as defence secretary and MP

“Once I decided that, it’s only fair the prime minister in the next reshuffle has a defence secretary that will fight the election alongside him. There’s no point me fighting election alongside a prime minister and then [say to him:] I’m going.

“It’s important that the prime minister has the best team he can for the next election and I think it’s perfectly appropriate that I stood down.

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“I’ve done four years as the defence secretary, I’ve done three years as security minister. I think we’re leaving it in a better state… Britain is back on the map in defence. I think it’s in a healthy state, it’s improving, it’s investing, it’s time for someone else.”

Asked who he thought that person might be as his successor, Mr Wallace declined to comment.

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