When Ben Wallace’s outburst in the Commons during a debate on the Overseas Operations Bill that saw him accuse Labour of sending troops to fight in illegal wars, the MoD was tight-lipped. During a ConservativeHome conference fringe event yesterday, however, Ben Wallace finally broke his silence on the ill-advised dispatch box rant.

Speaking to Mark Wallace (no relation), the Defence Secretary clarified that while Afghanistan, Iraq and Syria are all in accordance with international law, and “every military action I’ve authorised in this job is legal”, he couldn’t stand receiving a lecture from Labour while he sits there having to mop up the mess if servicemen and women “didn’t follow the rules”. That sounds like a significant backing down from his Commons claim…

Watch the full interview with ConservativeHome here…