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Iain Duncan Smith slams 'unfair' budget – as it happened

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Coverage of Iain Duncan Smith’s first interview since he resigned and the furious backlash

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Sun 20 Mar 2016 11.17 EDTFirst published on Sun 20 Mar 2016 05.07 EDT

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Afternoon summary

Iain Duncan Smith has launched a blistering attack on the Government’s entire political direction, claiming the Chancellor’s welfare cap was “abitrary” and the brunt borne by working people and families.

Speaking on the BBC’s Andrew Marr show, the former Conservative leader insisted his decision to quit was not “secondary attack” on the Prime Minister or about the European Union

Britain’s former Secretary for Work and Pensions, Iain Duncan Smith, arrives for a television interview in London Photograph: Neil Hall/Reuters

Duncan Smith said he had been mulling resignation for nine months but finally chose to go after a cabinet meeting on the morning of the Budget when he saw the £1.3 billion a year PIP curbs for disabled people had been juxtaposed with tax cuts for corporations and higher earners.

The truth is yes, we need to get the deficit down, but we need to make sure we widen the scope of where we look to get that deficit down and not just narrow it down on working age benefits.

“Because otherwise it just looks like we see this as a pot of money, that it doesn’t matter because they don’t vote for us.

He denied that his decision had anything to do with his desire to leave the EU, telling Sky News that was “the most puerile idea I have ever heard”.

The airwaves have been rife with Tory in-fighting throughout the morning, with Energy Secretary Amber Rudd saying she was infuriated at IDS’ “high moral tone”.

The conflict ranged even between ministers in the same department. Pensions’ minister Baroness Ros Altmann accused her old boss of “shocking” behaviour and trying to inflict “maximum damage” on the party leadership to get Britain out of the EU.

Ros Altmann Photograph: Neil Hall/Reuters

But other ministers at the DWP hit back, expressing support for Duncan-Smith, including Priti Patel, Justin Tomlinson and Shailesh Vara lined up to hit back at Lady Altmann.

Several Tory backbenchers have also ruminated over the future of chancellor George Osborne. Heidi Allen said his future depended on “how he responds to that challenge. I’m hoping so, but we’ll see in the weeks and months ahead.”

Prominent eurosceptic Peter Lilley said Osborne was “damaged but not destroyed” but was “not necessarily therefore the best person,” to lead the country after David Cameron.

Bernard Jenkin, a key ally of IDS, said Downing Street’s reaction had been “deeply insincere” to suggest Brexit had coloured his friend’s motives.

Everything is dictated from the top for short term political advantage. This cannot go on.

The ex-shadow business secretary Chuka Ummuna says he does not believe IDS has always opposed the welfare cap.

Now IDS is telling us he opposed the welfare cap all along - this is simply not believable or credible #Marr

— Chuka Umunna (@ChukaUmunna) March 20, 2016

Nick Clegg also wades in, claiming similar disability cuts would not have got through the coalition government.

These disability cuts, like tax credits and Universal Credit cuts, would not have happened with LDs in gov. I blocked similar.

— Nick Clegg (@nick_clegg) March 20, 2016

By his own logic, IDS should have resigned when Osborne evicerated Universal Credit last Autumn Statement. Resignation a long time coming.

— Nick Clegg (@nick_clegg) March 20, 2016
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John Crace
John Crace

John Crace’s marvellous sketch on the Andrew Marr IDS cataclysm.

Iain Duncan Smith perched on the edge of his seat, clutching a small, silk cushion with the letter C embroidered on the front in both hands. When a man has just found his conscience after years of tireless searching, he’s keen not to let it out of his sight.

IDS leant a little further towards Andrew Marr, his head cocked to one side and his eyelids fluttering helplessly.

“There were three of us in this marriage,” he said, fighting back the tears. “Me, the little people of this country and the Treasury.”

Here’s the full piece:

It’s the turn of Ros Altmann, the pensions minister, to insist that her statement last night on her turbulent relationship with Iain Duncan Smith was heartfelt and not for personal gain.

Was clear last night my personal view on IDS resignation. Respect others may see differently. Ive said what I believe, won't say more

— Ros Altmann (@rosaltmann) March 20, 2016

Osborne's leadership hopes 'damaged'

Peter Lilley, the Conservative MP and former social security secretary, is damning on George Osborne’s political future, calling him “not necessarily the best person” to be prime miniter.

He says Osborne’s hopes for the Tory leadership have been “damaged but not destroyed.”

“I think that’s inevitably the case,” he told the BBC’s The World This Weekend.

He’s an extremely able person and in many ways... well, I was going to say a safe pair of hands but not in this case. But generally a safe pair of hands. And so not necessarily therefore the best person.

Lilley said he could understand why the Budget was seen as unfair. “It came as great shock to most of us when the day after the Budget we found out there was this proposal for three billion pounds of disability benefits which we hadn’t heard about the day before, when we were hearing about cuts to corporation tax and capital gains tax” he said.

He called it a “mistake” to bounce people into changes to welfare so quickly.

This was bounced on him, on the public and on parliament in a way that was ill-advised.

Another error he said, in a thinly-veiled critique of Number 10 and pensions minister Ros Altmann, was to ascribe “cynical motives to your opponents.”

It’s wrong. When you impune people’s motives you’re basically saying you can’t respond to their arguments and it will be very damaging to the party.. because it will make it harder for us to reunite on June 24th on the way we’ll need to.

Devastating interview with Peter Lilley by @BBCMarkMardell. Calls cuts 'ill advised', says colleagues shouldn't impugn motives of IDS

— John McTernan (@johnmcternan) March 20, 2016
Andrew Percy MP Photograph: Daily Mail/REX/Shutterstock

Tory MP Andrew Percy, one of the key party opponents to the revolt over cuts to PIP for disabled people, has said it is time for leaders of the party to listen to the growing dissent.

“We have to remember the basic values of our party and our country, which is we protect those who are vulnerable,” he told Hull Daily Mail. “That means people at the top of the party have to listen to those of us who have concerns. People need to pay heed to those warnings.”

Percy led a group of around 20 Tory MPs who wrote to Osborne before Duncan-SMith’s resignation, calling for a rethink on the cuts.

“My political career, it is fair to say, hasn’t been enhanced but I know there were a lot of colleagues who had concerns,” Percy said. “If it hadn’t been for the strength of support I had privately from colleagues encouraging me to put my head above the parapet, it could have been a lot harder.”

Number 10's statement on IDS interview

We are sorry to see Iain Duncan Smith go, but we are a ‘One Nation’ government determined to continue helping everyone in our society have more security and opportunity, including the most disadvantaged.

That means we will deliver our manifesto commitments to make the welfare system fairer, cut taxes and ensure we have a stable economy by controlling welfare spending and living within our means.

Under this government there are over two million more people with the security of a job and a pay packet, almost half a million fewer children growing up in a home where nobody works and over a million fewer people trapped on out-of-work benefits.

But there is more to do. That’s why we will stick to our plan so we finish the job of delivering stability, security and opportunity for working people in our country.

The key quotes from Iain Duncan Smith's Sky News interview

On his effectiveness outside government

I would rather leave and mount this case outside than snipe from the sidelines and brief as some people do. I don’t want to do that. I want to get out clean and say ‘look, I have a different view and a different way to do it.’

On being freer to speak out on Europe

I am not in any way restrained on Europe. That is the point. If I was restrained on Europe this might have some logic. It does not.

I could have stayed in Cabinet as some of my colleagues have done and they are still free to talk about Europe.

On attacks on his motives

The idea this is about Europe I’m afraid, I recognised this would happen, there would be an attempt to try and besmirch my motivation and everything else.

The truth is it’s not about Europe. I haven’t spoken about Europe for 10 years.

On the barrage of cuts directed at working age people and families

We shouldn’t keep dipping our bucket into that well because that well is about people with real difficulty and I want to see us broaden it out.

Ken Clarke is speaking on BBC News. Everyone needs to chill out, he says.

This is what happens when you have an EU referendum at the same time.

My advice is for everyone to calm down and try to get back to the issues. We do have serious financial crisis which we’re still emerging from.

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Here’s the first takes on Twitter from the commentariat about IDS’ second interview.

IDS, whose changed his shirt and now live on Sky, tells @faisalislam claims he's speaking out because of Europe is "attempt to discredit me"

— Graeme Demianyk (@GraemeDemianyk) March 20, 2016

#IDS with @faisalislam on @SkyNews - not easy to 'like' but refreshing & rare to see a Tory (of which I am one) put Principle before Self

— bob clarke (@smallstory) March 20, 2016

IDS tells me he will be staying away from the Commons tomorrow, no resignation statement in the chamber.

— Darren McCaffrey (@DMcCaffreySKY) March 20, 2016

IDS on Osborne surplus timetable: 'My concern is that in narrowing that look at the deficit, we are in danger of being seen as unfair' #Sky

— Paul Waugh (@paulwaugh) March 20, 2016

IDS confirms he will not be making a Commons resignation statement.

I have written the letter. You can disagree with me, with my policies. But I am genuine in my concern for working-age people. I want us to get the balance right.

IDS said his motives are “being impuned by some people”.

“I came into politics because I care about Britain and the British people, that is how I have lived my whole political life.”

IDS accuses No10/Ros Altmann (without naming them) of an "attempt to besmirch my reputation" by linking resignation to Europe

— Alex Wickham (@WikiGuido) March 20, 2016

His resignation letter, despite mentioning Osborne by name, was not an attempt to thwart Osborne’s chances to reach Number 10, he says. “I am not interested at all in individuals and their prospects, I’m interested in getting this government back on the right track in terms of social reform.”

Has he done well as Chancellor, asks Islam. “I think his record speaks for itself,” Duncan-Smith replies.

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IDS is clearly incensed by speculation his resignation is about Europe.

I am not in anyway restrained on Europe. If I was restrained that might have had some logic but I am not.

I haven’t spoken about Europe for ten years. I’m in government because I care about social justice. I didn’t have to come back into government and I didn’t want any other job.

He will not address Ros Altmann’s comments directly, but said he was prepared that people would attempt to discredit him.

IDS says he has been mulling his position for nine months but the Budget had been the clincher.

When I was sitting looking at the Budget, it took me 48 hours [to decide] that I was better off out and I should make these arguments about our direction from the outside.

I want them [the government] to get back on track and I won’t achieve that because of the narrowing o the base we can’t keep going after working age pensions.

I would rather leave than snipe from the sidelines and brief, as some people do. I want to get out, clean.

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More on this story

More on this story

  • Disability benefits U-turn leaves Cameron with £4.4bn to find

  • How convincing was David Cameron’s Commons statement?

  • Corbyn calls on PM to let go of Osborne over budget turmoil

  • David Cameron backs chancellor despite Tory turmoil over budget

  • New DWP secretary Stephen Crabb says no further welfare cuts planned – as it happened

  • Iain Duncan Smith has revealed the empty truth of compassionate conservatism

  • David Cameron to face MPs as criticism of George Osborne mounts

  • The IDS way: Victorian morality, reforming zeal and gross incompetence

  • It is simply no longer possible to be disabled and a Tory, says angry activist

  • IDS quitting over Osborne cuts: Brexit stunt or peasants' revolt?

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