Iain Duncan Smith
Iain Duncan Smith
George Iain Duncan Smith, often referred to by his initials IDS, is a British Conservative Party politician. The Secretary of State for Work and Pensions from 2010 to 2016, he was previously the Leader of the Conservative Party and Leader of the Opposition from 2001 to 2003. He was first elected to Parliament at the 1992 general election as the MP for Chingford– which he represented until the constituency's abolition in 1997–and he has represented its successor constituency of Chingford...
NationalityBritish
ProfessionPolitician
Date of Birth9 April 1954
My personal view is always I'm in favour of anything that gives parliament a greater say. That's after all what we were elected for.
The financial costs of family breakdown are incredibly high.
There are few more powerful tools for promoting stability than the institution of marriage.
I have two daughters, it really means a lot to me to have two women standing now and being the PM.
The future of Conservatism lies in our beliefs and values, not by throwing them away. We need to shed associations that bind us to past failures, but hold faith with those things that make us Conservatives.
Luck is great, but most of life is hard work.
Kids are meant to believe that their stepping stone to massive money is 'The X Factor.' Luck is great, but most of life is hard work. We do not celebrate people who have made success out of serious hard work.
I am also incredibly proud of my party because today we have two strong woman candidates going to the country, we will have a women PM and it is the Conservative party yet again leading the way on this and it says to women all over the country you can get to the top.
Can there not be a limit to the fact that really you need to cut your cloth in accordance with what capabilities and finances you have?
With the right support, a child growing up in a dysfunctional household, who was destined for a lifetime on benefits could be put on an entirely different track - one which sees them move into fulfilling and sustainable work. In doing so, they will pull themselves out of poverty.
A system that was originally designed to support the poorest in society is now trapping them in the very condition it was supposed to alleviate.
All I can say to the others is, 'Look out, we're on our way.
When families are strong and stable, so are children - showing higher levels of wellbeing and more positive outcomes. But when things go wrong - either through family breakdown or a damaged parental relationship - the impact on a child's later life can be devastating.
For families across the UK who are income-poor, but more than that, whose lives are blighted by worklessness, educational failure, family breakdown, problem debt and poor health, as well as other problems, giving them an extra pound - say through increased benefits - will not address the reason they find themselves in difficulty in the first place.