Iain Duncan Smith facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Sir Iain Duncan Smith
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Official portrait, 2020
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| Secretary of State for Work and Pensions | |
| In office 12 May 2010 – 18 March 2016 |
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| Prime Minister | David Cameron |
| Preceded by | Yvette Cooper |
| Succeeded by | Stephen Crabb |
| Leader of the Opposition | |
| In office 13 September 2001 – 6 November 2003 |
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| Monarch | Elizabeth II |
| Prime Minister | Tony Blair |
| Preceded by | William Hague |
| Succeeded by | Michael Howard |
| Leader of the Conservative Party | |
| In office 13 September 2001 – 6 November 2003 |
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| Preceded by | William Hague |
| Succeeded by | Michael Howard |
| Chair of the Social Justice Policy Group | |
| Assumed office 12 September 2016 |
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| Preceded by | Rory Brooks |
| In office 7 December 2005 – 12 May 2010 |
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| Preceded by | Office established |
| Succeeded by | Mark Florman |
| Member of Parliament for Chingford and Woodford Green Chingford (1992–1997) |
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| Assumed office 9 April 1992 |
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| Preceded by | Norman Tebbit |
| Majority | 4,758 (10.8%) |
| Shadow Cabinet portfolios | |
| 1997–1999 | Shadow Secretary of State for Social Security |
| 1999–2001 | Shadow Secretary of State for Defence |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
George Ian Duncan Smith
9 April 1954 Edinburgh, Scotland |
| Political party | Conservative |
| Spouse |
Betsy Fremantle
(m. 1982) |
| Children | 4 |
| Residences | Swanbourne, Buckinghamshire, England |
| Alma mater | Royal Military Academy Sandhurst |
| Nickname | IDS |
| Military service | |
| Branch/service | British Army |
| Years of service | 1975–1981 |
| Rank | Lieutenant |
| Unit | Scots Guards |
| Battles/wars | The Troubles |
Sir George Iain Duncan Smith (born 9 April 1954), often called IDS, is a British politician. He was the Leader of the Conservative Party and Leader of the Opposition from 2001 to 2003. He also served as the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions from 2010 to 2016. Since 1992, he has been a Member of Parliament (MP) for Chingford and Woodford Green.
Iain Duncan Smith was born in Edinburgh, Scotland, and grew up in Solihull, England. His father was a decorated Royal Air Force pilot. After attending a training school and the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, he joined the Scots Guards in the British Army. He served from 1975 to 1981, including tours in Northern Ireland and Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe). He became a member of the Conservative Party in 1981.
He first became an MP in 1992. During William Hague's time as Conservative leader, Iain Duncan Smith held important roles in the Shadow Cabinet. He was the Shadow Secretary of State for Social Security (1997–1998) and Shadow Secretary of State for Defence (1998–2001).
Contents
Early Life and Military Service
Iain Duncan Smith was born on 9 April 1954 in Edinburgh. His birth name was George Ian Duncan Smith. He later added a second "i" to his middle name.
His father, Wilfrid George Gerald "W. G. G." Duncan Smith, was a famous Royal Air Force pilot during the Second World War. His mother, Pamela Summers, was a ballerina. One of his great-grandmothers was Japanese.
He went to school at Bishop Glancey Secondary Modern School. Then, he attended HMS Conway, a training school for the merchant navy. He also spent a year studying in Perugia, Italy.
In 1975, he joined the Scots Guards as a second lieutenant. He was promoted to lieutenant in 1977. During his time in the army, he served in Northern Ireland and Southern Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe). He was an aide to Major-General Sir John Acland, who was monitoring a ceasefire during elections in Rhodesia. After leaving the army, he worked for GEC Marconi in the 1980s.
Becoming an MP
Iain Duncan Smith first tried to become an MP in 1987 in Bradford West. He was not successful then. In the 1992 general election, he was elected as the MP for Chingford. This was a safe seat for the Conservative Party.
He was known for being a strong Eurosceptic. This meant he was cautious about the UK's involvement with the European Union. He often disagreed with Prime Minister John Major's policies on Europe.
After the 1997 general election, his constituency was renamed Chingford and Woodford Green. He became part of the Shadow Cabinet under the new Conservative leader, William Hague. He was the Shadow Secretary of State for Social Security from 1997 to 1998. From 1999 to 2001, he was the Shadow Secretary of State for Defence.
Leader of the Conservative Party
After the 2001 general election, William Hague resigned as leader. Iain Duncan Smith won the 2001 Conservative Party leadership election in September 2001. Many people saw him as an outsider at first. However, Margaret Thatcher supported him, which helped his campaign. His opponent, Kenneth Clarke, strongly supported the European Union, which many party members did not agree with.
In the 2002 local elections, the Conservatives gained many seats. At the 2002 Conservative Party conference, Duncan Smith famously said, "do not underestimate the determination of a quiet man."
However, some Conservative MPs began to doubt his leadership. They worried he couldn't win the next general election. In October 2003, there were questions about payments made to his wife. This weakened his position.
Vote of Confidence
On 29 October 2003, a vote of confidence was held among Conservative MPs. Iain Duncan Smith lost the vote. He resigned eight days later, on 6 November. Michael Howard became the new leader. Duncan Smith was the first Conservative leader since Neville Chamberlain not to lead his party into a general election.
After Party Leadership
After stepping down as leader, Iain Duncan Smith returned to being a regular MP. In 2004, he started the Centre for Social Justice. This is a research group that looks for new ways to help people and tackle poverty. He became the chairman of its Social Justice Policy Group in 2005. This group published important reports like Breakdown Britain and Breakthrough Britain, which suggested policies to improve society.
He was re-elected as MP for Chingford and Woodford Green in the 2005 United Kingdom general election. He also supported the Iraq troop surge policy in 2007.
Secretary of State for Work and Pensions
After the 2010 United Kingdom general election, Prime Minister David Cameron appointed Iain Duncan Smith as Secretary of State for Work and Pensions. In this role, he was in charge of making changes to the UK's welfare state.
One of his main projects was introducing Universal Credit. This system aimed to simplify different benefits and tax credits into one payment. He also introduced a new Work Programme to help unemployed people find jobs. He wanted to encourage people to work longer and make it harder for people to claim benefits if they were able to work.
In April 2013, he said he could live on £53 per week, after a benefits claimant mentioned this amount. He also suggested that wealthier people could return their winter fuel payments to help public finances.
In March 2016, Iain Duncan Smith unexpectedly resigned from the Cabinet. He said he could not agree with the government's plans to cut disability benefits. He felt these cuts were unfair to the poor and vulnerable.
Later Career as an MP
In the 2016 EU membership referendum, Iain Duncan Smith campaigned for the UK to leave the EU. He worked with the Vote Leave campaign.
In the 2019 Conservative Party leadership election, he led Boris Johnson's campaign, which Johnson won. In 2020, he was made a Knight Bachelor for his public service. This honor caused some discussion, with many people signing a petition against it.
In June 2020, he helped launch the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China. This group aims to get democratic countries to work together on challenges posed by China. In March 2021, the Chinese government placed sanctions on him and other MPs. This was because they believed he was spreading "lies and disinformation" about China. As a result, he was banned from entering China, Hong Kong, and Macau.
In October 2021, he was assaulted in Manchester outside a Conservative Party Conference. Five people were arrested.
He supported Liz Truss in the July–September 2022 Conservative Party leadership election. He believed she would deliver the benefits of Brexit. He later supported Rishi Sunak in the October 2022 Conservative Party leadership election.
In the 2024 United Kingdom general election, he was re-elected as an MP.
Political Views
Views on Family and Marriage
Iain Duncan Smith has been very involved in issues about family and social problems. He believes that supporting stable families can help children have better lives. He has said that marriage is a powerful way to promote stability.
In 2010, he looked at a program in Norway that helped couples think carefully before getting a divorce. He wanted to explore similar ideas in Britain to reduce the number of family breakdowns. In 2012, he also supported same-sex marriage, believing it would help make relationships more stable.
Views on Immigration
Duncan Smith believes that stricter immigration controls are important. He has said that only immigrants with "something to offer" should be allowed into the UK. He thinks that sometimes foreign workers take jobs that could be done by British people, especially young people. He wants an immigration system that gives unemployed British citizens a fair chance at jobs.
Views on Brexit
In December 2019, Iain Duncan Smith voted in favor of the Brexit withdrawal agreement. He argued that Parliament had already spent a lot of time discussing the agreement. He later mentioned that there were some "fine print" details in the agreement.
Personal Life
Iain Duncan Smith married Elizabeth "Betsy" Fremantle in 1982. They have four children. They live in Swanbourne, Buckinghamshire. He is a Roman Catholic. He is reported to support both Tottenham Hotspur and Aston Villa football clubs.
Images for kids
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Duncan Smith at Nightingale House, London, in March 2010 in his role as Chair of the Social Justice Policy Group
See also
In Spanish: Iain Duncan Smith para niños
