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This British surname is barrelled, being made up of multiple names. It should be written as Duncan Smith, not Smith.
The Right Honourable
Sir Iain Duncan Smith
Official portrait, 2020
Secretary of State for Work and Pensions
In office 12 May 2010 – 18 March 2016
Prime Minister
David Cameron
Preceded by
Yvette Cooper
Succeeded by
Stephen Crabb
Leader of the Opposition
In office 13 September 2001 – 6 November 2003
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
Preceded by
William Hague
Succeeded by
Michael Howard
Chair of the Social Justice Policy Group
Incumbent
Assumed office 12 September 2016
Preceded by
Rory Brooks
In office 7 December 2005 – 12 May 2010
Preceded by
Office established
Succeeded by
Mark Florman
Member of Parliament for Chingford and Woodford Green Chingford (1992–1997)
In office 9 April 1992 – 30 May 2024
Preceded by
Norman Tebbit
Majority
1,262 (2.6%)
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
(1954-04-09) 9 April 1954 (age 70) Edinburgh, Scotland
Political party
Conservative
Spouse
Betsy Fremantle
Children
4
Residence(s)
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
Iain Duncan Smith's voice
Duncan Smith outlines the government's plans for welfare reform as Work and Pensions Secretary Recorded 1 June 2010
Sir George Iain Duncan Smith (born 9 April 1954), often referred to by his initials IDS, is a British politician who was Leader of the Conservative Party and Leader of the Opposition from 2001 to 2003. He was Secretary of State for Work and Pensions from 2010 to 2016. He is Member of Parliament (MP) for Chingford and Woodford Green, formerly Chingford, since 1992.
The son of W. G. G. Duncan Smith, a Royal Air Force flying ace, Duncan Smith was born in Edinburgh and raised in Solihull. After education at the HMS Conway training school and Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, he served in the Scots Guards from 1975 to 1981, seeing tours in Northern Ireland and Rhodesia. He joined the Conservative Party in 1981. After unsuccessfully contesting Bradford West in 1987, he was elected to Parliament at the 1992 general election. He was a backbencher during the premiership of John Major. During the leadership of William Hague he was Shadow Secretary of State for Social Security between 1997 and 1998, and Shadow Secretary of State for Defence from 1998 to 2001.[1]
Following the resignation of William Hague, Duncan Smith won the 2001 Conservative Party leadership election, partly owing to the support of Margaret Thatcher for his Eurosceptic beliefs. However, many Conservative MPs came to consider him incapable of winning the next general election and, in 2003, he lost a vote of confidence in his leadership; he immediately resigned and was succeeded by Michael Howard. Returning to the backbenches, Duncan Smith founded the Centre for Social Justice, a centre-right think tank independent of the Conservative Party, and became chair of its Social Justice Policy Group.
In May 2010, new Prime Minister David Cameron appointed him to serve in the cabinet as Secretary of State for Work and Pensions. During his tenure, he was responsible for seeing through changes to the welfare state. He resigned from the cabinet in March 2016, in opposition to Chancellor George Osborne's proposed cuts to disability benefits, returning to the backbenches, where he remains.
^Blackhurst, Chris (9 October 2001). "The contradictory world of Iain Duncan Smith". The Independent. London. Retrieved 18 November 2023.
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