The end of an era? The resignation of Iain Duncan Smith, Conservatism and social security benefits for disabled people

Abstract

Iain Duncan Smith resigned as the UK’s Secretary of State for Work and Pensions in March 2016. While not invisible from the debate following his resignation, the fact that changes to social security policy for disabled people were central to Duncan Smith’s time as Secretary of State and central to his (at least public) reasons for resignation was lost in a focus on the internal machinations of the UK’s Conservative Party. In this short article, Duncan Smith’s resignation is used to examine the location of additional cost social security benefits for disabled people in Conservative thinking in contemporary Britain.

Keywords:

• Austerity
• benefits
• Conservatism
• cuts
• disabled people
• social security
• work

Notes

1. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-35848891. Accessed 24 May 2016.

2. See comments of John McArdle of the Black Triangle Campaign. https://www.commonspace.scot/articles/3719/6-years-of-horror-disability-activists-call-for-cuts-reversal-after-ids-resignation. Accessed 24 May 2016.

3. http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201516/cmhansrd/cm160321/debtext/160321-0002.htm. Accessed 24 May 2016.

4. http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/iain-duncan-smith-resignation-stephen-crabb-says-he-hopes-to-bring-same-passion-and-thoughtfulness-a6941341.html. Accessed 24 May 2016.

5. http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201516/cmhansrd/cm160321/debtext/160321-0002.htm; emphasis added. Accessed 24 May 2016.