Iain Duncan Smith Quotes

• I hate this argument that says little Britain or something outside, or Britain is part of a wider Europe. We can both be within our trading relationships within Europe but we can also be a fantastic global trader.

  Iain Duncan Smith

  Topics in Uncategorized

  Tags in Relationships, Fantastic, Argument

• I do not believe the picture that some people paint of Scottish towns dependent on welfare. Every time I come here, I meet people who are determined to get into work. Who, with the right help are desperate to get off benefits, support their family and set an example for their children.

  Iain Duncan Smith

  Topics in Uncategorized

  Tags in Believe, Desperate, Example, Support

• I am an optimist about the UK. We have been involved in trade with our European partners, which we will always be doing whatever this relationship is. We are a member of the EU. That gives us benefits. But we have to figure out where that is going. In the world, we are a global trader already.

  Iain Duncan Smith

  Topics in Uncategorized

  Tags in Relationship, Involved, Benefit

• Government cannot do it all. As we work hard to break welfare dependency and get young people ready for the labour market, we need businesses to give them a chance and not just fall back on labour from abroad.

  Iain Duncan Smith

  Topics in Uncategorized

  Tags in People, Government, Chance

• Getting a family into work, supporting strong relationships, getting parents off drugs and out of debt – all this can do more for a child’s well-being than any amount of money in out-of-work benefits.

  Iain Duncan Smith

  Topics in Money

  Tags in Relationships, Supporting

• Gang members have invariably grown up in broken, chaotic homes, often experiencing domestic violence; they have truanted from school and many have been formally excluded; and they live in neighbourhoods where worklessness, addiction and crime are rife.

  Iain Duncan Smith

  Topics in Uncategorized

  Tags in Addiction, Experiencing, School, Crime

• For those who are able to work, work has to be seen as the best route out of poverty. For work is not just about more money – it is transformative. It’s about taking responsibility for yourself and your family.

  Iain Duncan Smith

  Topics in Money

  Tags in Responsibility, Best

• 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.

  Iain Duncan Smith

  Topics in Uncategorized

  Tags in Reason, Problems, Increased

• Every parent wants to know that their children are protected against those who have a particular agenda until they get old enough to make decisions for themselves.

  Iain Duncan Smith

  Topics in Decisions

  Tags in Against, Enough

• Due to the reliance on the old heavy industries in many parts of the country, it makes perfect sense that we need to spend more money per head of population on welfare support in Scotland.

  Iain Duncan Smith

  Topics in Uncategorized

  Tags in Support, Population, Perfect

• Even as our economy starts to pick up, and new jobs are created, there is a risk that young people in Britain won’t get the chances they deserve because businesses will continue to look elsewhere.

  Iain Duncan Smith

  Topics in Uncategorized

  Tags in People, Deserve, Created

• 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?

  Iain Duncan Smith

  Topics in Uncategorized

  Tags in Fact, Capabilities, Limit

• By measuring the proportion of children living with the same parents from birth and whether their parents report a good quality relationship we are driving home the message that social programmes should promote family stability and avert breakdown.

  Iain Duncan Smith

  Topics in Uncategorized

  Tags in Relationship, Social, Proportion

• Balance is if you try hard, you work hard then the rewards are in balance with what you put in and what is available.

  Iain Duncan Smith

  Topics in Uncategorized

  Tags in Available, Balance

• Aspiration, it seems, is in danger of becoming the preserve of the wealthy.

  Iain Duncan Smith

  Topics in Uncategorized

  Tags in Danger, Aspiration

• All too often, government’s response to social breakdown has been a classic case of ‘patching’ – a case of handing money out, containing problems and limiting the damage but, in doing so, supporting – even reinforcing – dysfunctional behaviour.

  Iain Duncan Smith

  Topics in Uncategorized

  Tags in Social, Government, Behaviour

• After years of piecemeal reform the current welfare system is complex and unfair.

  Iain Duncan Smith

  Topics in Uncategorized

  Tags in Current, System

• 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.

  Iain Duncan Smith

  Topics in Uncategorized

  Tags in Support, Poorest, Designed

• A good proportion of foreign nationals in jobs in the UK are in semi or low-skilled occupations.

  Iain Duncan Smith

  Topics in Uncategorized

  Tags in Proportion, National

• We do not celebrate people who have made success out of serious hard work.

  Iain Duncan Smith

  Topics in Success, Work

  Tags in Celebrate, People

Iain Duncan Smith (64)

Birth:	9th April, 1954
Nationality:	British
Profession:	Politician, Soldier

About

George Iain Duncan Smith, often referred to by his initials IDS, is a British Conservative Party politician who is the current Secretary of State for Work and Pensions. He was previously the Leader of the Conservative Party and Leader of the Opposition from 2001 to 2003. He was first elected to Parliament in 1992 as the MP for Chingford, and he has represented its successor constituency of Chingford and Woodford Green since 1997.

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