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| Duncan Smith attacks 'desperate' focus on cuts | Duncan Smith attacks 'desperate' focus on cuts |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Iain Duncan Smith has criticised the government's "desperate search for savings" in his first interview since resigning as work and pensions secretary. | Iain Duncan Smith has criticised the government's "desperate search for savings" in his first interview since resigning as work and pensions secretary. |
| Mr Duncan Smith said the Conservatives were in danger of not being a "one-nation party" standing up for everyone. | Mr Duncan Smith said the Conservatives were in danger of not being a "one-nation party" standing up for everyone. |
| He said his "painful" decision to resign had not been "not personal" against Chancellor George Osborne. | He said his "painful" decision to resign had not been "not personal" against Chancellor George Osborne. |
| But he said he felt he had become "semi-detached" from government. | |
| On Friday, Mr Duncan Smith said he was quitting as work and pensions secretary in protest at planned disability benefits cuts. | |
| In his response to Mr Duncan Smith, Prime Minister David Cameron said the reforms had been "collectively agreed" and announced by the Department for Work and Pensions. | In his response to Mr Duncan Smith, Prime Minister David Cameron said the reforms had been "collectively agreed" and announced by the Department for Work and Pensions. |
| On BBC's Andrew Marr programme on Sunday, Mr Duncan Smith said he had supported a consultation on the changes but had come under "massive pressure" to deliver the savings ahead of last week's Budget. | |
| The way the cuts were presented in the Budget had been "deeply unfair", he said, because they were "juxtaposed" with tax cuts for the wealthy. | |
| He criticised the "arbitrary" decision to lower the welfare cap after the general election and suggested the government was in danger of losing "the balance of the generations", expressing his "deep concern" at a "very narrow attack on working-age benefits" while also protecting pensioner benefits. | |
| Mr Duncan Smith said the Conservatives had to return to being a party "that cares about even those who do not vote for us". | |
| His resignation has divided his former ministerial team at the Department for Work and Pensions. | |
| Pensions minister Baroness Ros Altmann attacked his tenure, describing him as "exceptionally difficult" to work for, and accused him of using his resignation "to do maximum damage to the party leadership" in order to support the campaign to leave the EU. | |
| But her fellow DWP minister Shailesh Vara said she was "surprised" at Baroness Altmann's comments, saying: "Ros's recollection does not accord with mine and I'm sorry that this has all happened." | |
| Disabilities minister Justin Tomlinson said the former secretary of state had "always conducted himself in a professional, dedicated and determined manner" and employment minister Priti Patel told BBC Radio 5 Live it had been a "privilege" to work for him. | |
| What is your reaction? Are you affected by the issues raised? Share your thoughts with us - email haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk | What is your reaction? Are you affected by the issues raised? Share your thoughts with us - email haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk |
| Please include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also contact us in the following ways: | Please include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also contact us in the following ways: |
| Or use the form below | Or use the form below |