Iain Duncan Smith is now Sir.

[Bottler]

AIBU to think that this dude doesn't deserve such a title?
Unless it's indicative of the Royal Family not giving two hoots about the lives of the poorest?

www.mirror.co.uk/news/politics/new-year-honours-fury-tory-21171959?utm_source=facebook.com&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=mirror_main&fbclid=IwAR3B-ht7Ml3WNdZvVBIwTs5UXLbSEIeVy8kuSsgxfjFjbtK0m0Q6b58zT-8

@churchandstate thank you for that quote. That has made me feel a little better. Similarly to when, during the run up to the referendum, John Major said:

"The concept that the people running the Brexit campaign would care for the National Health Service is a rather odd one. Michael Gove wanted to privatise it, Boris wanted to charge people for using it and Iain Duncan Smith wanted a social insurance system. The NHS is about as safe with them as a pet hamster in the presence of a hungry python, so I don’t think that’s very wise."

The government, and specifically the Prime Minister, ‘advise’ on honours. So whilst it’s shit that a leading Brexiteer and one of the driving forces behind BoJo’s leadership campaign got a knighthood, it’s hardly a shocker.

OLDquestion

Yes, he’s not a bad egg, Major.

No worse than people like Philip Green getting one.

Ian Duncan Smith is, quite frankly and apologies in advance for the bad language. an absolute CUNT and has removed the welfare safety net for millions causing a rise in food bank use and destitution for many.

Are you taking into account that he resigned from being in charge when cuts were made that he didn't agree with?

(Not sure if I have the details exactly right, but that's how I remember it.)

He is a knob. We have a mutual family friend and I’ve come across him at a few parties. All he really cares about is hunting and his (his wife’s...) estate.

He's consistently voted against increasing benefits over a longer period for people with disabilities and illnesses. He's awful next will be JRM....

I have a friend who thinks he's attractive. I asked if she needed an eye test....

@PettyContractor indeed he did resign. He didn’t object, stay and fight or try to intervene with the changes that Cameron and Osbourne were making. He created the monster and just like his cronies he skulked off without any real responsibility.

'The Architect of UC couldn't care less about the poor.'

It's worse than not caring. He actively thinks that poverty is the fault of the poor, and that if you are tough and punitive enough with poor people you will cure them of poverty, so that it's really good for them! He reminds me of the old sarcastic saying: 'Fight the war on poverty- shoot a beggar!'

He didn’t object, stay and fight or try to intervene with the changes that Cameron and Osbourne were making.

Actually, my memory is that even that is not true. There was more than one round of cuts/changes to UC he didn't agree with, and cabinet bust-ups over them. He did stay and fight initially, even though he ended up being overridden. I think his eventual resignation was a final-straw situation.

The New Years honours lists are often a puzzle to me, and I can’t quite see why IDS deserves to be Sir, but I don’t think he’s one of the worst tories.

The benefits system did very much need to be reformed and cut back in some areas though, and no matter what he did it was never going to make people happy by taking money away from them. But like brexit, it’s what the country voted for, so someone had to do it. Personally, I don’t think the ‘bedroom tax’ was a bad thing, and nor was the cap, or the idea that people should be better off in work than on benefits. The problems have been with the cuts to disability benefits and with the long wait that people have to receive money after they’ve claimed. I know people that are now working for their money instead of just living off the overly generous tax credits, and they are better off for it.

Ohhhhhhhhh. Some people will believe anything except evidence set before them. Sir Iain Duncan Smith, architect of our new Dickensian culture. Food banks, well done sir. We're all terribly thankful.

This bastard is directly responsible for scores of disabled committing suicide. Utter cretin, I wouldn't piss on him if he was on fire. Despicable cunt.

Next stop - bring back the workhouses.

The bedroom tax has been a disaster, all it has done has increased bills for families rather than getting people to move to smaller properties, cause guess what there aren't many small council properties available.

UC doesn't make people better off in work than on benefits by making work pay, it puts people into penury.

All the data shows this. Your anecdote is not the plural of data

Awarded for services to the further impoverishment of the poor and vulnerable, perhaps?

Imo, anyone who's sufficiently up themselves to accept an honour doesn't deserve one. It's a shame more people don't turn them down, like Benjamin Zephaniah did.

Absolutely what malylis said. The UC revolution hasn't encouraged more people to work, nor has it ensured more people are better off working. It's simply destroyed people's worlds and IDS shoulders some of the blame for that. Knighting him is essentially laughing in the face of anyone in poverty.

I heard this on the radio this morning and was pretty shocked. Him of all people.

On the plus side, Kelly Sotherton has an honour. At least she has actually achieved something in sport, and is a coach, so gives something back, too.

It really isn’t news when former senior cabinet ministers get honours, whichever party they represented, eg Sir Vince Cable, Lord David Blunkett, Dame Margaret Beckett etc etc etc.

He is truly vile. The way he punched the air when the tax credit changes were brought in the budget. He has never had to wonder where his next meal is coming from.

I don't agree with politicians getting honours, except those for military service or bravery.

Sir IDS is the best argument I have for this view.

Of course he doesn't deserve it.

Compare and contrast the lack of any honour for Anne Diamond, despite the fact that she was directly instrumental in saving the lives of thousands of babies through the Back to Sleep campaign.

Fucking massive clap to Theresa May for that one

Personally, I don’t think the ‘bedroom tax’ was a bad thing, and nor was the cap, or the idea that people should be better off in work than on benefits

Really? Even when it involved penalising people for needing the extra room for essential medical equipment, or as a protective area for people at severe risk of attack from ex partners?

He should be in prison. He's got the blood of over 100k people on his hands.

I think it's absolutely abhorrent that he's been knighted.