Iain Duncan Smith has resigned

Yep

Just saw this, he's had enough as well as the rest of us.

Is anyone else wondering if this government can last the full five years?

That's a shocker. So it wasn't his idea.

You are aware that I believe the cuts would have been even fairer to younger families and people of working age if we had been willing to reduce some of the benefits given to better-off pensioners but I have attempted to work within the constraints that you and the chancellor set.

Good grief, this has surprised me.

Good on him - a bit of principle is what is needed.

Well I am surprised! I'd always assumed he was the moving force behind this sort of thing.

I'm totally flabbergasted at his reason for resigning!

I assumed, on hearing of this resignation, that it was because the government was facing a backbench rebellion and would water-down the cuts - not that he was unhappy with the cuts and thought them unfair!

Strange world is politics

Not sure this is all about principle! We'll see! He seems to be saying that he's been the fall guy for Osborne's vanity.

If she has any principle and cares about education, Nicky Morgan will go too, because the strings pulling her are almost visible.

Anybody remember the resignations from Thatcher's cabinet?

Political bloggers are saying this is nothing to do with Welfare and everything to do with the EU.

I agree with Riverwalk, he was obviously happy to cut benefits from "better off" pensioners whoever they may be but not the disabled and poor. Those paying 40% tax appear to have got off fairly well. Twisted principles.

Wilma, That's what I was wondering too. I read his statement and he didn't object to the cuts, but to tax cuts for the wealthy and (as charley has just written) he thought cuts for wealthier pensioners would have been OK. Not sure what the truth is, but I don't think IDS is principled.

He suggest that in previous budgets he was forced to impose more cuts than he wanted. He could/should have resigned at any time in the past 6 years if he was unhappy about what Gideon was forcing on him.

I wrote a post earlier today that looks like I extracted my points from his resignation letter. I swear I didn't know he was going to do this!

Could be the cabinet is disintegrating over the EU

The EU looms large in this

I don't vote conservative but I always thought he was a decent man but couldn't do what he wanted to do in a fair way.
It wouldn't surprise me if his name was put forward in a leadership challenge.
I know George Osbourne thinks he is hier to the crown, but he's not popular.

Would be chosen again as leader, his last effort failed badly

If anyone wants to read his letter, here is a link

Resignation Letter

I am delighted but also surprised after reading his resignation letter . I always presumed he was the driving force behind the cuts to the sick and disabled but it sounds as if he was just doing what he was told . Could Pritti Patel be even worse though !

I'm afraid I don't believe for one moment that he's a decent man. He and his department have overseen some of the cruellest cuts to welfare I've ever witnessed. I do not believe that he's only done what he's done because Osborne has told him, although there have been spats with Osborne in the past.

IDS was the instigator of the Work Programme and Universal Credit, both of which are over-budget and have failed dismally. The Work Programme has handed billions to private providers, left thousands of people with NO money and been judged as worse than doing nothing by independent assessors, including a parliamentary committee.

Iain Duncan Smith didn't care! Look for the video of him punching the air when cuts to tax credits were announced at the end of last year. He loved it. The Conservative Party would be crazy to reinstall him as leader.

Priti Patel is pure evil and a robot. We're going to end up with a Cabinet of brainless sycophants.

He CLAIMS to be doing as he was told. Hmmmm...