Sir George Iain Duncan Smith, often referred to by his initials IDS, is a British politician who served as Leader of the Conservative Party and Leader of the Opposition from 2001 to 2003. He was Secretary of State for Work and Pensions from 2010 to 2016. He has been Member of Parliament (MP) for Chingford and Woodford Green, formerly Chingford, since 1992.
The son of W. G. G. Duncan Smith, a Royal Air Force flying ace, Duncan Smith was born in Edinburgh and raised in Solihull. After education at the training school HMS Conway and Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, he served in the Scots Guards from 1975 to 1981, seeing tours in Northern Ireland and Rhodesia. He joined the Conservative Party in 1981. After unsuccessfully contesting Bradford West in 1987, he was elected to Parliament at the 1992 general election.
Following the resignation of William Hague, Duncan Smith won the 2001 Conservative Party leadership election, partly owing to the support of Margaret Thatcher for his Eurosceptic beliefs. However, many Conservative MPs came to consider him incapable of winning the next general election and, in 2003, he lost a vote of confidence in his leadership; he immediately resigned and was succeeded by Michael Howard. Returning to the backbenches, Duncan Smith became a published novelist. He then founded the Centre for Social Justice, a centre-right think tank independent of the Conservative Party, and became chair of its Social Justice Policy Group.
In May 2010, new Prime Minister David Cameron appointed him to serve in the cabinet as Secretary of State for Work and Pensions. During his tenure, he was responsible for seeing through changes to the welfare state. He resigned from the cabinet in March 2016, in opposition to Chancellor George Osborne's proposed cuts to disability benefits.
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Some of their strengths
Iain Duncan Smith has many admirable traits.
Based on spiritual traditions from around the world, they are someone who can be described as Intuitive, Generous, Creative, Energetic, Passionate, Adventurous, and Imaginative.
Independent and Brave
According to Mysticism’s Astrology tradition, Iain Duncan Smith is someone who is an independent, brave, and honest person who approaches life with energy, intuition, passion, and generosity. A person who is known for being diligent and strong.
Adaptable and Versatile
Based on Daoism’s Ba-Zi or ‘Chinese Zodiac’ tradition, people who know Iain Duncan Smith well know them as someone who can be adaptable, flexible, and polite, like a flower or a sapling.
Courteous and Easygoing
According to Hinduism’s Jyotisha or ‘Vedic Astrology’ tradition, many would also describe Iain Duncan Smith as someone who is polite, modest, and diplomatic.
A person who tends to be socially popular, who loves intellectual or creative activities, who has a talent for communicating with and understanding the needs of others, and who seems to have a knack for getting recognized for their efforts.
Vigorous and Friendly
Based on the Mayan Tzolk’in or ‘Mayan Astrology’ tradition, Iain Duncan Smith is someone who has a vigor and energy that applies itself to all life's activities and endeavors, and a knack for forming family-like structures, groups, and communities.
They are also someone who is altruistic, tolerant, and sophisticated, and who tends to be a perfectionist who is always working to try and make everything and everyone better.
Independent and Dynamic
According to Judaism’s Kabbalah tradition, Iain Duncan Smith tends to be someone who is independent, dynamic, and courageous. Who can be positive, energetic, self-reliant, and adventurous, and who can make friends easily.
Some of Iain Duncan Smith's challenges
While Iain Duncan Smith has many strengths, nobody is perfect. They also have some challenging traits they need to manage.
For example, Iain Duncan Smith can be Impulsive, Short-tempered, Emotional, Standoffish, Complicated, Brusque, and Indecisive.
Short-tempered and Impulsive
One of Iain Duncan Smith's key challenges is that they are someone who can come across as short-tempered and impulsive.
Iain Duncan Smith must also exercise caution as they can have a hard time reconciling wants and needs.
Indecisive and Materialistic
Iain Duncan Smith is someone who can be indecisive, indulgent, and materialistic, who can have difficulty focusing on a single career or profession, have difficulty following orders or respecting authority, and who can suffer from "analysis paralysis".
Aggressive and Domineering
Finally, Iain Duncan Smith also can be aggressive, impatient, impulsive, and short-tempered.
