Iain Duncan Smith

"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

"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

"The financial costs of family breakdown are incredibly high."

-Iain Duncan Smith

"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

"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

"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

"The future of Conservatism lies in our beliefs and values, not by throwing them away. We need to shed associations that bind us to past failures, but hold faith with those things that make us Conservatives."

-Iain Duncan Smith

futureView Quote

"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

"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

"Thankfully, due to the United Kingdom and the commitment of the Westminster government we are able to ensure that money brought in, whether it be from the City of London or from North Sea oil, can be pooled and directed to wherever it is needed most. That is what being in the United Kingdom is all about."

-Iain Duncan Smith

"When the news is good, the BBC view is: 'Get the government out of the picture quickly, don't allow them to say anything about it.' When the news is bad: 'Let's all dump on the government.'"

-Iain Duncan Smith

"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

healthView Quote

"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

homeView Quote

"Well football teams are perhaps easier to control than political parties, I'm sure the Prime Minister would agree with me, but yeah I think every team needs discipline and a sense of self-belief and that's important, that's what leadership's all about."

-Iain Duncan Smith

leadershipView Quote

"There are few more powerful tools for promoting stability than the institution of marriage."

-Iain Duncan Smith

marriageView Quote

"Over the years the political establishment has frowned if a mainstream politician mentions marriage."

-Iain Duncan Smith

marriageView Quote

"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

"Kids are meant to believe that their stepping stone to massive money is 'The X Factor.'"

-Iain Duncan Smith

"Thankfully, due to the United Kingdom and the commitment of the Westminster government we are able to ensure that money brought in, whether it be from the City of London or from North Sea oil, can be pooled and directed to wherever it is needed most. That is what being in the United Kingdom is all about."

-Iain Duncan Smith

"Kids are meant to believe that their stepping stone to massive money is 'The X Factor.' Luck is great, but most of life is hard work. We do not celebrate people who have made success out of serious hard work."

-Iain Duncan Smith

"It's fairness to say those who work hard, get up in the morning, cut their cloth - in other words 'we can only afford to have one or two children because we don't earn enough'. They pay their taxes and they want to know that the same kind of decision-making is taking place for those on benefits."

-Iain Duncan Smith

morningView Quote

"With participation in politics so low at the moment I think Christians should ensure their views are represented at all levels and not leave it to others."

-Iain Duncan Smith

politicsView Quote

"No one out there is interested in who did what to whom in Westminster politics."

-Iain Duncan Smith

politicsView Quote

"When families are strong and stable, so are children - showing higher levels of wellbeing and more positive outcomes. But when things go wrong - either through family breakdown or a damaged parental relationship - the impact on a child's later life can be devastating."

-Iain Duncan Smith

positiveView Quote

"When families are strong and stable, so are children - showing higher levels of wellbeing and more positive outcomes. But when things go wrong - either through family breakdown or a damaged parental relationship - the impact on a child's later life can be devastating."

-Iain Duncan Smith

relationshipView Quote

"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

relationshipView Quote

"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

relationshipView Quote

"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

"We do a disservice to society if we ignore the evidence which shows that stable families tend to be associated with better outcomes for children."

-Iain Duncan Smith

"If you look at the footballers, you look at our celebrity culture, we seem to be saying, 'This is the way you want to be'. We seem to be a society that celebrates all the wrong people."

-Iain Duncan Smith

"We have to challenge the whole idea that it's acceptable for a society like Britain to have such a significant number of people who do not work one day of the week and don't have any possibility of improving the quality of their lives."

-Iain Duncan Smith