Iain Duncan Smith has resigned his cabinet position using the chancellors budget cuts to disability benefits as the straw that broke the camels back. In a resignation letter written on Friday he disagrees with cuts to the personal independence payments (PIP) as a ‘compromise too far’.
This is a big resignation for the Tory party, IDS was was useful figure for the party as he tended to soak up a lot of the criticisms that so far have been levelled at them for welfare cuts. Now the spotlight is even more heavily on Cameron and Osbourne.
The EU referendum looms large in the party, with splits and disagreements defining the party. It would not be too cynical to assume this might have something to do with the resignation. Should the vote out campaign win Cameron and his closest allies will struggle to hold on to power and ministers who fancy their chances may be looking for opportunities to nail their colours to a different post.
The timing of this is no accident. If a minister doesn’t want to make a fuss with his resignation then he doesn’t do it in this manner. If one thing is for certain its that this is designed to cause Cameron problems, because of that you have to question his motives.
The Emerald 