Iain Duncan Smith Quotes

With high underemployment – currently over one million part-time workers in the UK want to work more hours – sanctioning clients who cannot increase their hours seems to be both unworkable and unfair.

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

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.

The public thinks that homelessness is about not having any accommodation to go to.

After years of piecemeal reform the current welfare system is complex and unfair.

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.

We have to ensure that our immigration system works in the interests of Britain, enabling us to make a realistic promise to our young school-leavers. It is part of our contract with the British people.

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.

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.

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.

What happened I think on Sept. 11 was we were given graphic and clear evidence that things had changed.

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.

A good proportion of foreign nationals in jobs in the UK are in semi or low-skilled occupations.

I think almost every political leader is always told that the next speech they make is the most crucial one.

Do not underestimate the determination of a quiet man.

Work is transformative. It gives you a greater chance of a greater income. You can affect your life while you’re of working age, so you have scope and opportunity. Pensioners do not.

No I’m not a great believer in getting back over things and saying if only, or if, or buts because I don’t think we actually get anywhere on that.

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.

Due to the reliance on the old heavy industries in many parts of the country, it makes perfect sense that we need to spend more money per head of population on welfare support in Scotland.

Gang members have invariably grown up in broken, chaotic homes, often experiencing domestic violence; they have truanted from school and many have been formally excluded; and they live in neighbourhoods where worklessness, addiction and crime are rife.

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.

In many ways Scotland will benefit more than other parts of the UK when universal credit comes in. A larger percentage of people will see an increase in their income through moving into work or taking on more hours.

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.

The fact is that in too many communities in cities in Britain gangs now have become completely rooted into these communities and they destroy them around them.

People work hard.

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.

What we want to do is reform the welfare system in the way that Tony Blair talked about 13 years ago but never achieved – a system that was created for the days after the Second World War. That prize is now I think achievable.

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.

With the right support, a child growing up in a dysfunctional household, who was destined for a lifetime on benefits could be put on an entirely different track – one which sees them move into fulfilling and sustainable work. In doing so, they will pull themselves out of poverty.

All I can say to the others is, ‘Look out, we’re on our way.

In many ways, Scotland will benefit more than other parts of the UK when Universal Credit comes in. A larger percentage of people will see an increase in their income through moving into work or taking on more hours.

There is nothing people can throw at me to say: ‘Do this, do that.’

Look, I’ve always said from the word go many years ago that I felt the whole bonus culture, they need to think very carefully about being detached from the rest of the British public.

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.

My personal view is always I’m in favour of anything that gives parliament a greater say. That’s after all what we were elected for.

Balance is if you try hard, you work hard then the rewards are in balance with what you put in and what is available.

My view is pensioners don’t have the one option that people of working age have. They can’t really increase their income, because they are no longer able to work.

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.

Aspiration, it seems, is in danger of becoming the preserve of the wealthy.

We do need to have a little bit more protection and sensibility around pensioners. They are remarkable. They gave so much. We need to make sure we do our best by them.

If Britain is to have a stable, affordable pension system, people need to work longer, but we will reward their hard work with a decent state pension that will enable them to enjoy quality of life in their retirement.

I hate this argument that says little Britain or something outside, or Britain is part of a wider Europe. We can both be within our trading relationships within Europe but we can also be a fantastic global trader.