Iain Duncan Smith joins the benefits rebels

Iain Duncan Smith is the latest senior Tory to speak out against cutting benefits by not uprating them in line with inflation. The former work and pensions secretary and party leader told a ConservativeHome fringe on Universal Credit this morning that he thought it was a ‘peculiar debate’ to be having, adding: 

Almost certainly there would have to be a vote [on changing the benefits calculations] because it’s automatic. And therefore if you freeze it or change it, then that will be changing the system. My personal view is I don’t see what will be gained by it. But I do see what will be gained by making sure that they have enough money through the winter. Because, as I say, that money will flow back into the economy at the very time that we need the economy to be growing. That’s one of the ways in which the economy will be supported from the bottom.

He reminded the audience that he resigned back in 2016 over George Osborne’s planned cuts to disability benefits, and that ‘to repeat that mistake would be wrong at this stage’.