Iain Duncan Smith was 'exceptionally difficult to work for,' Pensions Minister says
'IDS undermined my efforts to help on important pension policy issues like women's pensions," she wrote on Twitter
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Your support makes all the difference.Former Work and Pensions Secretary Iain Duncan Smith was "exceptionally difficult to work for," Pensions Minister Baroness Altmann has said.
Mr Duncan Smith quit the Cabinet on Friday. In his resignation letter, he said the latest planned cuts to disability benefits were "indefensible" in a Budget which benefited higher-earning taxpayers.
"[Iain Duncan Smith] undermined my efforts to help on important pension policy issues like women's pensions," she wrote on Twitter.
In a personal statement reported by Sky News, Baroness Altmann said she was "extremely shocked by the news of Iain Duncan Smith's resignation and the way he has behaved".
She wrote: "Having worked alongside him as a minister in the Department for Work and Pensions, I have seen that he championed the very package of reforms to disability benefits he now says is the reason he has resigned.
"I simply cannot understand why he suddenly chose to quit like this when it was clear that Number 10 and the Treasury had told him they were going to pause and rethink these measures."
She added: "I'm particularly saddened that this really seems to be about the European referendum campaign rather than about DWP policy.
"He seems to want to do maximum damage to the party leadership in order to further his campaign to try to get Britain to leave the EU."
Mr Duncan Smith was replaced by Stephen Crabb, who previously served as Welsh Secretary and has been an MP for Preseli Pembrokeshire since 2005.
In an interview with local media, Mr Crabb, 43, said he wanted to bring "the same passion and thoughtfulness" to the job as his predecessor.
David Cameron said he was "puzzled and disappointed" Mr Duncan Smith had quit.
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