Arise, Sir Iain Duncan Smith: Former Conservative leader who once called himself ‘the quiet man’ receives a knighthood
- Former Tory Party leader Iain Duncan Smith is the ‘quiet man’ of politics
- He was work and pensions secretary under David Cameron from 2010 to 2016
- He has been regarded as the ‘architect’ of universal credit
Former Tory Party leader Iain Duncan Smith – the self-declared ‘quiet man’ of politics – receives a knighthood.
A former lieutenant in the Scots Guards, he was work and pensions secretary under David Cameron from 2010 to 2016 and founded the Centre for Social Justice.
He has been regarded as the ‘architect’ of universal credit.
Sir Iain, pictured, joined the Conservative Party in 1981 and succeeded William Hague as leader in 2001
Sir Iain, pictured, joined the Conservative Party in 1981 and succeeded William Hague as leader in 2001.
In 2002, during a difficult time in his leadership, he famously declared: ‘Do not underestimate the determination of the quiet man.’ The following year, at the party conference, he said: ‘The quiet man is here to stay and he’s turning up the volume.’
He chaired Boris Johnson’s successful Tory leadership campaign.