Iain Duncan Smith reveals he voted to oust Theresa May with a ‘heavy heart’

Iain Duncan Smith has turned against the Prime Minister and voted to dislodge her from office.

The former Tory leader, who was himself forced out by backbench MPs in 2003, said he’d come to his decision with a ‘heavy heart’.

Mr Duncan Smith had been one of Mrs May’s most dedicated supporters, and insisted he was not among the 48 MPs who wrote a letter of no confidence, triggering the vote.

However, he added: ‘I just don’t see where we go from here. She just isn’t changing. It could be another year before she goes – that would be nightmarish. We have to do something because we are just bogged down and we are not going anywhere.’

Despite having supported Andrea Leadsom in the 2016 leadership election, Mr Duncan Smith helped convince Mrs May to stay on after last year’s disappointing general election. 

But last night he told the Mail: ‘I just think, where are we now? The DUP don’t support us now. We don’t have a government if they don’t support us.

‘I [did not] want to do this but she has not listened. There could be an election within three months – and I’m in a marginal seat.’

Last night Mr Duncan Smith said: ‘This is not a good result for the Prime Minister. Many of us who supported her had to show her she was going in the wrong direction.

‘We only hope that she now starts listening and makes major changes to this agreement otherwise it simple won’t get through. 

Work and Pensions Secretary Amber Rudd said: ‘Strong result tonight. Now we can get on with the important work ahead.’

The former Tory leader, who was himself forced out by backbench MPs in 2003, said he’d come to his decision about Theresa May’s position with a ‘heavy heart’