IDS getting hoarse doing post resignation interviews

A man of many memes and widely disliked these days but in the end the Tories won GE2015

Op-ed: By the time recently resigned works and pension’s secretary Iain Duncan Smith appeared on Sky TV News Sunday lunchtime he had to gulp down water to ease his well-used vocal chords.

IDS, as he is often called, had already done the rounds appearing on and in various TV news outlets since his resignation Friday.

Number 10 had refused to comment earlier in the day as IDS appeared on the BBC and was the centre of debate on various Sunday morning political shows in the UK.

Perhaps Sky News was the straw that broke Number 10's back as they weighed in to contradict Duncan Smith's claim that the government was failing on its one nation principle.

We have news for IDS and Number 10 they have done that ever since they came to office.

Number 10 contradicted his view but unless you are a staunch Tory supporter living in a wealthy area of the UK you would be hard pushed to believe they were working toward a one nation approach.

Pointed jibes at the Scottish parliament, northern powerhouse claims that see most of the people linked to that doomed way of thinking located in the City of London and on it goes.

The Tories have always been a divisive party, that is how they work best; putting people at odds with each other so that they can sneak through damaging legislation while we are all pre-occupied with attacking each other.

IDS does not fool me.

The man behind the infamous bedroom tax has a conscience? Please!

There may be some truth in his claims that he was pushing through welfare budget cuts for the good of all and not so that Osborne could give handouts to the rich by way of cuts in Corporation and Inheritance tax but we doubt it.

People power has been the big changer this time along with the upcoming local elections in May and the EU in / out referendum.

IDS was in post six years slashing welfare budgets left right and centre but finally he appears to have found a conscience.

For this Labour Party supporter it is good to see the tory splits appearing in the MSM and huge cracks in their tiny majority government.

IDS of course could not stop himself from spilling the beans a little when he hinted that he was unhappy that entitlements for older citizens had been ring fenced. He is from that generation but with his wealthy wife and the privilege her fortune brings he will not need a pensioner bus pass or an annual winter fuel allowance but he may receive it.

As a pensioner the worry is that after IDS has talked about the unfairness of ring fencing pensions and only slashing working age benefits we will be the next target.

Everyone gets old unless they go to an early grave. That is a fact of life and it depends what life throws at you along the way just how much money you have in older age.

Pensioners by and large live on small fixed incomes for what is left of their lives.

The Tories refused to apply a means test to pensioner bus passes or the annual fuel allowance, and some people think that is because many older people vote tory; that may or may not be true but consider how many uber wealthy Tory supporters may donate their winter fuel allowance back into Tory coffers.

If a means test is applied will it be fair or set too low? Will the Tories opt to remove the ring fence and put some pensioners back into poverty?

Remember it was only the hard work of previous Labour governments that lifted many pensioners out of poverty.

The free bus pass is a godsend for many ordinary pensioners and helps them to get about and about. That in turn aids their well-being saving the government millions in care.

Is it too much to ask that if you have worked all your life and paid into the system you have enough money to live with some dignity and do not have to struggle to afford food, heating and the other basics of life?

But the Tory plan to make sure welfare budgets are constantly attacked should not even be part of their game plan. How come it is the most vulnerable people of the UK who have to pay for banker's past incompetence and a global economic downturn?

The country has money to give the Queen and MPs massive pay rises, and to stay embroiled in expensive pointless wars and bombing campaigns around the globe.

So I would argue that the Tory plan is working.

It is all about priorities.

It was never about creating a one nation but about dividing and conquering.

Now it could simply be that pensioners are targeted. Either way the only way to protect us all is to vote the Tories out of office.

( IDS has been replaced but...Stephen Crabb is just another Tory DWP boss)

BBC News Sunday "Duncan Smith warns government risks 'dividing' society" but that is what they do; remember Margaret Thatcher?

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