Editing Iain Duncan Smith (section)

==Leader of the Conservative Party==
[[File:Putin State Visit to the UK 20.jpg|thumb|right|Duncan Smith with Russian President [[Vladimir Putin]] in June 2003]]
{{see also|Shadow Cabinet of Iain Duncan Smith}}

[[William Hague]] resigned after the [[Labour Party (UK)|Labour Party]] continued in government with another large parliamentary majority following the [[2001 United Kingdom general election|2001 general election]]. In September 2001, Duncan Smith was the successful candidate in the [[2001 Conservative Party leadership election|Conservative  leadership election]]. Although he was initially viewed as an outsider,  his campaign was bolstered when [[Margaret Thatcher]] publicly gave her support for him. His victory in the contest was helped by the fact that his opponent in the final vote of party members was [[Kenneth Clarke]], whose strong support for the [[European Union]] was at odds with the views of much of the party.<ref>{{cite news|work=BBC News|date=13 September 2001|access-date=22 October 2010|title=Duncan Smith elected Tory leader|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/1542554.stm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071008182326/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/1542554.stm|archive-date=8 October 2007|url-status=live}}</ref>

In the [[2002 United Kingdom local elections|2002 local elections]], the first of two elections in which Duncan Smith led the party, the Conservatives gained 238 extra seats on local councils, primarily in England.<ref>{{Cite web|title=BBC NEWS {{!}} VOTE 2002 {{!}} LOCAL ELECTIONS|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/static/vote2002/local_elections/atoz.stm|access-date=10 June 2020|website=BBC News|archive-date=5 January 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200105130441/http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/static/vote2002/local_elections/atoz.stm|url-status=live}}</ref> The 2002 Conservative Party conference saw an attempt to turn Duncan Smith's lack of charisma into a positive attribute, with his much-quoted line, "do not underestimate the determination of a quiet man".<ref>{{Cite news|last=Davies|first=Mark|date=11 October 2002|title=Duncan Smith: The Tories are back|language=en-GB|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/politics/2314149.stm|access-date=11 June 2020|archive-date=5 August 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200805174414/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/politics/2314149.stm|url-status=live}}</ref>

Amid speculation that rebel MPs were seeking to undermine him, Duncan Smith called on the party to "Unite or die."<ref>{{cite news|title='Unite or die' warns Tory leader|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/2403923.stm|access-date=23 August 2015|work=BBC News|date=21 February 2003|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060515094653/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/2403923.stm|archive-date=15 May 2006|url-status=live}}</ref> On 23 February 2003, ''[[The Independent on Sunday]]'' newspaper published an article saying that 14 MPs were prepared to sign a petition for a vote of confidence in Duncan Smith (25 signatories were then needed) for a vote on his removal as leader.<ref>{{cite news|last1=McSmith|first1=Andy|last2=Dillon|first2=Jo|date=23 February 2003|title=Tory MPs line up to deal death blow to IDS|work=The Independent on Sunday|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/tory-mps-line-up-to-deal-death-blow-to-ids-120094.html|url-status=live|access-date=5 October 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171006013523/http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/tory-mps-line-up-to-deal-death-blow-to-ids-120094.html|archive-date=6 October 2017}}</ref> Duncan Smith's 2003 conference speech favoured an aggressive hard-man approach which received several ovations from party members in the hall. "The quiet man is here to stay, and he's turning up the volume", Duncan Smith said.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/3175680.stm |title=Tory leader: Back me or get out |work=BBC News |date=9 October 2003 |access-date=15 July 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060324220100/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/3175680.stm |archive-date=24 March 2006 |url-status=live }}</ref>

In the [[2003 United Kingdom local elections|2003 local elections]], the Conservatives gained 566 seats.<ref>{{Cite web|title=BBC NEWS {{!}} VOTE 2003|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/shared/bsp/hi/vote2003/locals/html/atoz.stm|access-date=10 June 2020|website=BBC News|archive-date=10 June 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200610160501/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/shared/bsp/hi/vote2003/locals/html/atoz.stm|url-status=live}}</ref> Despite the gains made, [[Shadow Secretary of State for Trade and Industry]] [[Crispin Blunt]] resigned. He called Duncan Smith's leadership a "handicap" as he had "failed to make the necessary impact on the electorate", and said that he should be replaced.<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/2993791.stm Tory frontbencher quits post] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060211000520/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/2993791.stm |date=11 February 2006 }}, [[BBC News]] 2 May 2003</ref> These worries came to a head in October 2003 when journalist [[Michael Crick]] revealed he had compiled embarrassing evidence of dubious salary claims Duncan Smith made on behalf of his wife that were paid out of the public purse from September 2001 to December 2002. The ensuing scandal, known as "[[Betsygate]]", weakened his already tenuous position.<ref name="email">{{cite news |first1=Andrew |last1=Sparrow |first2=Benedict |last2=Brogan |authorlink2=Benedict Brogan |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2003/10/13/nids113.xml |title=Aide's email warning of risk to IDS triggered investigation |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071123071300/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=%2Fnews%2F2003%2F10%2F13%2Fnids113.xml |archive-date=23 November 2007 |newspaper=[[The Daily Telegraph]] |date=13 October 2003 |access-date=20 October 2023}}</ref>

=== Vote of confidence ===
Following months of speculation over a leadership challenge, Duncan Smith called upon critics within his party to either gather enough support to trigger a vote of confidence in him or get behind him.<ref name="ousted">{{cite news|title=Tory leader ousted|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/3225127.stm|access-date=23 August 2015|agency=BBC|date=29 October 2003|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170822141536/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/3225127.stm|archive-date=22 August 2017|url-status=live}}</ref> A vote of confidence was called on Wednesday 29 October 2003, which Duncan Smith lost by 90 votes to 75.<ref name="ousted" /> He stepped down eight days later on 6 November, with [[Michael Howard]] being confirmed as his successor.<ref>{{cite news|date=6 November 2003|title=Howard crowned Tory leader|work=[[BBC News]]|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/politics/3245561.stm|access-date=12 January 2014|archive-date=12 January 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140112155530/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/politics/3245561.stm|url-status=live}}</ref> Duncan Smith became the first Conservative leader who did not lead his party in a general election campaign since [[Neville Chamberlain]].<ref>{{cite web |last1=Hayton |first1=Richard |title=Leadership without authority: Iain Duncan Smith as leader of the Conservative Party |url=http://eprints.hud.ac.uk/id/eprint/9134/2/HaytonIain.pdf |website=University of Huddersfield |access-date=21 November 2020 |archive-date=10 July 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200710214325/http://eprints.hud.ac.uk/id/eprint/9134/2/HaytonIain.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref>