About Iain
Iain Duncan Smith has been Member of Parliament for Chingford and Woodford Green since 1992 - when he succeeded Norman Tebbit.
Iain was born in 1954, the son of a hero of the Battle of Britain - Group Captain W G G Duncan Smith - and Pamela, a ballerina.
Iain married Betsy in 1982. They have four children; two sons and two daughters.
Before entering Parliament Iain served in the Scots Guards for six years. He was posted to Rhodesia at the time of that country's independence and in Northern Ireland.
He has also been a businessman - working in the defence and publishing sectors.
From 1992 to 1997 Iain was a backbench MP and was an opponent of the Maastricht Treaty.
He was appointed to the shadow cabinet when William Hague became Conservative leader. He held the social security and then the defence portfolios under William.
He was elected Conservative leader in September 2001 - at the time of the 9/11 attacks on America. During his two years as Leader of the Opposition he supported action against Afghanistan and Iraq. He forged close links with senior members of the US administration - relationships that still prosper today. As Conservative leader he led the party towards a greater emphasis on public services. His policies on school choice and NHS reform are still at the heart of today's Conservative agenda.
After losing the Conservative leadership in October 2003 he established the Centre for Social Justice to continue his commitment to compassionate conservatism.