News
Louis Staples
Dec 28, 2019
GETTY
Iain Duncan Smith – that’s right, the architect of Universal Credit who once led the Tories to election defeat as party leader – has been rewarded in the Queen’s New Year Honours list with a Knighthood.
Naturally, given Smith’s polarising status in UK politics, not everyone is happy about him being given this honour.
Many, many people think a man who’s responsible for Universal Credit – a welfare policy which has devastated peoples’ lives – shouldn’t be given a Knighthood.
One person who’s particularly angry about the announcement is Smith’s 2019 general election opponent Faiza Shaheen, who challenged him for his Chingford and Woodford Green seat. Shaheen, a local resident and campaigner who is a fierce opponent of austerity, mounted a spirited campaign against Smith, coming within 1000 votes of defeating him on a backdrop of Tory gains elsewhere.
She tweeted to say that Smith’s honour is an example of the "morally bankrupt" system.
Lots of people agreed with her response.
But others, including LBC radio host Iain Dale, said that Shaheen wasn’t being gracious. Others accused her of being a “sore loser”.
Shaheen responded…
And lots of other people weighed in too. Most of which were supportive of Shaheen.
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