94-719: The Civil Partnership Act 2004 (c. 33) is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom , introduced by the Labour government, which grants civil partnerships in the United Kingdom the rights and responsibilities very similar to those in civil marriage . Initially the Act permitted only same-sex couples to form civil partnerships. This was altered to include opposite-sex couples in 2019. Civil partners are entitled to
188-798: A Legislative Consent Motion allowing Westminster to legislate for Scotland in this Act. The Bill was backed by the Labour Party , the Liberal Democrats , Plaid Cymru , the SNP and the SDLP . It was opposed by the DUP and the UUP . Conservative Party MPs were split on the issue, and the party leadership did not issue a whip mandating MPs to take a particular stance on the Bill, instead allowing its MPs
282-765: A Royal Air Force flying ace , Duncan Smith was born in Edinburgh and raised in Solihull . After education at the HMS ; Conway training school and Royal Military Academy Sandhurst , he served in the Scots Guards from 1975 to 1981, seeing tours in Northern Ireland and Rhodesia . He joined the Conservative Party in 1981. After unsuccessfully contesting Bradford West in 1987 , he
376-725: A free vote . This decision was described by some in the British media as an attempt to demonstrate a shift to a more inclusive, centrist approach under the leadership of Michael Howard , and as a departure from the alleged active opposition to LGBT rights under the leadership of Iain Duncan Smith . As party leader, Duncan Smith had imposed a three-line whip against the Adoption and Children Bill , mandating all Conservative MPs to vote against extending adoption rights to same-sex couples. Conservative MPs split 67 in favour to 37 against at
470-511: A white paper , which is a clear statement of intent. It is increasingly common for a small number of Government bills to be published in draft before they are presented in Parliament. These bills are then considered either by the relevant select committee of the House of Commons or by an ad hoc joint committee of both Houses. This provides an opportunity for the committee to express a view on
564-554: A ceremony if they choose but this is not a requirement of the Act. The first date on which notice could be given was 5 December 2005 and the first registration was on 21 December 2005. The 15-day notice period allows the registrar to check that the couple is eligible to go ahead with the registration. In June 2018, the Supreme Court ruled in the Steinfeld–Keidan case that restricting civil partnerships to same-sex couples
658-428: A certain threshold would become required to search for additional work or risk losing access to their benefits. He said benefits were not a route out of child poverty but hundreds of thousands of children could be lifted out of child poverty if one of their parents were to work at least a 35-hour week at the national minimum wage . In June 2011, Duncan Smith announced welfare-to-work programmes would be replaced with
752-521: A constant thorn in the side of Prime Minister John Major 's government of 1992 to 1997, opposing Major's pro-European agenda at the time. This was something that would often be raised during his own subsequent leadership when he called for the party to unite behind him. Duncan Smith remained on the backbenches until 1997, when the new Conservative leader William Hague brought him into the Shadow cabinet as Shadow Secretary of State for Social Security ,
846-492: A few, if any, are passed each year. Parliamentary authorities maintain a list of all private bills before parliament . Hybrid bills combine elements of both public and private bill. While they propose to make changes to the general law, they also contain provisions applying to specific individuals or bodies. Recent examples are the Crossrail Bill, a hybrid bill to build a railway across London from west to east , and
940-551: A final delivery date would not be set for this, declaring "Arbitrary dates and deadlines are the enemy of secure delivery." In August 2015, Duncan Smith was criticised after the DWP admitted publishing fake testimonies of claimants enjoying their benefits cuts. Later the same month, publication of statistics showed 2,380 people died in a 3-year period shortly after a work capability assessment declared them fit for work. This led to Jeremy Corbyn calling for Duncan Smith's resignation. At
1034-510: A general change in the law. The only difference from other public bills is that they are brought forward by a private member (a backbencher) rather than by the government. Twenty private members' bills per session are allowed to be introduced, with the sponsoring private members selected by a ballot of the whole house, and additional bills may be introduced under the Ten Minute Rule . Financial bills raise revenue and authorise how money
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#17327722865321128-572: A minimum consultation period of twelve weeks. Consultation documents are widely circulated (see for example the Home Office consultation on extreme pornography and the Scottish Government 's consultation on food policy ). The character of the consultation is shaped by the government's determination to press forward with a particular set of proposals. A government may publish a green paper outlining various legislative options or
1222-585: A minimum period of time. This amendment was passed in the Lords by 148 to 130, a majority of 18. Like the Leigh amendment, opponents considered the O'Cathain amendment to be a wrecking amendment, and like Leigh, O'Cathain herself voted against the Civil Partnerships Bill. Labour Peer Baron Alli, said the amendment was "ill-conceived and does nothing other than undermine the purpose of the bill", while
1316-445: A new Work Programme , as well as implemented a real terms cut in benefits. He also looked at "how to make it harder for sick and disabled people to claim benefits " by giving DWP staff more powers to conduct benefit eligibility tests and to strip benefits from claimants with serious but time-limited health conditions. Duncan Smith was advised it would be illegal to introduce legislation not requiring parliamentary approval . The DWP
1410-465: A partnership also had to be of the same sex. This requirement was removed by Parliament in March 2019, and since 2 December 2019 couples irrespective of sex can register their intent to form a civil partnership. To complete the registration process, the couple must each give notice of their intention to the registry office . After 15 days they can complete the registration process. The couple can also have
1504-541: A period of consultation will take place before a bill is drafted. Within government, the Treasury and other departments with an interest will be consulted along with the devolved administrations in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Outside government, interested parties such as trade unions , industry bodies and pressure groups will be asked for their views on any proposals. The Cabinet Office Code of Practice specifies
1598-492: A petition for a vote of confidence in Duncan Smith (25 signatories were then needed) for a vote on his removal as leader. 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. In the 2003 local elections , the Conservatives gained 566 seats. Despite
1692-409: A process of consultation, the sponsoring department will send drafting instructions to parliamentary counsel, expert lawyers working for the government responsible for writing legislation. These instructions will describe what the bill should do but not the detail of how this is achieved. The Parliamentary counsel must draft the legislation clearly to minimise the possibility of legal challenge and to fit
1786-456: A programme would be expensive but that an approach could reduce the long-term cost of family breakdown, which has been estimated at up to £100 billion. Duncan Smith said couples in Norway were able to "work through what is going to happen with their children", which has "a very big effect on their thinking". "Many of them think again about what they are going to embark on once they really understand
1880-413: A single Work Programme , which included incentives for private sector service providers to help the unemployed find long term employment. The DWP announced on the 2012 United Nations' International Day of Persons with Disabilities that there would be forced work for disabled people who received welfare benefits, in order to "improve disabled people's chances of getting work by mandatory employment". In
1974-469: A specifically named locality or legal person in a manner different from all others. Private bills are "usually promoted by organisations, like local authorities or private companies, to give themselves powers beyond, or in conflict with, the general law. Private bills only change the law as it applies to specific individuals or organisations, rather than the general public. Groups or individuals potentially affected by these changes can petition Parliament against
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#17327722865322068-582: A state-sponsored relationship education programme in Norway , under which couples were forced to "think again" and confront the reality of divorce before formally separating. The policy has been credited with reversing Norway's trend for rising divorce rates and halting the decline of marriage in the country over the past 15 years. Duncan Smith said he was keen to explore ways in which similar approaches could be encouraged in Britain. Officials pointed out that such
2162-418: A sub-category of private acts, which confer specific rights or duties on a named individual or individuals, for example allowing two persons to marry even though they are within a "prohibited degree of consanguinity or affinity" such as stepfather and stepdaughter. Private bills, common in the 19th century, are now rare, as new planning legislation introduced in the 1960s removed the need for many of them. Only
2256-487: A three-line whip to support a House of Lords amendment to the Adoption and Children Act 2002 that would have restricted adoption to married couples, disqualifying gay couples at the time. The amendment was rejected by 344 to 145, with eight Conservative MPs rebelling. Duncan Smith has become significantly involved in issues of family and social breakdown. He has stated his support for early interventions to reduce and prevent social breakdown. In December 2010, he studied
2350-588: A traffic cone and Greater Manchester Police made five arrests. Following the Liberal Democrats ' victory in the North Shropshire by-election , Duncan Smith stated the government had lost focus due to stories about Downing Street parties where COVID-19 rules were broken . Duncan Smith stated, "The prime minister needs to show really strongly that he doesn't just disapprove but is prepared to get rid of people who are breaking those rules." In July 2022, Duncan Smith announced his support for Liz Truss in
2444-452: A warning to David Cameron "that a "slack" attitude to immigration will result in the coalition repeating the mistakes made under Labour, when the vast majority of new jobs generated before the recession were taken by immigrants". Duncan Smith believes that some companies are using immigration as "an excuse to import labour to take up posts which could be filled by people already in Britain". He says Britain needs an immigration system that gives
2538-444: Is a formal process for dissolving civil partnerships, akin to divorce . Schedule 20 recognises certain overseas unions as equivalent to civil partnerships under the laws of the United Kingdom. Same-sex couples who have entered into those unions are automatically recognised in the United Kingdom as civil partners. In England and Wales, overseas marriages (but not other types of relationship) are automatically recognised as marriages by
2632-436: Is designed to keep the business of government and public affairs up to date. These bills may not be substantial or controversial in party political terms. Two sub-classes of the housekeeping bill are consolidation bills , which set out existing law in a clearer and more up-to-date form without changing its substance; and the tax law rewrite bills , which do the same for tax law. An Act of Parliament will often confer power on
2726-533: Is related to Canadian CBC wartime broadcaster Peter Stursberg (whose book No Foreign Bones in China records their story) and his son, former CBC vice-president Richard Stursberg . Duncan Smith was educated at Bishop Glancey Secondary Modern School , until the age of 14, and then at HMS Conway , a merchant navy training school on the Isle of Anglesey , until he was 18. There, he played rugby union in
2820-820: Is spent. The best-known such bills are the normally annual Finance Bills introduced by the Chancellor of the Exchequer in the Budget . This usually encompasses all the changes to be made to tax law for the year. Its formal description is "a Bill to grant certain duties, to alter other duties, and to amend the law relating to the National Debt and the Public Revenue, and to make further provision in connection with finance". Consolidated Fund and Appropriation Bills authorise government spending. This type of bill
2914-454: Is to avoid "losing another generation to dependency and hopelessness". In a speech delivered in Spain in 2011 he said that only immigrants with "something to offer" should be allowed into the country and that too often foreign workers purporting to be skilled take low-skilled jobs that could be occupied by British school leavers. According to The Daily Telegraph ' s analysis, the speech contained
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3008-507: The 1976 Aircraft and Shipbuilding Industries Bill , which was a particularly controversial bill that was ruled to be a hybrid bill, forcing the government to withdraw some of its provisions to allow its passage as a public bill. Once passed, hybrid bills are printed as part of the public general acts. Parliamentary authorities maintain a list of all hybrid bills before parliament . It is important not to confuse private bills with private members' bills, which are public bills intended to effect
3102-554: The 1987 general election Duncan Smith contested the constituency of Bradford West , where the incumbent Labour Party MP Max Madden retained his seat. At the 1992 general election , Duncan Smith stood in the London constituency of Chingford , a safe Conservative seat, following the retirement of Conservative MP Norman Tebbit . He became a member of the House of Commons with a majority of 14,938. A committed Eurosceptic , he became
3196-619: The 2012 Cabinet reshuffle , Duncan Smith was offered the job at the Ministry of Justice replacing Kenneth Clarke , but declined, and remained in his post at the DWP. In April 2013, Duncan Smith said he could live on £53 per week as Work and Pensions Secretary, after a benefits claimant told the BBC he had £53 per week after housing costs. Also in April, he called for wealthier people to voluntarily return universal winter fuel payments to help reduce
3290-550: The 2024 general election , Duncan Smith was again re-elected, with a decreased vote share of 35.6% and an increased majority of 4,758. During his leadership campaign in 2001, Duncan Smith changed his stance from opposing the repeal of Section 28 of the Local Government Act 1988 to supporting its repeal. His decision to give Conservative MPs a free vote on the issue was described as "illogical" and "messy" by other Conservative MPs in 2003. As leader, he imposed
3384-464: The Brexit withdrawal agreement . When the House of Commons debated the agreement at the time, Duncan Smith argued against further scrutiny by the House, stating that Members of the House "had more than 100 hours in committee over the last 3 and a half years ... If there is anything about this arrangement that we have not now debated, thrashed to death, I would love to know what it is." He later bemoaned
3478-744: The Centre for Social Justice , a centre-right think tank working with small charities with the aim of finding innovative policies for tackling poverty . On 7 December 2005, he was appointed Chairman of the Social Justice Policy Group, which was facilitated by the Centre for Social Justice. His deputy chair was Debbie Scott, the Chief Executive of the charity Tomorrow's People. The group released two major reports, Breakdown Britain and Breakthrough Britain . Breakdown Britain
3572-750: The Christian Institute , which paid for a full page advert in favour of the amendment in The Times newspaper. Labour and the Liberal Democrats issued a whip against the Leigh Amendment, and only two MPs from each party rebelled to vote in favour of it. On 24 June 2004, during the discussion at the report stage in the House of Lords , Conservative peer Baroness O'Cathain moved an amendment to extend eligibility for civil partnership to blood relatives who had lived together for
3666-592: The European Union under Article 50 of the Treaty on European Union without a vote in Parliament , Duncan Smith stated that "it's not the position of the courts to tell parliament or the Government how that process should work. It never has been. Their job is to interpret what comes out of parliament, not to tell parliament how it goes about its functions." In December 2019, Duncan Smith voted in favour of
3760-652: The Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China , becoming the co-chair of the alliance in the UK with Labour peer, Helena Kennedy . The alliance seeks to "promote a coordinated response between democratic states to challenges posed by the present conduct and future ambitions of the People's Republic of China . By developing a common set of principles and frameworks that transcend domestic party divisions and international borders, our democracies will be able to keep
3854-604: The July–September 2022 Conservative Party leadership election because she had done more than her opponents to "deliver the benefits of Brexit ". Following Truss's appointment as leader of the Conservative Party, Duncan Smith called on his colleagues to "unite" behind Truss or risk losing the next election. In September 2022, Duncan Smith declined an offer to serve in Liz Truss's cabinet . After Tom Tugendhat
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3948-570: The King in Council , a minister , or another public body to create delegated legislation, usually by means of a statutory instrument . Bills may start their passage in either the House of Commons or House of Lords , although bills which are mainly or entirely financial will start in the Commons. Each bill passes through the following stages: Although not strictly part of the legislative process,
4042-607: The Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Act 2013 ; the same is true in Scotland by the Marriage and Civil Partnership (Scotland) Act 2014 , and in Northern Ireland by The Marriage (Same-sex Couples) and Civil Partnership (Opposite-sex Couples) (Northern Ireland) Regulations 2019. Schedule 20 is subject to adjustment, and additional overseas relationships may be added as more jurisdictions across the world bring in civil partnership or same-sex marriage legislation. On 5 December 2005,
4136-904: The Parliament on 15 March and received royal assent on 26 March 2019. The legislation was enacted on 26 May 2019 in the form of the Civil Partnerships, Marriages and Deaths (Registration etc) Act 2019 . The regulations came into effect on 2 December 2019, the date on which opposite-sex couples could register their intent to form a civil partnership. This expansion of civil partnerships to opposite-sex couples applies only in England and Wales , and not in Scotland or Northern Ireland . In Northern Ireland, civil partnerships were extended to opposite-sex couples by The Marriage (Same-sex Couples) and Civil Partnership (Opposite-sex Couples) (Northern Ireland) Regulations 2019. Acts of Parliament in
4230-652: The United Kingdom is primary legislation passed by the UK Parliament in Westminster , London . An Act of Parliament can be enforced in all four of the UK constituent countries ( England , Scotland , Wales and Northern Ireland ). As a result of devolution the majority of acts that are passed by Parliament increasingly only apply either to England and Wales only, or England only. Generally acts only relating to constitutional and reserved matters now apply to
4324-474: The 2015 Conservative Party conference, Duncan Smith said to the sick and disabled "With our help, you'll work your way out of poverty" while criticising the current system, which he said "makes doctors ask a simplistic question: are you too sick to work at all? If the answer is yes, they're signed off work – perhaps for ever." In March 2016, Duncan Smith unexpectedly resigned from the Cabinet . He stated that he
4418-591: The Chancellor George Osborne had referred to him as "just not clever enough". The allegations were also denied by Osborne. In May 2014, it was reported the DWP was employing debt collectors to retrieve overpaid benefits, the overpayment purely down to calculation mistakes by HM Revenue and Customs . After the "workfare" element of the Work Programme was successfully challenged in the courts in 2013 , Duncan Smith sought to re-establish
4512-450: The Conservative Party, and became chair of its Social Justice Policy Group. In May 2010, new Prime Minister David Cameron appointed him to serve in the cabinet as Secretary of State for Work and Pensions . During his tenure , he was responsible for seeing through changes to the welfare state . He resigned from the cabinet in March 2016, in opposition to Chancellor George Osborne 's proposed cuts to disability benefits, returning to
4606-522: The Conservative membership voting for Johnson to become the next Leader of the Conservative Party and Prime Minister. He was knighted in the 2020 New Year Honours , for political and public service. The honour sparked criticism, with more than 237,000 people signing an online petition , set up by Labour Party activist Dr Mona Kamal Ahmed, a National Health Service psychiatrist, demanding that it be rescinded. In June 2020, Duncan Smith launched
4700-605: The EU working with the Vote Leave campaign, stating that staying in the EU "leaves the door open" to the UK enduring terrorist attacks. While he had opposed David Cameron over the referendum, sources close to Duncan Smith said his resignation as Work and Pensions Secretary was not about Europe. In the 2019 Conservative Party leadership election , Duncan Smith served as chairman for Boris Johnson 's leadership campaign, resulting in an emphatic win, with over 50% of MPs and 66% of
4794-727: The Lords. They will check the following: After this process, the bill is then ready for introduction. Iain Duncan Smith Sir George Iain Duncan Smith (born 9 April 1954), often referred to by his initials IDS , is a British politician who was Leader of the Conservative Party and Leader of the Opposition from 2001 to 2003. He was Secretary of State for Work and Pensions from 2010 to 2016 . He has been Member of Parliament (MP) for Chingford and Woodford Green , formerly Chingford , since 1992 . The son of W. G. G. Duncan Smith ,
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#17327722865324888-712: The Scottish spelling. He is the son of Wilfrid George Gerald "W. G. G." Duncan Smith , a decorated Royal Air Force flying ace of the Second World War, and Pamela Summers, a ballerina . His parents married in 1946. One of his maternal great-grandmothers was Ellen Oshey Matsumuro, a Japanese woman living in Beijing who married Pamela's maternal grandfather, Irish merchant seaman Captain Samuel Lewis Shaw. Through Ellen and Samuel, Duncan Smith
4982-409: The UK, both parties must be over the age of 16, not already in a civil partnership or marriage, and not be within the prohibited degrees of relationship. If of the age of 16 or 17, the consent of the individual's parent or guardian is required, except in Scotland, where marriages and civil partnerships can take place from the age of 16 with no need for parental consent. From 2004 to 2019 both parties to
5076-596: The United Kingdom King Charles III [REDACTED] William, Prince of Wales [REDACTED] Charles III ( King-in-Council ) [REDACTED] Starmer ministry ( L ) Keir Starmer ( L ) Angela Rayner ( L ) ( King-in-Parliament ) [REDACTED] Charles III [REDACTED] [REDACTED] [REDACTED] The Lord Reed The Lord Hodge Andrew Bailey Monetary Policy Committee An Act of Parliament in
5170-467: The backbenches, where he remains. Duncan Smith was born George Ian Duncan Smith on 9 April 1954 in Edinburgh . A second "i" was added to his middle name "Ian" later in life, with several explanations given: Duncan Smith changed it himself to prove that he was committed to Scotland; the person who filled in his birth certificate made a mistake; Duncan Smith's mother registered him, but Duncan Smith's patriotic father later suggested to his son to change it to
5264-586: The bill and propose amendments before it is introduced. Draft bills allow more lengthy scrutiny of potential legislation and have been seen as a response to time pressures which may result in the use of programme orders to impose a strict timetable on the passage of bills and what is known as 'drafting on the hoof', where the government introduces amendments to its own bills. With increased time for scrutiny backed up with considered evidence, draft bills may present governments with difficulty in getting their way. The sponsoring government department will then write to
5358-524: The bill in with existing UK, European Union and delegated legislation. A finished bill must be approved or scrutinised by the sponsoring department and minister, parliamentary counsel and LP. The final stage is the submission of the bill to the authorities of the House in which it is to start its legislative journey. In the Commons, this is the Clerk of Legislation and the Public Bill Office in
5452-434: The company's staff college in Dunchurch. He did not gain any qualifications at Dunchurch and completed six separate courses lasting a few days each, adding up to roughly a month in total. Nevertheless, until exposed by the BBC's Newsnight programme, Smith declared on the Conservative Party website and in his Who's Who entry, that he had attended the University of Perugia and the "Dunchurch College of Management". At
5546-466: The consequences of their actions subsequently," he said. Duncan Smith said in February 2011 that it was "absurd and damaging" for ministers not to extol the benefits of marriage for fear of stigmatising those who choose not to marry. Duncan Smith said: "We do a disservice to society if we ignore the evidence which shows that stable families tend to be associated with better outcomes for children. There are few more powerful tools for promoting stability than
5640-447: The first Conservative leader who did not lead his party in a general election campaign since Neville Chamberlain . The same week as Michael Howard succeeded him, Duncan Smith's novel The Devil's Tune was released to negative critical reception. In November 2003, he was appointed by Howard to the Conservative Party's advisory council, along with John Major , William Hague and Kenneth Clarke . In 2004, Duncan Smith established
5734-421: The former version of the Department for Work and Pensions which he would later lead. At the 1997 general election , boundary changes saw his constituency renamed Chingford and Woodford Green and his majority of 14,938 was reduced to 5,714. Duncan Smith realised the dangers that he and neighbouring Conservative MPs faced, so redoubled his efforts: "We spent the final week of the campaign working my seat as if it
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#17327722865325828-457: 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. 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
5922-409: The gay rights group Stonewall said the amendment was "unworkable and undermined hundreds of years of family law". The House of Commons later voted 381—74 to remove this amendment, and sent the revised Bill back to the Lords for reconsideration. On 17 November, the Lords accepted the Commons version by a vote of 251 to 136; the bill received royal assent the next day. To form a civil partnership in
6016-440: The institution of marriage." He added that "The financial costs of family breakdown are incredibly high. But what is most painful to see is the human cost – the wasted potential, the anti-social behaviour, and the low self-esteem." In April 2012, he signalled his support for same-sex marriage on the basis that it would promote stability in relationships. Duncan Smith has said that tighter immigration controls are vital if Britain
6110-440: The largest category of legislation, in principle affecting the public general law applying to everyone across the entire United Kingdom, or at least to one or more of its constituent countries of England , Northern Ireland , Scotland , or Wales . Most public general acts proceed through Parliament as a public bill. Occasionally a bill is treated as hybrid . Private acts are either local or personal in their effect, applying to
6204-436: The legality of the scheme through retrospective legislation but, in July 2014, the High Court ruled the retrospective nature of the legislation interfered with the "right to a fair trial" under Article 6 of the European Convention on Human Rights . The DWP had said 1 million people would be placed on the new Universal Credit benefits system by April 2014, yet by October 2014 only 15,000 were assigned to UC. Duncan Smith said
6298-485: The original schedule of the 2004 act was amended to include several other countries and states. On 31 January 2013, a further 50 types of overseas relationship were added to the schedule. Relationships not specified in the schedule may also recognised as civil partnerships if they meet the conditions of Section 214 of the Act, therefore many of the unions listed below as not listed in Schedule 20 may nonetheless be recognised. The following unions were created after Schedule 20
6392-540: The party, the Conservatives gained 238 extra seats on local councils, primarily in England. 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". Amid speculation that rebel MPs were seeking to undermine him, Duncan Smith called on the party to "Unite or die." On 23 February 2003, The Independent on Sunday newspaper published an article saying that 14 MPs were prepared to sign
6486-402: The planned rises in the state pension age. He announced reforms to simplify benefits and tax credits into a single Universal Credit payment, arguing welfare reform would make low earners better off in employment. He promised targeted work activity, sanctions and possible removal of benefits for up to three years for those who refused to work. Benefits claimants with part-time incomes below
6580-408: The position of fly-half alongside Clive Woodward at centre. In 1973, he spent a year studying at the University for Foreigners in Perugia , Italy, but did not complete his studies and did not gain any qualifications. He then attended the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst and was commissioned into the Scots Guards as a second lieutenant on 28 June 1975, with the service number 500263. He
6674-413: The property and pension rights afforded by civil partnerships to siblings who had lived together for more than 12 years. This was opposed by many backers of the bill, such as frontbench Conservative MP Alan Duncan , who considered it a wrecking amendment . Leigh himself was an opponent of the Civil Partnerships bill, and voted against it at the second reading. The amendment was backed by Norman Tebbit and
6768-777: The proposed bill and present their objections to committees of MPs and Lords." They include acts to confer powers on certain local authorities, a recent example being the Canterbury City Council Bill, which makes provisions relating to street trading and consumer protection in the city. Private bills can also affect certain companies: the Northern Bank Bill allowed the statutory right of Northern Bank to issue bank notes to be transferred to Danske Bank which had acquired it. Other private bills may affect particular companies established by Act of Parliament such as TSB Bank and Transas. Personal acts are
6862-574: The public purse from September 2001 to December 2002. The ensuing scandal, known as " Betsygate ", weakened his already tenuous position. 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. A vote of confidence was called on Wednesday 29 October 2003, which Duncan Smith lost by 90 votes to 75. He stepped down eight days later on 6 November, with Michael Howard being confirmed as his successor. Duncan Smith became
6956-487: The relevant policy committee of the Cabinet. The proposals are only discussed at a meeting if disagreements arise. Even an uncontroversial proposal may face administrative hurdles. A potential change in the law may have to wait for a more extensive bill in that policy area to be brought forward before it is worthwhile devoting parliamentary time to it. The proposal will then be bundled together with more substantive measures in
7050-468: The rules-based and human rights systems true to their founding purposes." In a launch message, Duncan Smith explained, "This challenge will outlast governments and administrations and it transcends party politics." On 26 March 2021, it was announced that Duncan Smith was one of five MPs to be sanctioned by the Chinese government for spreading what it called "lies and disinformation" about the country. He
7144-417: The same property rights as married couples, the same exemption as married couples regarding social security and pension benefits, and also the ability to exercise parental responsibility for a partner's children, as well as responsibility for reasonable maintenance of one's partner and their children, tenancy rights, full life insurance recognition, next-of-kin rights in hospitals, and others. There
7238-489: The same Bill. The Ministerial Committee on the Legislative Programme (LP), including the leaders and government chief whips in both houses, is responsible for the timetable of legislation. This committee decides which house a bill will start in, recommends to the Cabinet which proposals will be in the King's Speech , which will be published in draft and how much parliamentary time will be required. Following
7332-471: The second reading, and 43 in favour to 39 against at the third reading. High-profile Conservative MPs who voted against the Civil Partnerships Bill included Iain Duncan Smith, Ann Widdecombe , Bob Spink and Peter Lilley . Those who voted in favour included David Cameron , George Osborne and party leader Michael Howard. Around 30 Conservative MPs did not participate in any of the votes. An amendment tabled by Conservative MP Edward Leigh proposed to extend
7426-677: The strain on public finances, prompting some wealthier pensioners to state they had already tried this but had their offers refused because there was no mechanism for returning payments. In September, the DWP cancelled a week of "celebrations" to mark the impact of enhanced benefit sanctions. In the same month, the DWP was subject to an "excoriating" National Audit Office report, accusing the DWP of having "weak management, ineffective control and poor governance" and of wasting £34 million on inadequate computer systems. Duncan Smith dismissed allegations in Matthew d'Ancona 's 2013 book In It Together that
7520-418: The support of Margaret Thatcher for his Eurosceptic beliefs. However, many Conservative MPs came to consider him incapable of winning the next general election and, in 2003, he lost a vote of confidence in his leadership; he immediately resigned and was succeeded by Michael Howard . Returning to the backbenches, Duncan Smith founded the Centre for Social Justice , a centre-right think tank independent of
7614-554: The unemployed "a level playing field". "If we do not get this right then we risk leaving more British citizens out of work, and the most vulnerable group who will be the most affected are young people," he said. On 3 November 2016 and in response to the decision of the High Court in R (Miller) v. Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union on whether the UK government was entitled to notify an intention to leave
7708-410: The whole of the United Kingdom . A draft piece of legislation is called a bill . When this is passed by Parliament and given royal assent , it becomes an act and part of statute law . Acts of Parliament are classified as either "public general acts" or "local and personal acts" (also known as "private acts"). Bills are also classified as "public", "private", or "hybrid". Public general acts form
7802-436: Was [were] a marginal . I held on but everywhere around me went." In 1999, Duncan Smith replaced John Maples as Shadow Secretary of State for Defence . William Hague resigned after the Labour Party continued in government with another large parliamentary majority following the 2001 general election . In September 2001, Duncan Smith was the successful candidate in the Conservative Party leadership election . Although he
7896-544: Was a 300,000 word document that analysed what was going wrong in the areas of economic dependence and unemployment, family breakdown, addiction, educational failure, indebtedness, and the voluntary sector. Breakthrough Britain recommended almost two hundred policy ideas using broadly the same themes. Duncan Smith was re-elected comfortably in Chingford and Woodford Green at the 2005 general election , almost doubling his majority, from 5,487 to 10,641. In September 2006, he
7990-753: Was chosen as Minister of State for Security , Duncan Smith announced he was considering seeking the Chairmanship of the Foreign Affairs Select Committee . In September 2022, Duncan Smith joined a number of senior Conservative Party members in calling for the Chinese government's invitation to the Queen's funeral to be withdrawn. Duncan Smith endorsed Rishi Sunak in the October 2022 Conservative Party leadership election . At
8084-640: Was criticised by Oxfam and Justin Welby for rises in food poverty. Duncan Smith himself was criticised by the UK Statistics Authority and National Institute of Economic and Social Research for breaking the Code of Practice for Official Statistics. Shortly after being appointed, Duncan Smith said the government would encourage people to work for longer by making it illegal for companies to force staff to give up work at 65 and bringing forward
8178-664: Was discriminatory and mandated that the Government change the law, although did not set a timeline for doing so. In response, the Prime Minister announced in October 2018 that civil partnerships would be opened to heterosexual couples. Legislation that requires the Secretary of State to issue regulations amending the Civil Partnership Act, so that opposite-sex couples may enter into civil partnerships, passed
8272-437: Was elected to Parliament at the 1992 general election . He was a backbencher during the premiership of John Major . During the leadership of William Hague he was Shadow Secretary of State for Social Security between 1997 and 1998, and Shadow Secretary of State for Defence from 1998 to 2001. Following the resignation of William Hague , Duncan Smith won the 2001 Conservative Party leadership election , partly owing to
8366-431: 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. In the 2002 local elections , the first of two elections in which Duncan Smith led
8460-607: Was last updated: The Act was announced in the Queen's Speech at the start of the 2003/2004 legislative session, and its full text was revealed on 31 March 2004. It received royal assent on 18 November 2004 and came into force on 5 December 2005, allowing the first couples to form civil partnerships 15 days later. Confusion regarding the interpretation of the Act led to registrations being accepted from 19 December in Northern Ireland, 20 December in Scotland and 21 December in England and Wales. The Scottish Parliament voted in favour of
8554-614: Was one of fourteen authors of a report concerning antisemitism in Britain. He was also one of the only early supporters of the Iraq troop surge policy in 2007. Following the 2010 general election , Duncan Smith was appointed by Prime Minister David Cameron as Secretary of State for Work and Pensions in the Cameron–Clegg coalition . Under his leadership, the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) rolled out Universal Credit and
8648-544: Was promoted to lieutenant in the Scots Guards on 28 June 1977. During his service, he served in Northern Ireland and Southern Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe ), where he was aide-de-camp to Major-General Sir John Acland , commander of the Commonwealth Monitoring Force monitoring the ceasefire during elections. Duncan Smith worked for GEC Marconi in the 1980s and attended short courses at
8742-589: Was subsequently banned from entering China, Hong Kong and Macau and Chinese citizens and institutions became prohibited from doing business with him. The sanctions were condemned by the Prime Minister and led the Foreign Secretary to summon the Chinese ambassador. On 4 October 2021, he was assaulted in Manchester outside a Conservative Party Conference . He was hit in the head with
8836-443: Was unable to accept the government's planned cuts to disability benefits . He later launched an attack on the "government's austerity programme for balancing the books on the backs of the poor and vulnerable", describing this as divisive and "deeply unfair", and adding: "It is in danger of drifting in a direction that divides society rather than unites it." In the 2016 EU membership referendum , Duncan Smith campaigned to leave
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