Iain Duncan Smith tells Andrew Marr quitting was 'not about attacking the PM or Europe'

Iain Duncan Smith has snubbed suggestions that his resignation was an attack on David Cameron or because of their different opinions over the UK's EU membership, in an interview with the BBC's Andrew Marr on 20 March. It had been suggested that IDS's shock departure was more to do with his Eurosceptic position than the disability cuts he cited in an explosive resignation letter that has rocked the Conservative party.

The Edinburgh-born politician had said that in a letter to Prime Minister David Cameron that the Budget placed "too much emphasis on money saving exercises" and the planned cuts to disability payments were "indefensible" in a budget that "benefits higher earning taxpayers".

The party has been split since Chancellor George Osborne announced plans to slash disability benefits by £4.4bn ($6.37bn) while handing out tax cuts for richer members of society. The Budget also delivered a reduction in capital gains and corporation tax, which will mean they will become the lowest of any G20 country by 2020.

This, IDS says, led to his resignation on Friday, 18 March, the day before the government U-turned over the controversial cuts. Newly-appointed Work and Pensions Secretary Stephen Crabb confirmed that the cuts will "not be going ahead" in an interview with Radio Pembrokeshire after other members were defending the cuts.

As party members move to back or condemn IDS – Cameron said he was left "puzzled" by his resignation while Pensions Secretary Baroness Altmann said Duncan Smith resigned to damage the Tory leadership – Duncan Smith gave a frank interview to BBC's Andrew Marr Show.

"This is not some secondary attempt to attack the PM or about Europe," the long-serving Tory declared. "I believe they're losing sight of the direction of travel they should be going.

"My concern as I have said it's all about how we are perceived and how that balance is right. My deep concern has been that this very limited narrow attack on working age benefits means we simply don't get that balance, we lose the balance of the generations."

He added that he felt that the government was "losing sight" of what it should be doing and that he did not want to resign but he felt "frustrated" and "isolated". He also attempted to banish speculation that he has a personal agenda against Conservative leadership.

"This is not personal… I have no personal ambitions. I am generally frustrated. If I never go back into government again I will not cry about that. I came into this government because I care about welfare reform."

He also seemed to squirm when asked if George Osborne would make a good prime minister: "I have no view about anybody to be prime minister" he said. "I would not support somebody who stands for leader at the moment".

Meanwhile, Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn has said that Obsorne should also resign, having been responsible for the cuts to the personal independence payments (PIP) for the disabled. In an interview with Sky News the leader of opposition, speaking of to Duncan Smith, said, "I wonder where his conscience has been hiding for the past six years."