20/03/2016 BBC Weekend News

Iain Duncan Smith accuses his former Cabinet colleagues of losing

In a scathing attack, the former Work and Pensions Secretary says

the Government in which he served is getting it wrong.

Think it is in danger of drifting in a direction that divides society

rather than unites it. And that I think is unfair. Iain Duncan Smith

has been in Cabinet for six years. He hasn't been a spectator. He has

been part of delivering the progress we have made in making sure that we

are a one nation government. We'll be asking how the Chancellor -

and the Prime Minister - will move on from

a damaging 48 hours. Also tonight - Barack Obama becomes

the first American president More arrivals on the Greek islands,

despite the new EU deal allowing migrants and refugees to be sent

back to Turkey. And Prince Harry meets survivors

of last year's earthquake in Nepal. Iain Duncan Smith has

intensified his attack on the Government, saying

its welfare cuts risk dividing In his first interview

since his shock resignation, the former Work and Pensions

Secretary criticised what he called, the Treasury's

"desperate search for savings", which he said were focussed

on benefit cuts for people Tonight, one of his former Cabinet

colleagues rejected the criticism, saying the Conservatives

were still a one nation government. Our first report is from our

political correspondent Alex The impact of his resignation

ricochetted through Government. Iain Duncan Smith are you trying to

impact maximum damage on your party? Two days on the self-styled quite

man is making his voice heard. In his first interview since stepping

down, he delivered a damming indictment on Government policy,

claiming it was balancing the books on the backs of the poor. I am

concerned that this Government that I want to succeed is not able to do

the kind of things it should because it has become too focussed on

narrowly getting the deficit down, without being able to say where that

should fall, other than simply on those who I think mro grossively can

less afford to have that fall on them. -- progressively. Iain Duncan

Smith has presided over deep cuts to benefits for the past six years but

now says they have gone too far and are unfair. He laid blame at the

Treasury's Dar for protecting pensioners, whilst seeking

short-term savings from the younger generation. We need to make sure we

widen the scope of where we look to get that deficit down and not just

narrow it down on working age benefits. There is a reason for

that, otherwise it looks like we see this as a pot of money, that it

doesn't matter because they don't vote for us, and that's my concern.

We will be spending more in real terms, supporting disabled people

than in any... The recent Budget proved a final straw when disability

cuts were alongside tax reductions for middle earners but Iain Duncan

Smith's disconstuct had been brewing for months. He now says he disagreed

with a cap on welfare spending that he publicly supported Your case is

that the Chancellor is wrong on the overall welfare cap, he is wrong in

where he is attributing the pain, he is protect, as it, were better-off,

voters at the expense of people who are more vulnerable. These are a

series of body blows to the Chancellor. First of all, it is not

personal. I know prepare may think that, it is not. He gave a luke warm

response when asked if George Osborne would make a good Prime

Minister? I think certainly if he was to stand and was selected by the

electorate, not just me, everybody else, that I would hope he would but

I think the same for almost anybody else. Critics say Mr Duncan Smith's

real motivation is to destabilise the current leadership, driven by

his desire to leave the European Union. He insists he wants to force

a rethink on the Government's welfare policy. I care for one thing

and one thing only - it is that the people that don't get the choices,

that my children get are left behind, I do not want them left

behind. I want them given that opportunity. It is not easy. It is

painful to resign. I don't want to resane but I'm resigning because I

think it is the only way I can do this. -- I don't want to resign.

Some in Whitehall point out he was at the top table when policies he is

now criticising were implemented. Iain Duncan Smith has been in

Cabinet for six years. He hasn't been a spectator. He has been part

of delivering the gross we have made in making sure we are a one nation

government, that we help everybody. Spending on disabilities has gone up

every year. We make sure that more people are in employment and we

always help the people who are the lowest paid. But the manner of his

departure has undermined the Government's core claim of

compassionate conservatism and handed ammunition to its critics.

Tackling the size of the welfare budget has been a central

Conservative objective in government.

But delivering savings has proved to be more difficult than imagined.

Our Political Correspondent, Chris Mason, reports on the battle

Any Government trying to save money is likely to be tempted to home in

on the welfare budget. The reason is simple, and big. Let's take a look

at where our taxes go. One-third of all Government spending goes on

welfare. But the biggest chunk of that, 42%, is spent on pensions,

which are protected from cuts. You are never going to get the

deficit down without doing something to that budget. The issue for the

government is they are protecting half of t the bit that goes to

pensioners, and that means bigger cuts on average to the benefits to

people of working age. That is left that people like Bethan feeling

unfairly targeted and squeezed. She has multiple scler ocean. It is

pretty much the most vulnerable people in society that are taking

the worst hit from changes, not just as regards disability. I really

seriously think it needs to be rethought. I think there are other

areas that can be budgeted. The Government hoped it could keep a lid

on welfare spending by imposing aica. First there is the restriction

on what benefits individual house colds can get every year. Soon to be

cut from ?26,000 a year to ?20,000 or ?23,000 in London. There is

evidence this is popular and Iain Duncan Smith supported T but, it

doesn't save that much money. What annoyed Mr Iain Duncan Smith was the

second cap on a big chunk of his department's overall spending. This

is the current limit. But, the Government has acknowledged this has

been breached anyway, they have spent more. So it is arguably a red

herring. With ministers facing awkward questions about their

budgeting and the rows that have rumbled within the Cabinet, it's

given Labour a chance to point out it is not just them who suffer from

blasts of internal turbulence. They want an explanation from the

Chancellor and soon. We have asked George Osborne to come to Parliament

to explain his stance on the Budget now. This Budget is falling apart. I

can't see how he can not consider his position now.

But, it'll be the Prime Minister explaining what he plans to do

tomorrow, and the big challenge remains - shaking up welfare is hard

enough when there is lots of money around. It's harder, still, when

there isn't. Our Political Editor Laura

Kuenssberg is in Downing Street. Lawyer why, we already had the

divisions in the Government over the EU and now we have this on welfare.

How does the Government move on from this? Well, how do you move on in

any organisation, when its members have been hurling insults at each

other in public? I can tell you, even more strongly in private. The

answer to that is - well, it is going to be extremely difficult. In

the short term we will see David Cameron on his feet in the House of

Commons tomorrow and he will push back some of these very stinging

accusations. I'm told he will remake the argument and stake

his commitment to modern compassionate conservatism. In other

words, he will push back. He will say that the cuts, or he

will suggest that the cuts aren't unfair, that this

is, in his words, a one nation Government.

going after the most vulnerable, of course

that is Duncan Smith smi's strongest criticism of what has been going on

and the new Secretary of State at the department for work and

pension, Stephen Crabb who has taken over from Iain Duncan Smith, will

confirm that those disability benefit

become politically impossible but, of course, in the immediate term

that leaves another hole in the Budget and

it is in the longer term that this is really

As you suggest, the Conservative Party is also divided over the

European referendum. We are in that campaign to all

intents and purposes right now. It was already going to be difficult

for David Cameron to keep his party together

through a period of intense campaigning. That is going to be

even harder now with all this bad flood swirling around in public.

certainly nothing is apocalyptic but this really is the

most dangerous political moment of this Conservative Government so far.

Barack Obama has become the first American President to visit Cuba

for 88 years, arriving in Havana a short time ago on Air Force One.

The visit was made possible by last year's historic new chapter

in relations between the United States and Cuba.

Our North America editor Jon Sopel joins us live from Havana.

Thank you very much. Yes, Barack Obama

where we are close to speaking in the next half hour. I

say due, because you may be able to see we have thirned and lightning

and heavy rain. This was not part of the script that the cue an and

American Government had imagined when they planned on

this trip. historic is much overused but mainly

for Air Force One has taken US

presidents to a lot of unusual places, but there is still something

remarkable about the sight of it taxiing to a halt at

Jose Marti airport in Havana. A three-hour flight

from Washington that has Not that the weather

was playing ball. The Obamas greeted by inky black

clouds and torrential rain as they arrived, travelling

with them, a delegation Huge numbers of American

companies will want to ride This rodeo is part of

an agricultural show. Communist countries used

to measure economic prowess by tractor production,

so it's not without irony that the first American

company to set up on the island since the thawing

of relations will be selling farm I was here when the revolution

happened, and it feels like a very Being able to participate

in bringing true commerce, the two peoples together,

is a very important issue. It's nearly 90 years since the last

American president set foot Today, the excitement will be even

greater when Barack Obama Even 18 months ago, the idea that

Barack Obama would come to old Havana and go on a walkabout

would have been simply unthinkable, But that is what he is

going to do later today. And when he does, 50 years

of Cold War hostility will become history, and a new era in

Cuban-American relations will begin. Although serious issues

remain, the president also wants to keep a lightness

of touch, taking part in this skit But the less funny side

of life in Cuba this morning, as a group

of anti-government protesters, the so-called ladies

in white, were arrested, The White House has made clear

that the president will meet these dissidents, whether the Cuban

government like it or not. Old Havana feels like a place frozen

in time, but change is coming, Barack Obama's visit the vivid

symbol of this new course. A bus carrying foreign students has

crashed in Spain killing at least 13 They were returning from a bonfire

festival in Valencia when the bus The passengers were on an exchange

programme at Barcelona University. A British student is thought to be

among those injured. Hundreds more migrants arrived

on the Greek islands today, despite new rules coming into force

that will allow them to be deported The measures are part of a deal

with the EU that it hopes will stem the numbers of people

attempting the crossing. From Lesbos James Reynolds

has sent this report. A short time after dawn a boat full

of migrants is escorted It is early in the day,

but they may be too late. These migrants have made it

to Europe, but if the new deal is implemented properly,

they may not get to stay Europe may choose to send them back

across these waters in just Deportations may even

begin in the coming days. The new arrivals do not appear

to know that they can't stay. You and everyone here might have

to go back to Turkey. Osama and Nesrin have escaped

from Syria and she is five months They think they have got here just

before the deadline. Today is the first

day of the new rules. So maybe we go back

to Turkey or what? For now they will be sent to this

fortified island camp. The EU promises to send hundreds

of judges to hear asylum cases individually, but human rights

groups doubt the promises The asylum system in Greece

is already overwhelmed, so it is difficult to see how people

coming to the island will receive individual assessment and support

that they need in order to claim And this island is still working

through its backlog of existing migrants who have been sent

to the Greek mainland. Deporting new arrivals back

to Turkey may be much Our Chief International

Correspondent, Lyse Doucet, Can you see an impact from the new

rules on your side? Well, it's only 24 hours, and you can already see a

bit of an impact here. The coastguard and the gendarme saying

they have stopped hundreds of people in the past 24 hours, Syrians,

Iraqis, Afghans, many nationalities. They have been interdicting the

smugglers' boats and stopping the buses before they reach the

coastline. Some Syrians here have told us they are still going to keep

trying, no matter what, because they have no other option but some are

beginning to reluctantly anticipate is this door may be closing. One of

the main squares here Izmir, which months ago was packed with people,

buying life jackets and trying to contact smugglers is much quieter

now and it could become quiter, still, once Greece starts

implementing its side of the deal and as you heard in James' report,

that is deporting people back here to Turkey. So this could potentially

be a turning point but like the leaky boats that the migrants and

refugees are using, it is full of holes, there are riskier routes to

use and unscrupulous smugglers and still the war in Syria, that shows

no sign of stopping. Prince Harry has visited areas

damaged by last year's earthquake in Nepal, which killed

nearly 9,000 people. The prince is on the second day

of a five-day trip to the country. Our Royal Correspondent,

Nicholas Witchell, Harry was visiting one

of the supposedly temporary camps for the hundreds of thousands

of Nepalese people whose homes 11 months on, they are

still living in tents. A brief diversion today,

briefing their visitor. Earlier Harry had been taken

to Patan Durbar Square It was here in this square,

with its ancient Hindu and Buddhist temples that a tourist

caught on video the moment It was just before midday

on 25th April last year. Across Nepal, it's estimated that

more than 8,000 people were killed. 11 months on, the rubble may have

been cleared away but very little "The government is doing

nothing", this man said. But it's the human

stories which resonate. Stories which Harry heard

from people living in tents, who lost everything

apart from their lives. I know the earthquake has meant

that you now live here, but in some way you are lucky that

you are alive and no-one Nearly one year on, and most

of the damage remains unrepaired and many of the people

are still without permanent housing and there is no immediate

prospect of any change. Now all the sport from

the BBC Sport Centre. We're starting with football

and Match of the Day 2 and Sportscene follow

the news so if you don't scored twice as second placed

Tottenham beat Bournemouth 3-0 to cut Leicester's lead at the top

of the Premier League back to five Elsewhere the Manchester derby went

the way of United as they beat City to keep their hopes

of Champions League football The relegation battle

between Newcastle and Sunderland And Southampton came

from behind to beat Liverpool. There was also a Scottish

Premiership derby in which bottom club Dundee United scraped a late

draw against their neighbours The new Formula One season

got-off to a dramatic start Nico Rosberg took first place ahead

of Britain's Lewis Hamilton. But the race will be remembered

for a spectacular crash. Our Correspondent David

Ornstein reports. The new F1 season starting as the

last one finished. Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton the dominant duo,

another Mercedes one-two but Melbourne will be remembered for a

lucky escale of the attempting a pass at 190 miles per hour on lap

17, Fernando Alonso clipped the back of another driver. He was launched

into a terrifying roll which ended with his McClaren owe blit ra.d he

walked away without injury but this was a stark reminder of the dangers

the sport poses. The day started in thrilling fashion. Sebastian

investigatele surging into the lead as Hamilton fell to sixth -- Vettle.

Having voted to abandon the new qualifying rules, there was

excitement. Rosberg came out on top. Will he be the one to catch in 2016?

. The Head Coach of England's

victorious Six Nations' winning team says his players will be even

better in a few years. Eddie Jones took England

from World Cup flops to Grand Slam winners - after just

four months in the job. There are a number of players in the

squad that are now moving towards 30 caps and when you have played 30

caps, it means you have had three consistent years of Test rugby. So

you know your way around Test rugby and this is' what we saw last night,

players maturing into their role. -- and that's what we saw.

The Women's Six Nations concluded today.

France had already beaten England to the title on Friday.

In today's games Ireland thrashed Scotland to take third place

and condemn Scotland to the wooden spoon.

Great Britain's para-cyclists showed they're the team to beat in Rio.

After topping the medal table at the Track World Championships

At the last big event before the Paralympics,

they won 17 medals - 8 of them golds including

a record-breaking performance in the team sprint today.

Before we go - congratulations to Eddie Izzard on a great sporting

This is the moment he completed 27 marathons in 27 days -

finishing in Pretoria, South Africa - that's

He raised an incredible ?1.3 for Sport

I was trying to do something that might stir people's emotions

Some people out there were going - no, I don't care at all.