Former Conservative party leader says “partygate” is “hugely damaging”

Iain Duncan Smith MP, who led the Conservative party from 2001 to 2003, has said that “partygate” has been “incredibly damaging”. 

Speaking BBC Politics’ Sunday Morning Show, Mr Duncan Smith added: “Its hugely damaging, it’s damaging for the public, it’s cut through to them, they’re very angry about it, many of them have seriously lost trust”. 

“Others were clearly obeying the rules and people in Downing Street somehow managed to think those rules weren’t applying to them”.

“These big crises that are hitting the government and the Prime Minister”.

Asked who is most damaged by “partygate”, the PM or the Conservative party, Mr Duncan Smith said, “frankly, the two are indivisible at the moment”. 

“It damages the reputation of all of us”.