Political commentators here in Britain are describing the resignation of the Welfare Minister Iain Duncan Smithas the most dramatic cabinet departure of David Cameron’s leadership. Now the recriminations withinthe governing conservative party continue with criticsand allies of Mr. Duncan Smith lining up to give their opinions to the media. As for the man himself in his first interview since standing down on Friday,he accused the government of risking dividing the country in its search for spending cuts. Here isour London correspondent Rob Watson.
This is certainly the worst crisis for the conservatives since they won last year’s general election. Ithits at the government’s central economic policy namely austerity but also touches on something deeper. Reinforcing as it does, the long standing perception of the conservatives as a party that favors the better-off. So hardly helpful to have Iain Duncan Smith until Friday the man in charge of reforming the country’s welfare system touring the television studios accusing the government of balancing the books on the backs of the poor.
I am concerned that this government that I want to succeed is actually not able to do the kind of things it should because it has become too focused on narrowly getting the deficit down with outbeing able to say well that should fall other than simply on those who I think progressively can less afford to have that fall on them.
The Prime Minister David Cameron is said to have been furious at Mr. Duncan Smith’s resignation.And Downing Street has insisted this is a government that wants to help everyone in society. Some conservatives have accused Mr. Duncan Smith of being motivated more by his wish to see Britainleave the Europian Union. While other ministers still in the government like Amber Rudd say they justdon’t get it.
I don’t really understand. I’m pretty disappointed. I mean, this is a man who I sat in cabinet withfor nearly a year. I mean, he was obviously a cabinet minister for six years, but I’ve sat in cabinet with him every week for the past year. I do respect him. And so to suddenly launch this bombshellon the rest of us in a way that is difficult for us all to understand is just really disappointing.
A kind of open warfare has broken out in the conservative party not just over Europe but nowover welfare. Fortunately for the government, voters don’t follow these things as closely as either the media or politicians like to think. But it is a mess and that they will have picked up on.
例句:Can any shift in the use of resources make some individuals better off?
资源利用中的转移会使一些人富裕起来吗?
4.furious adj. 激烈的;狂怒的;热烈兴奋的;喧闹的
例句:He gulped back the furious reply he wanted to make.
他强忍住本想作出的愤怒的回答。
5.bombshell n. 炸弹;突发事件;引起震惊的人或事
例句:The news of his death came as a complete bombshell.
他逝世的消息真是出人意料。
内容解析
1. As for the man himself in his first interview sincestanding down on Friday, he accused the government of risking dividing the country in its search for spendingcuts.
stand down 退出(比赛或竞选);离开证人席;退职;顺潮航行
例句:John stood down during the competition for pulling his muscle.
约翰因肌肉拉伤而中途退出了比赛。
例句:The soldiers who held the station were ordered to stand down.
把守阵地的士兵得到命令撤出。
2.A kind of open warfare has broken out in the conservative party not just over Europe but nowover welfare.