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Leadership flop Iain Duncan Smith has blamed the 9/11 atrocities for his failed bid to be Prime Minister.

The top Tory made the claim as he launched an extraordinary attack on Tony Blair - saying he 'milked' the situation for all it was worth.

More than 100 Tory activists applauded Mr Duncan Smith's comments at a packed fringe meeting at their party conference.

Fresh from a speech celebrating welfare cuts , he claimed Mr Blair's focus on foreign policy contributed to his failure to get a foothold as party chief in 2001.

"The day before I got elected the twin towers were struck," he told the crowd last night.

"So first of all we got no lift on my announcement. It had to be buried the following day, hardly anybody was paying attention.

(Image: Stefan Rousseau/PA Wire)

"The following day I appeared for the statement in the House, straight in. I didn't sleep that night, had to sort out shadow cabinet positions, got them all done, got in there and we were straight in.

"Now you know, when the nation is kind of at war there is only one person they look to and it is the Prime Minister, because the Prime Minister is powerful. He's the one who directs it.

"And Blair, of course, which maybe you can argue, he milked that for all that was worth.

"It was impossible for weeks or months to get anywhere near any domestic debate.

"And the opposition don't win, broadly, in foreign affairs. They win on the health service or on taxation or on domestic policy. It was literally months."

Mr Duncan Smith lost a no confidence vote just two years after becoming leader and was replaced by Michael Howard.

He said matters for the Tories became even more difficult when all eyes turned to Iraq.

He added: "I don't complain, I just simply make the point that it's very difficult to make headway as leader of the opposition unless you have the playing field to fight on.

But he also accused New Labour of 'Total Politics', turning every event into a one-sided game no matter what it was.

Mr Duncan Smith was in conversation with the BBC's Allegra Stratton at an event hosted by the Centre for Social Justice think tank, which he helped create.

(Image: Christopher Furlong)

He told leadership hopefuls to stop their 'beauty parade' or risk losing the 2020 election.

And he blamed the Lib Dems for his party not being able to meet migration targets.

The Newsnight presenter joked he was 'among friends' as he cracked jokes with the all-Tory crowd.

At one point a mention of The Guardian newspaper was roundly booed.

And there were roaring cheers for Mr Duncan Smith's claims to have reformed the welfare system for the better.

As a rebel leader with a mixed reputation, Mr Duncan Smith admitted he had some sympathy with political opposite Jeremy Corbyn.

(Image: Andy Stenning)

"Being leader of the opposition is the toughest job in politics," he said. "You don't have all the support the Prime Minister gets. You don't get to pick the issue.

"I won't have too much sympathy because I do think they've taken a turn which is wrong."

But he denied Tories should see Corbyn as a joke.

He said: "If the government focuses too much on the opposition the opposition then is allowed to develop.

"I don't think the public like it if all they get from a government is slagging off the opposition."

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