 Mr Duncan Smith said the inquiry would exonerate him |
Iain Duncan Smith faces a House of Commons investigation into claims surrounding the employment of his wife Betsy in his office. Parliament's standards watchdog Sir Philip Mawer confirmed on Tuesday afternoon that he would launch a full investigation.
Mr Duncan Smith welcomed the probe, but denounced the people making the claims as "cowards in the shadows".
The Tory leader, who denies claims his wife did not do enough work to justify the salary she was paid to act as his diary secretary during his first year as party leader, said he would be "exonerated".
 |  These cowards have gone after my wife as a way of getting to me and I think it's intolerable, absolutely intolerable  |
Sir Philip has already read both an original dossier about the allegations handed over by investigative journalist Michael Crick on Monday, plus a further seven page statement handed over on Tuesday.
He had also read and discussed a 40-page dossier from Mr Duncan Smith rebutting the charges.
Sir Philip said the nature of the information given to him meant it was in the "public interest" that he undertook further inquiries "properly, fairly to everybody concerned and expeditiously".
Sir Philip stressed that any complaint made by a member of the public or an MP had to be treated "seriously".
Anonymous briefings
He made it clear that the fact that he wanted to make further inquiries did not mean he believed the claims were "substantiated".
And he called on people who had given Mr Crick information anonymously to "break cover".
"People who want to make serious allegations against an MP .... have got to be prepared essentially to put up or shut up," he said.
He added that his probe was likely to involve the evidence of "a relatively limited number of people".
| People who want to make serious allegations against an MP ... have got to be prepared essentially to put up or shut up |
Mr Duncan Smith said he was pleased Sir Philip was investigating the claims, which would "lance the boil" after "weeks and weeks of drips from anonymous sources".
"These cowards have gone after my wife as a way of getting to me and I think it's intolerable, absolutely intolerable. I love my wife dearly," he told the BBC.
Possible challengers
He also weighed in to his anonymous critics: "You have picked the wrong fight. I am the man who will stand here and I will take you on because at the end of the day I believe passionately I am right and I am not giving way and I will protect my wife at all costs."
Mr Duncan Smith, who insisted his wife had been employed legitimately over 10 years, said he would lead his party to victory in the next general election.
| These anonymous sorts, at the end of the day, are cowards hiding in the shadows |
But Mr Crick, whose complaint sparked Sir Philip's investigation, said: "Many people were disgusted with the way in which his wife was apparently on the parliamentary payroll but as far as they could see doing no work."
The journalist added: "My hunch is there will be a change of leadership."
BBC political editor Andrew Marr said he had recently heard of three members of the shadow cabinet who had been gathering their supporters together and were thinking in terms of a further challenge to Mr Duncan Smith.
"This is about toppling the leader of the Conservative party and getting somebody else in place by Christmas," he said.
Mr Duncan Smith's 40-page document said his wife had signed a contract to work for 25 hours a week, but worked considerably longer.
She was paid no more than �15,000 per year until she ceased her job at the end of 2002, and in the final year received a total of �11,000, it said.
The statement said a lot of her work was done at home, and in the evenings or at weekends, and had been "essential".
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