By Matt Chorley, Mailonline Political Editor PUBLISHED: 05:06 EST, 30 September 2013 | UPDATED: 05:09 EST, 30 September 2013 George Osborne was today forced to deny thinking that Iain Duncan Smith is not clever enough to be a Cabinet minister. The Chancellor and the Work and Pensions Secretary have been engaged in a bitter turf war over the future of benefits reform. But a new book reveals that relations between the two senior ministers are far worse than previously admitted. Clash: George Osborne (right) was forced to deny thinking Iain Duncan Smith was not clever enough to be in the Cabinet
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Chancellor insists he gets on well with Work and Pensions Secretary
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He hails colleague as a 'remarkable individual' after book revealed rift
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IDS likens Osborne and Cameron to 'Ant and Dec', according to reports
Mr Duncan Smith’s spokeswoman refused to respond to the claims but one ally dismissed the ‘tittle tattle’, adding: ‘I’d be surprised if he knew who @placeholder are.’