Iain Duncan Smith has praised Jewish Blind and Disabled for offering “a great example of accessible housing” after visiting the charity’s South Woodford property, Milne Court.

The former Tory leader and Work and Pensions Secretary was shown around the 57-apartment development by JBD chief executive Lisa Wimborne and house manager Mark Simons.

He went inside the apartment of tenant Edna Shaw, who talked to him about life at Milne Court, before meeting tenants in the communal lounge, where he fielded questions on topics from Brexit to benefits.

Mr Duncan Smith, MP for Chingford and Woodford Green, said that with the support on hand, Milne Court enabled tenants “to retain their independence and live their lives to the full with the dignity of personal choice.

“The tenants had many questions lined up for me to answer, especially about football and Spurs!”

Ms Wimborne said afterwards: “It is always good to welcome MPs into our developments to give our tenants the opportunity to engage first hand in current issues with those who have the influence to make a difference.

“It was also a good opportunity for me to talk to him about the issues that matter to them, in particular the NHS and the current benefits system.”