My sneaky brain tries to come up to reasons why a man who has been kneecapping the poor does a reversal and is now pro benefits?
when Cameron has to stand down - who is going to replace him? Boris? Osborne? or someone else. IDS was the leader but never got up to bat. Maybe he is thinking about being the leader again.
People tend to remember the last good deed over all the guff that went before. So he now looks like the new bright shiny thang.