'Ed Balls is a perfectly decent man (shock horror)' blog discussion

kar999

MSE_Martin wrote: »

Ed Balls was an example for me, of someone absolutely attacked all over the place, but who in real life was pleasant to deal with (this isnt about policy its about personal) even though he's meant to be a political thug. I would happily argue against his policies, but its thepersonal side of all this I dont like.

Martin

Eva Braun and the Dowager Duchess of Devonshire probably thought Hitler was a pleasant chap to have a dinner party with.

Politics overides personality as personality only affects a few. Politics affects us all.

MillicentBystander wrote: »

Looking at the figures for the economy today, plus the general election in Scotland in a month or 3 in which the ConDems will be absolutely slaughtered, if I was Ed Balls I would be readying myself to be the new Chancellor around about Summer time. Discuss.

Scotland will always be Labour/SNP so nothing new there and some REAL policy ideas from Labour, rather than just wingeing might help. I have yet to see any real alternative direction from either of the Ed's to put right their father Browns' woeful economic irresponsibility so I think they will be in opposition for a long time to come yet.

Rainmaker_uk

Martin - please steer clear of politics when there is no obvious reason to comment.

I fear you will erode your unique position of unbiased money saving excellence and through doing so we will all suffer.

gailey_2

Trying not to have political bias here maybe he does come across as nice but
in media and commons hes comes accross as smug, ambitous and has attack dog style.
he seems to enjoy rubbing people up wrong way remember early ours of election day him and adam boulton having a row althogh doesnt take much to wind boulton up.

Dont think his recent smugness at johnsons downfall was very honourable hes very ambitious and by seems of things well educated public school studied economics at harverd and oxford so im not questioning his educational credentials.

He was on daily politics today backtracking on bloomberg speech he made critical of Alistar darlings half the defecit plan as worrying and in latter months of power dident do much to back up the poor man I rather liked darling he wasent smarmy he said what he thourght shame he dident run for leader.

He refuses to reveal his current stance on economic policy just hellbent on attacking the co-alition.In his leadership battle he had different opinion to his leader which makes me think there will be friction/powerstuggle thre just like brown/blair.

During the end of their reign some seemed to thrive on popular causes, soundbites and power balls was one of them.Hes still an mp now theres nothing stopping him from helping you martin with your financial education campaign but part of me doubts he will find the time and he may have seemed sincere at time but action speaks louder than words and hes does very good job of looking after his own interests.

chrisbf1

He is a politician. There job like salespeople is to make you like them. Otherwise they do not get elected. As for the man

well he was Brown's right hand man when

He sold our gold at a low point
destroyed the best funded pension system in western europe
was there when Brown put an end to Boom and bust
When Brown stated there will be no cuts
And yes him and his wife fiddled and still no doubt fiddle the expenses system.


Why yes I am sure he is a pleasant person to share a chat with. But will probably call you a bigot off camera

minerva_windsong

Never met Ed Balls, but as someone who's been a member of a political party for some years and been heavily involved in election campaigning, most of the MPs I've met have been incredibly down-to-earth, normal people. Yes there are some rotters, and not just in the financial sense, in the mix, but by and large most of them are people who care about changing things and want to make a difference.

I'd also like to point out that MPs who you don't support can be perfectly nice. I'd never vote for my local MP's party in a million years but he is very prompt about replying to letters (he must hate me though because I've written to him twice this month!) and on the couple of occasions I've met him he was incredibly polite and charming even though I didn't agree with his policies.

*awaits being accused of rose-tinted glasses, naivety etc etc*

wantanswers

All a load of "BALLS"
Balls that is!!!!

dannynolan

I’ve no doubt he’s a toughy in a political scrap and not always perfect

****************************************************

A little depressing how we can sanitise Ed Ball's bullying, briefing and scheming and general nastiness by describing him as a 'toughie' and pretending that somehow it's 'par for the course'.

This type of behaviour has no place either in or out of work.

But yeah, I'm sure his wife and kids love him.

Ken68

Have just started reading The Third Man by Peter Mandelson.
Truly the nitty gritty of infighting and backstabbing all dressed up as being for the good of the party or country.

PhylPho

Oh dear, Martin. This blog of yours really would be better if it stayed clear of pronouncing on the decency and probity of others without, it seems, having any clue to the individual's provenance.

Yet in Balls's case, that provenance is on public record. And it's so well known as to be the answer to the very question you ask about 'why demonise politicians?'

Mr Balls became an MP at the May 2005 election. His then constituency was Normanton. Due to subsequent boundary changes, he is today MP for Morley & Outwood, which has subsumed a part of Normanton.

Mrs Balls -- Yvette Cooper -- became an MP at the May, 1997 election. Her then constituency was Pontefract and Castleford. Due to subsequent boundary changes, she is today MP for Normanton, Pontefract and Castleford.

Ms Cooper married Mr Balls in 1998. As luck would have it, they eventually became MPs for neighbouring constituencies.

Also, as luck would have it, they later became the first married couple ever to be Cabinet Ministers at the same time: Mr Balls was Secretary of State for Children, Schools & Families, whilst Mrs Balls was Chief Secretary to The Treasury.

Mr Balls's salary was £141,866. Mrs Balls's salary was £141,866. And such was their combined knowledge of education and finance that they designated the £655,000 family residence in which they lived in north London -- and from which their children went to school every day -- as their, er, "second home."

And enabled this £280,000-per-annum couple to claim £1,031 per month each by way of Parliamentary expenses' second home allowance.

Although Mr Balls has consistently defended his ability to be a Government Minister compelled to live far from his main home, and an educationalist who sends his children to schools from his second home, most people find that defence just a little hard to swallow.

This is because if it looks like a duck and quacks like a duck then it is a duck.

Mr Balls would have us believe otherwise. The £655,000 family home was not, er, the family home, but, um, a second one the couple were compelled to buy, a sort of temporary roof over their heads (from which the children went to and fro to school five days a week) as a result of which the public purse was obligated to help 'em out with their mortgage.

And you, Martin, then wonder why some politicians are. . . demonised.

adwat

He's an overambitious lying weasel. Not to be trusted.