Has Balls lost out in the Darling row?
Peter Hoskin 12:09pm
The Alistair Darling story just keeps on rolling. The latest comes courtesy of Benedict Brogan, who writes on his excellent blog that "relations between Alistair Darling and Gordon Brown remain remarkably good ... Talk of rows and explosions since the Guardian hit the streets on Friday night are wide of the mark". So might the limelight now fall on Ed Balls? The schools secretary is widely believed to be behind the spate of "Darling to be axed in a forthcoming reshuffle" rumours circling around. But if things are good between Brown and Darling - and if that implies that Darling is safe in his job - then the PM may not look too kindly on any efforts to unseat the Chancellor and make the government look even more divided than it is in the process.
UPDATE: Not that it necessarily means anything, but No.10 has just denied there's a rift with the Chancellor.
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Asa
September 1st, 2008 1:19pm Report this comment"Not that it necessarily means anything, but No.10 has just denied there's a rift with the Chancellor."
No.10 wouldn't exactly confirm that there was a rift now would they?
Trumpeter Lanfried
September 1st, 2008 1:37pm Report this comment'No.10 has just denied there's a rift with the Chancellor.'
So it's true, then.
Mike, Brighton
September 1st, 2008 1:51pm Report this commentHo ho...Balls as Chancellor.
The grim spectacle of the Balls n' Cooper duo alongside the now ludicrous Brown at the top of government can only help poll ratings. Those of the Conservatives.
If Brown thinks putting Balls into No.11 will help then he's insane. Er.......
Will there be any Labour MPs left after the next election? Canadian Progressive Conservatives in '93 anyone?
Chuck Unsworth
September 1st, 2008 2:07pm Report this comment'No.10 has just denied there's a rift with the Chancellor.'
Well that's a merciful relief. Nice to have these reassurances from No.10. I was beginning to worry
Who is No.10, anyway?
David C
September 1st, 2008 3:39pm Report this commentPaul Waugh in an 'Eevin Stannit' political blog has Balls issuing a Mafia style threat to Miliband(maj.)
http://waugh.standard.co.uk/2008/09/ed-balls-stark.html
(I doff my fedora in the direction of 'Test' on Political Betting)
Fascinating.
Darling handing blame for the economic mess back to Brown then Miliband and Balls threatening to go the whole Horse's Head. Meanwhile, Jack Straw is trying to persuade the public that everything in the garden is rosy as Smith is advised that the UK will look like 30s Chicago (without the music and bathtub gin).
What a bunch of inane, posturing twerps this lot are.
The public should revive the fashion of pelting our proud 'Public Servants' with tomatoes - only leave them in the tin.
Liz Brown
September 1st, 2008 3:55pm Report this commentSo what Ballsup copies his master in the black arts of spinning agaisnt rivals - the idea that this pompous little berk and 2nd in command during his stint as Gordo's r/hand lisckspittle and consequent co architect of the current economic crisis becoming Chancellor is too ghastly to contemplate
The Laughing Cavalier
September 1st, 2008 4:49pm Report this commentFor a long time Balls was Brown's brain. He shares the blame for the mess we're in, Northern Wreck especially. How on earth can anyone believe that he is the man to get us out of it?
Silent Hunter
September 2nd, 2008 11:47pm Report this commentMike....Let's hope that Labour simply cease to exist as a political party after the General Election.
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