Does Ed Balls think Gordon Brown lost his grip on reality in his final years at the Treasury?
James Forsyth 2:12pm
Ed Balls tells The Times today that:
“The moment you stop wanting to do the job you are doing and start thinking about the future or next stage is the point when you start to lose a grip with reality.”
Now, Balls is saying this as part of his attempt to deny that he wanted to be made Chancellor in the reshuffle. But it does make one think what Balls thought of Gordon Brown’s mental state during his final years at the Treasury when he spent so long agitating to move up to the top job. Indeed, one could make a case that by Balls’ definition, Brown has been losing his grip on reality ever since he made the deal with Blair at Granita in 1994.
PS Balls is also not averse to thinking about his own future. He said in a New Statesman interview back in March, “Would I like to be chancellor at some point in the future? Of course I would. I’d love it.”
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Mr R
June 23rd, 2009 2:41pm Report this commentDid Brown EVER have a grip on reality?
Stepney
June 23rd, 2009 3:10pm Report this commentYeah, and I'd have love to have played in an FA Cup Final for Millwall but just like Ed, it's too late: the time has passed, we were never good enough in the first place and now my friend it just ain't going to happen.
Life eh?
Tiberius
June 23rd, 2009 3:35pm Report this comment"Indeed, one could make a case that by Balls’ definition, Brown has been losing his grip on reality ever since he made the deal with Blair at Granita in 1994".
As Evelyn King sang, ain't no doubt about it.
Jeremy
June 23rd, 2009 3:36pm Report this comment...which just goes to show that one should take whatever public statements these goons make with a lorryload of salt.
With Brown, I have reached the point where I realise that the truth is almost bound to be the exact opposite of whatever public statement he makes. So that when he says that he believes in "openness" you can be certain that most of the real politics in his government is going on behind closed doors.
You can take it as practically axiomatic that the man who waxes lyrical about his "presbyterian conscience" has no conscience whatsoever.
The Laughing Cavalier
June 23rd, 2009 3:44pm Report this commentSo the apprentice turns on the sorceror.
Rainer Unsinn
June 23rd, 2009 3:51pm Report this commentSo, Gorgon Broon started to lose a grip on reality as early as 1997, then?
luke
June 23rd, 2009 3:56pm Report this commentReaching! This blog is inexplicably fascinated by Ed Balls.
Sam
June 23rd, 2009 4:20pm Report this commentoh come on - that's a pretty poor effort at attackling Balls.
TomTom
June 23rd, 2009 6:08pm Report this commentIn 1931 a Chancellor took office to clean up after Labour, he became Prime Minister in 1937 replacing a lazy PM who could win elections and died in November 1940 having taken the country to warand never winning a mandate as PM. He was a micro-manager who destroyed those who opposed him.
Bagsus
June 23rd, 2009 6:22pm Report this commentBalls mst never be dignified by a comment.Thankfully he will disappear in a year's time at least I pray !
mitch
June 23rd, 2009 7:18pm Report this commentEd balls will be old and grey before another labour government gets elected and he wont be anywhere near it.
It is people like him,brown and blair that have ruined labour for a generation.
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