Labour plotters talking Balls
James Forsyth 11:09am
John Rentoul’s column in the Independent on Sunday illustrates how the Blair – Brown feud is still poisoning Labour politics. Rentoul points out that most of the September plotters against Blair have been rewarded with jobs under Brown, often in the departments run by the Prime Minister’s closest allies. Rentoul then goes onto reveal that, incredibly, some of these plotters think that Labour needs Ed Balls to take over as leader before the next election. This really does make you question their sanity. It is highly dubious whether Balls will ever have what it takes to be PM—he gets monstered nearly every time he goes on TV—but he certainly isn’t ready now. Well at least, Balls is one of the few cabinet ministers who can find himself touted for the leadership without having to worry about the trashing from the Brownites that normally follows.
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Comments
Prodicus
December 9th, 2007 11:34am... so far. But a week is a long time in Brownian politics.
Austin Barry
December 9th, 2007 11:53amSurely we're not going to have another unelected dullard PM foisted upon us. New Labour seems quite mad.
RW
December 9th, 2007 12:43pmIt takes balls to be PM, which is why our Ed will never make it. But if he did, just imagine the shrieking Sun headlines if things went wrong in the opinion polls: ANOTHER BIG BALLS-UP! BALLS DROPS TO NEW LOW!
Gordon Stewart
December 9th, 2007 1:30pmRentoul, astonishingly, describes Balls as a "formidable intellect". Can anyone think of the slightest piece of evidence of such braininess?
Lee Jakeman
December 9th, 2007 3:17pmThere isn't a single person in the Labour Party that I like and respect - with the exception of Frank Field.
TGF UKIP
December 9th, 2007 4:30pmThe Tories should just be glad whenever Blinky is on TV at all. Looks to me as though Blinky and Hopeless Harriet are becoming God's gift to the Tories in the same way that Gummer and Portillo were of Divine beneficence to New Labour back in the nineties.
ChrisD
December 9th, 2007 4:44pmDon't you just love the No10 bunker mentality.
We have Douglas Alexander withdraw from Questiontime just as rumblings in the political media start over the way he and Ed Balls have disappeared off the radar during the current Labour woes.
A few days later, up pops Ed Balls on that very comfy sofa that Andrew Marr keeps handy for the Brownites in times of strife.
Fergus Pickering
December 9th, 2007 5:04pmWhat about Kate Hoey? If I've spelt that right. She would make a very reasonable PM with Frank Field as Chancellor. Any takers?
Dogface
December 9th, 2007 5:55pmI like Kate Hoey! (As well as Frank Field)
Simon Cawkwell
December 9th, 2007 5:56pmLee Jakeman must surely speak for himself. But would he not have a bit of sympathetic smile when Bob Marshall-Andrews is on form?
Austin Barry
December 9th, 2007 6:25pmHazel Blears has a totally nutty charm, like a little robin hopping about about the bird table of failed ambition. She gets my vote...
Travis Bickle
December 9th, 2007 7:38pmBalls is one of the least impressive political interviewees I have ever seen. The only plus point is that he isn't as petulant as our dangerous Foreign Secretary although blinks as much as Miliband gurns when other people are speaking
david smith
December 9th, 2007 8:29pmJames, James, as you've been told before Rentoul is an out-of-touch Blairite who just can't bear the fact that no one serious in the Brown camp talks to him...hence the sort of rubbish he writes. Don't be taken in.
Quentin George
December 10th, 2007 9:07amBen - by the time Jesus was born, Egypt was part of the Roman Empire, just as Judaea was. They may have fled to Egypt, but it was part of the same multi-ethnic superstate.
Mike
December 10th, 2007 9:45amIf they think Ed Balls is a plausible candidate for PM they need to see a doctor. Urgently!