Balls beats the drum for investment

Chuck Unsworth

What's the business plan here? Does Balls have any idea as to when, or if, we'll see any return on our money?

If he doesn't, or cannot put up any collateral, then I suggest we decline his application. After all, he and his colleagues are drastically overdrawn right now - and for the forseable future.

Chris lancashire

Precisely. Watching Balls and Marr discuss the vetting reduction was hilarious. Balls claimed that reducing the numbers by 2m was good. Why not go the whole hog then and exempt the other 9m, surely that would be even better?

Nick

When is CH going to update its National Debt Counter. It's about £120bn too low. Weren't we promised an update last week ?

Publius

"But you're still left wondering whether it's right to vet the other nine million adults.."

Of course it isn't right. It's utterly monstrous. And the weekend tweaking will do nothing to alleviate it.

Chris W

People are missing a big point on this topic: Schools, clubs, organisations etc are required, on pain of swingeing fines, to ensure that helpers are vetted - at a cost - if said helpers are involved above a certain number of occasions in a given period of time, across all possible contacts. In order to document - for nothing else will do except hard evidence - all the occurrences, than each and every one will need to be recorded on a ledger of some sort, to be held for an indeterminate length of time.
All this will require time, effort and money, and huge intrusion, and will ensure that our society changes for the worse yet again

Colin

Well, he's got to be seen to be doing something. It's not like he's going to be re-elected on a platform of competence, underpinned by natural charisma and integrity.

Lest we forget, he is one of the key architects of our current fiscal troubles.

Nicholas

Balls is obviously trying to exploit the nation's obsession with children (an obsession that now seems to include the infantilisation of most of the adult population judging by TV advertising).

I think the Nazis operated along similar lines.

Alan Phillips

It looks as if Mr Balls is showcasing his musical credentials to become the next judge of X Factor....

Lets face it, how likely is it that his constituents are going to put an X by his name at the GE

Fergus Pickering

Is it my imagination or is Ed Blls just getting fatter and fatter. His similarity to Herman Goering becomes more and more marked. Get yourself some nice bespoke uniforms Ed!

denis cooper

It's at least 12 years too late to start complaining about Labour's misuse of the word "investment". For some of us, 12 years of frustration while we waited in vain for the Official Opposition to point it out and debunk it.

Fearless Frank

Chuck Unsworth 9:15am:What's the business plan here? Does Balls have any idea as to when, or if, we'll see any return on our money?

But Chuck, spending our money is "the right thing to do" in its own right - talking about a retun does seem rather churlish!

Percy

Can anyone explain what is it with Balls and his weird hand movements, they seem totally random and a bit odd. Is looks like something he's been taught (badly) to show some sort of sincerity, he started doing it about the same time as Chernenko's hand movements moved on from the grasping claw to include chopping (also a fat Eddy favourite) and some weird gesture that looks like fondling.

Holly ......

Not his money..not bothered.

Chuck Unsworth

@ Fearless Frank

Ah yes, for one glorious moment I had forgotten about 'the right thing' - or rather Balls' understanding of what that hackneyed phrase might mean. After all, it's such a flexible (and useful) term, isn't it?

But I still wonder whether we're not conflating tributes to God and Caesar. Of course, we all must remember that NuLab are both the New Gods and the New Masters and thus deserving of our profound obeisances - and money.

strapworld

I notice that Balls is with Children again. Has he had a Crminal Record Check? can we be assured that he has? What is it with Blair, Brown and Balls that they have to be seen with children all the time. OOps sorry, Brown the man of courage spent last night in a double bed (with whom the report did not say) in a bunker on the frontline because Brown wanted to be seen WORKING with the troops! The picture of Brown in that helmet and flack jacket is the greatest gift to cartoonists since John Major tucked his shirt into his underpants.

As for Balls, please send him to Helmand and forget to bring him home.

Chuck Unsworth

@ strapworld

"....send him to Helmand and forget to bring him home."

No. I'd prefer some bits of him to be brought home (alive or otherwise).

RobP

I like that idea Strapworld.

In fact, what could be better than for the next full Cabinet meeting to be held in Helmand, as a way of showing NuLab's close affinity with the troops. For maximum impact, there should be full publicity in advance, wide coverage of their itinerary and the proposed venue. After all, it's the right thing to do.

Fox in a box

strapworld,

that pic is hideous beyond belief! He must've put on his own slap that morning because he could've sure used a bit of bronzer!!

How does a man dressed in a blast helmet and flak jacket manage to look such a sissy??

strapworld

Chuck. You are way too kind! Obviously the Christmas spirit has taken over!

RobP, Absolutely great idea. I think Cameron the brave should suggest that at PMQ's

Fox. I agree but do not forget that here is a man of action, who saved the world etc.etc.etc. Who writes books on courage (extremely cheap at Amazon!) but who has no bottle whatsoever.

I think for Cameron and Brown we should request a song from Uncle Terry before he retires (and then starts another radio show-but that is another story) and I would suggest from Annie get your gun (apt eh?) ANYTHING YOU CAN DO I CAN DO BETTER!

John Richardson

"But your still left wondering wether it's right to vet the other nine million adults....."

That is not what I'm wondering about Peter Hoskins.

Our society is sick and our public realm worse.
Vetting millions to protect children ?
Lies.
The entire CRB mechanism is a fraud.
Child protection is not the object of the exercise.
During 2005 'The Sun' newspaper revealed that HUNDREDS OF CONVICTED CHILD MOLESTORS WERE WORKING IN PRIMARY SCHOOLS DUE TO HUMAN RIGHTS LEGISLATION.
Why pretend you have forgotten ?
No-one (Ruth Kelly was Minister for Education at the time) resigned or apologised. They were not ashamed.
All these years later the media (by which I mean the individual journalists and Editors,like you, for instance Mr Hoskins) still connive in this fantasy debate about innocent, decent people being 'vetted'.
You must know Human Rights Legislation trumps any 'policy'. So why participate in the deceit ?
Perhaps the self realisation would be too much for your self image ?
In the end the paedophiles are not going to attack us are they ?

J.Richardson.
Primary School Teacher.

No Insider, But

Something has happened to Ed Balls recently. He's changed the way he speaks on TV. I can't believe it is true but it's as if he's spent a fortune on media training.

Alic

IT IS NOT INVESTMENT IT IS SPENDING
spending spending spending money the country does not have.

Right, time for my medicine