Mocking Balls
James Forsyth 8:28pm
David Cameron’s joke-filled appearance before the Commons press gallery is getting pretty good write ups. Boulton and Co highlights one joke that I rather imagine would go down as well with certain members of the Cabinet as it did with the hacks: "Ed Balls is the man with the most appropriate surname since Trevor Crapper invented the lavatory."
This might be Punch and Judy politics but it does serve the Tories' tactical purposes. First, gags like this help keep Tory morale high. Second, Balls tends to rise to the bait—he did so with disastrous effect during Cameron’s response to the Budget. Third, Balls is phenomenally close to Gordon but a divisive figure in the Labour party because of his role in stoking internal feuds during the Blair years, so keeping him front and centre works to the Tories’ advantage.
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Comments
Anthony Kenny
May 13th, 2008 8:46pmWasn't it Thomas Crapper?
Sugar free
May 13th, 2008 9:02pmAgreed. After Darling's mini budget, I caught Balls facing Michael Gove over the dispatch box debating The Education and Skills Bill...Ball's really is a mini-Brown, an explosion of anger waiting to happen... no wonder they are close...and of course, Gove took advantage of this to the full, a battle between Balls and Gove will always result in a Conservative victory…
Fred
May 13th, 2008 9:31pmReally, making fun of someone's name. Pathetic, Cameron. We all see through this - you are no different to Blair, no policies, no integrity. Just playground taunts.
Fred
May 13th, 2008 9:36pmReally, making fun of someone's name. Pathetic, Cameron. We all see through this - you are no different to Blair, no policies, no integrity. Just playground taunts.
Ann
May 13th, 2008 10:01pmSomeone on that blogs expects the Independent to be HONEST? ROFL.
HJ
May 13th, 2008 10:47pmNot only was it Thomas Crapper, he didn't invent the lavatory. He invented the siphonic flush. There were continuously or manual flushing lavatories before that.
David Parker
May 13th, 2008 11:45pmIt was Thomas Crapper, in fact, and he did not invent the lavatory, but merely improved it. Still, Cameron gets some things right some of the time!
Sugar Free
May 13th, 2008 11:57pmFred – thanks for those two fine comments - Gordon Brown has plenty of policies, its just that the problem is... they are all rubbish! Even the staunchest Labourite would struggle to name one success of Brown's 'premiership'... As for playground taunts... calling someone a ‘salesman’ or ‘a toff’... that’s really grown up, isn't it...Cameron's comment was a joke...only the likes of Brown/Balls/You with such a lack of a sense of humour, could take it seriously and cry foul!
Fergus Pickering
May 14th, 2008 12:09amCome, come, Fred. Don't you Remember Heseltine 'It wasn't Brown. It was Balls.' I thought that was funny. Didn't you? And then there was Churchill. 'Ah, Mr Ball. How very singular.' Why should making jokes compromise your integrity? Jesus Christ himself made a joke about Peter's name. Or do you think integrity means going around with a face like a wet weekend and bullying your secretaries?
carl31
May 14th, 2008 12:28amAny appropriate Tory names?
Dave Camera-on as his foppishness might indicate.
William Vague - applies to Tory policy (or lack of)
......I'm trying to think of more Tories but cant - I keep picturing grey cardboard.
Frank Pulley
May 14th, 2008 12:32amYes Anthony, it was Thomas Crapper who was lavatory maker to several kings ; Trevor Crapper is the erstwhile political editor of 'the Sun wot did it' and he has an awful lot to answer for. He does however now seem to be disenchanted with Gordie so no doubt if and when the Tories win the next General Election he will claim that it was Trevor wot did it. Will Rebekka wade in though?
cityboozer
May 14th, 2008 8:19amNot only does he have Crapper wrong he has missed the true etymology of Balls' name.
He was clearly named after Professor Balls from the Clouseau films.
http://www.imdb.com/character/ch0005473/
The point of course is that however clever he might be, his only job is to provide ludicrous disguises to hide the true identity/intentions or an idiot.
dave, surrey
May 14th, 2008 10:43amthe danger is this could be seen as gloating from Cameron. The current labour government ought to be treated with a little more sympathy, like a confused and elderly relative, possibly with some terminal illness.