Offensive defence

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And so – predictably – Ed Balls defends Brown against the allegations made by Frank Field yesterday.  Or, rather, he sticks the boot into Field, hoping that amounts to the same thing.  Here’s what he had to say:

“I think people took [Field's] views [about the 10p tax row] at face value. They thought that to negotiate with him was the right thing to do...

...I think people could look at what he was saying a few weeks ago and believe at that time that his intentions were honourable...

...As for what he said this morning I think I leave you to draw your own conclusions from that...

We have all known Frank for many years, and I think he used to work on his own when he was in opposition. He used to work on his own on the backbenches. I think he used to work on his own when he was a minister as well.”

In other words (and this is Balls’ thinking, not mine): Field is a dishonourable loner.

But what good will this do Mr. Brown?  None, I’d say.  For starters, hitting back against Field merely reinforces the ‘Labour at war’ story, and keeps it rolling in the papers.  And, secondly, the depths of Balls’ ambition are common-knowledge, so any attempt by him to seize the news agenda smacks of maneuvering for the party leadership.  That’s certainly how many regarded his recent let’s-all-get-behind-Gordon interview with the Times.

If Brown wants to reclaim any political capital, he has to keep his so-called allies – particularly Balls – on a tight leash.  But as Wendy Alexander so spectacularly demonstrated, he seems entirely incapable of doing so.