Update: In the comments, Emily points to a BBC interview with Ed Balls that I missed. So, I owe Mr Balls an apology. However, I would be even more impressed if Balls went and did one of the big set-piece interviews this weekend.
One of the least appealing aspects of the Brownites is how they scarper at the first sign of trouble. So last night on Question Time we had Hazel Blears—who various Brownites were happy to brief was about to be dropped from the cabinet before the locals, on the BBC’s election night special the Labour representative was Chris Bryant who is only a PPS and was hopelessly outgunned by Liam Fox and Lynne Featherstone who are both senior members of their respective shadow cabinets and on the Today Programme we had Harriet Harman who as deputy leader can’t get out of doing these things.
One would thing that the likes of Ed Balls—who spent years destabilising a Labour Prime Minister in a bid to speed Brown’s accession to the premiership—would now have the gumption to come out and defend the Prime Minister. (I’m open to correction on this but I don’t think Balls has done a single national television or radio interview in the past 24 hours). Say what you like about the Blairites, but when their leader was in trouble they all rushed to his support. That the Brownites, who did so much damage to the Labour party in their bid to get their man into the top job, just go and hide when Gordon is in trouble does not speak well of their character or their ability to lead.
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