Skip to main content

Ed Balls? Bawls, he should be called

Coarse, self-interested attack: Ed Balls

Three memorable Commons performances contrasted with one stinker. The good ones came from David Blunkett (Lab, Sheffield Brightside), Sir Menzies Campbell (Lib Dem, NE Fife) and Julian Lewis (Con, New Forest E).

The less elevated effort emanated from Shadow Chancellor Ed Balls. Bawls, he should be called.

The first three spoke in the Queen’s Speech Debate which – despite my duff assertion here yesterday – will finish today.

Normally a Queen’s Speech debate includes a day on foreign affairs and defence but the Opposition, which guides such things, did not seem keen on those matters being discussed. Instead we had a day’s debate on the ‘cost of living’.

Speaker Bercow, perhaps recognising this topic as a shallow political stunt, allowed MPs to make diversions on to foreign policy nonetheless.

Mr Lewis, mocking the day’s chosen focus, said that he trusted his speech would be in order if he began by saying the words ‘cost of living’ and then moved to the more serious matter of war in Syria. The Chair did not demur.

Mr Lewis, limited to a few minutes, spoke with urgency about the realpolitik of the Syria question. Was it wise to seek to replace one ‘shocking regime’ with something which might be just as bad, but which we had armed?

He cited that old Lenin expression about the capitalists being hanged by the rope they had sold the mob. Might a successor to Syria’s current ruler, Mr Assad, not lean towards Al Qaeda? Do we want Al Qaeda placing its murderous hands on Assad’s chemical weapons? Gulp.

  More... When did an 8-month jail sentence become eight weeks? A charter for killing grannies and the malign meddling of Labour's Lord High Busybody DAILY MAIL COMMENT: This is one EU crisis that need not exist

Mr Lewis put these points with elasticated vowels and deep reading. He does not shout. What he does is raise troubling possibilities with the air of a driving instructor gently suggesting to the novice that crossing a mini-roundabout at 70mph might be unwise. His is not the most honeyed of voices – you would not want it reading you a bedtime story – but Mr Lewis has become a distinct presence on the green benches.

Speaker Bercow, perhaps recognising this topic as a shallow political stunt, allowed MPs to make diversions on to foreign policy nonetheless

Mr Blunkett spoke up for immigration, attacking ‘the politics of blame and resentment’ which he discerned in Coalition policies on welfare and Europe.

      More from Quentin Letts...   Lucifer of the jockstrap: QUENTIN LETTS pays tribute to his childhood anti-hero, the wrestler Mighty Mick McManus 23/05/13   QUENTIN LETTS: Gasps, gore and a curious case of Sherlock in love 23/05/13   Boris yearns to be indulged... in politics and elsewhere 22/05/13   These Tories of the baleful brigade, less trainable than Burmese cats 21/05/13   QUENTIN LETTS: This show has its moments, but the main reason for seeing it is Miss Kendal 21/05/13   QUENTIN LETTS: Fingers were wagged about not respecting minorities 20/05/13   QUENTIN LETTS: They breed 'em tough in this thirties typing pool! 17/05/13   QUENTIN LETTS: Shining ladies light up our newest stage 17/05/13   Shake it oop, he boomed like a bingo ringmaster 17/05/13   VIEW FULL ARCHIVE

You did not have to agree with him to be struck by his command of the House. Labour backbenchers warmed to his speech. Alison McGovern (Lab, Wirral S) pretty much thanked him for finally giving some leadership to the Left.

Mr Blunkett said that recent claims by Lord Mandelson about Labour’s record on immigration were ‘risible’. As they say at Wimbledon, ‘Mr Mandelson to serve’. Sir Ming similarly spoke with a serious desire to persuade. His topic was the stability of the Coalition which, he argued, was essential to the stability of our economy. This was the predominant duty of the Lib Dem and Tory parties at present.

Again, he was heard with respect.

Respect is not a word you can apply to Mr Balls. At Treasury Questions he sat on his bench heckling a Government Whip called Greg Hands (even though Mr Hands was not saying a word). When Treasury minister Greg Clark was at the despatch box, Mr Balls larked about saying that he wanted the other Greg to speak. Mr Balls’s sidekick, Chris Leslie, kept looking at his boss with adoring, sparkly eyes.

He guffawed at Mr Balls’s jokes. He joined in the teasing of Mr Hands. It was the classic behaviour of the bully’s little mate.

When Mr Balls had a chance to speak at the despatch box he made a coarse, blunt, self-interested attack on the Treasury Chief Secretary, Danny Alexander, over the Coalition’s Europe policy.

On the (for him) inconvenient matter of the recent revival in the British economy, Mr Balls merely sneered that this was ‘the slowest economic recovery for 100 years’. Of the ‘triple dip’ and the ‘double dip’ – which never happened but which used to be his frequent bleating, bloated refrains – we heard nothing.

The man is a scowling, hyperbolic, ham-fisted oaf. Can Ed Miliband not see this?


Popular posts from this blog

Study Abroad USA, College of Charleston, Popular Courses, Alumni

Thinking for Study Abroad USA. School of Charleston, the wonderful grounds is situated in the actual middle of a verifiable city - Charleston. Get snatched up by the wonderful and customary engineering, beautiful pathways, or look at the advanced steel and glass building which houses the School of Business. The grounds additionally gives students simple admittance to a few major tech organizations like Amazon's CreateSpace, Google, TwitPic, and so on. The school offers students nearby as well as off-grounds convenience going from completely outfitted home lobbies to memorable homes. It is prepared to offer different types of assistance and facilities like clubs, associations, sporting exercises, support administrations, etc. To put it plainly, the school grounds is rising with energy and there will never be a dull second for students at the College of Charleston. Concentrate on Abroad USA is improving and remunerating for your future. The energetic grounds likewise houses various

Best MBA Online Colleges in the USA

“Opportunities never open, instead we create them for us”. Beginning with this amazing saying, let’s unbox today’s knowledge. Love Business and marketing? Want to make a high-paid career in business administration? Well, if yes, then mate, we have got you something amazing to do!   We all imagine an effortless future with a cozy house and a laptop. Well, well! You can make this happen. Today, with this guide, we will be exploring some of the top-notch online MBA universities and institutes in the USA. Let’s get started! Why learn Online MBA from the USA? Access to More Options This online era has given a second chance to children who want to reflect on their careers while managing their hectic schedules. In this, the internet has played a very crucial in rejuvenating schools, institutes, and colleges to give the best education to students across the globe. Graduating with Less Debt Regular classes from high reputed institutes often charge heavy tuition fees. However onl

Sickening moment maskless 'Karen' COUGHS in the face of grocery store customer, then claims she doesn't have to wear a mask because she 'isn't sick'

A woman was captured on camera following a customer through a supermarket as she coughs on her after claiming she does not need a mask because she is not sick.  Video of the incident, which has garnered hundreds of thousands of views on Twitter alone, allegedly took place in a Su per Saver in Lincoln, Nebraska according to Twitter user @davenewworld_2. In it, an unidentified woman was captured dramatically coughing as she smiles saying 'Excuse me! I'm coming through' in the direction of the customer recording her. Scroll down for video An unidentified woman was captured dramatically coughing as she smiles saying 'Excuse me! I'm coming through' in the direction of a woman recording her A woman was captured on camera following a customer as she coughs on her in a supermarket without a mask on claiming she does not need one because she is not sick @chaiteabugz #karen #covid #karens #karensgonewild #karensalert #masks we were just wearing a mask at the store. ¿ o