Balls talking bollocks

ED BALLS believes the "overwhelming majority" of the Cabinet, Labour MPs, Labour party members and members of the public believe Gordon Brown is doing "a great job".

The Schools Secretary shrugged off former Home Secretary Charles Clarke's warning that Labour was "destined to disaster" and faced "utter destrucion" at the next election.

In spite of a series of self-inflicted disasters, our flat-lining economy and the unprecedented unpopularity of the Prime Minister, his closest ally continues to parrot his master's voice, blaming "global economic conditions" for all the country's ills.

"It's not the first time Charles has made those kind of comments," smirked Balls. "I think it's Charles being Charles. I don't think that's where the debate will be when we get to the next general election.

"We face an unprecedented set of circumstances with rising food, fuel and energy prices. The public want us to get on with the job."



It's a measure of just how out of touch Balls is that he actually believes what he is saying, completely ignoring current opinion polls and the
by-election defeats in Glasgow East, Crewe and Nantwich and Henley, failures which followed the loss of the London Mayoralty and annihilation at the local elections in May.

Balls also conveniently ignores the fact that every other major economy is better placed to deal with the current crisis, with only Britain on the verge of a recession.

All this after Gordon Brown not too long ago said that Britain would be the best placed economy to deal with the global downturn.

As jug ears said, "we will not permit that to happen."

It's time to wield the knife; down with Brown.

• Charles Clarke's New Statesman article
• Gordon's stooges close ranks