Alan Johnson out, Ed Balls in

meghatronic said:
People keep saying that, but offer little support.

How are you defining okay?

He seemed like a 'normal' person to me, here I mean normal as average - certainly not someone I'd expect to be a (Shadow) Minister. He bumbled and came across as a Northern oaf (these two words aren't related) with poor handling of numbers.
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I know you're trying to come across as an ultra-conservative, free-market, the upper classes are the only ones who can rule effectively type, but people generally don't need to explain why they like someone. It's called a feeling because it's just the way they feel.
 
Ed Balls and Yvette Cooper had both of their homes covered by second home allowances as they took one house each.

I think this shows the mentality of the pair of them.
 
RDM said:
Wasn't Balls Brown's economic advisor/assistant etc while he was Chancellor? When they upped the deficit during boom years and sold gold at an all time low?
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He was:

Prior to his election as an MP, Ed was a teaching fellow in the Department of Economics, Harvard, 1989–90, and an economics leader writer and columnist for the Financial Times, 1990–94.

From 1994 to 1997 Ed was economic adviser to the then shadow chancellor, Gordon Brown MP. He was economic adviser to the Chancellor of the Exchequer, 1997–99; chief economic adviser to HM Treasury, 1999–2004; and a research fellow at the Smith Institute, 2004–05.
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http://www.edballs.co.uk/index.jsp?t=biography

His wife, Yvette Cooper, was Chief Secretary to the Treasury.

So he is perfectly qualified to screw up Labour's economic policy.
 
Biohazard said:
How can you ask for support or evidence on something so subjective?

:confused:
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Aren't all opinions subjective? We can still support them.

E.g., I like bacon. But, according to you, I can't tell you why as it's subjective.

I'm not asking for reasons why bacon is great, I'm asking for reasons why you think bacon is great.
 
naffa said:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-12242397

I would have preferred it if Yvette were made shadow chancellor, but there's no question that Ed is an extremely credible economist, regardless of whether you like his politics or not. I'm glad that Alan Johnson has gone though, I still am in a state of utter disbelief that he was ever made shadow chancellor at all. I have a feeling that this could be another Blair/Brown-esque relationship in the making, though.
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You are having a laugh right ?
He's just been on the radio saying how cutting public spending is going to slow the economy even more and slow the collection of taxes and mentioned Thatcher within the first 30 seconds.

The man is an idiot and should take his fair share of the blame for the mess his part left us in.
 
If you scroll up, simulatorman has posted his credentials. I would say that makes him fairly credible and qualified.

It's easy to make the case that cutting public expenditure will slow the recovery and the income generated by tax receipts, and he has always said that is was Margaret Thatcher that inspired him to get into politics. He has just been handed the job he's been after for the best part of three years, it's not that absurd to mention her.

I'm no great fan of Ed Balls, but I don't mind him, either.
 
meghatronic said:
People keep saying that, but offer little support.

How are you defining okay?

He seemed like a 'normal' person to me, here I mean normal as average - certainly not someone I'd expect to be a (Shadow) Minister. He bumbled and came across as a Northern oaf (these two words aren't related) with poor handling of numbers.
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Northern ? He was born in the south, educated in London and worked as a postman in London before becoming chair of the Slough branch of the UCW.

About as northern as Brick Top I would say.
 
meghatronic said:
Aren't all opinions subjective? We can still support them.
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Yes, but normally when it comes to a person liking someone else you aren't normally asked to offer evidence as to why - people just accept it as that persons choice - especially when the emotion used is rather lacklustre.

He was publically announcing his love for him was he? I could understand it then..


How can you produce evidence to show how someone has come across to you as nothing more than OK?

:confused:
 
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Johnson is a QPR fan, I'm glad in a way he's left the shadow cabinet - I felt kind of dirty supporting him.
 
Von Smallhausen said:
Northern ? He was born in the south, educated in London and worked as a postman in London before becoming chair of the Slough branch of the UCW.

About as northern as Brick Top I would say.
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I said, "came across as a Northern". That'll be the union thing I guess. My opinion anyway - which apparently, according to this thread, I don't need to explain!
 
This is great news... Get the two primary supporters of Brown's economic incompetence into the shadow leader and shadow chancellor positions, thereby ensuring that Labour remain completely unelectable as they lurch through deficit denial to rampant economic insanity...

With luck they'll end up as the new third party by the time the next election comes around with these two nutters as the main drivers.
 
Dolph said:
This is great news... Get the two primary supporters of Brown's economic incompetence into the shadow leader and shadow chancellor positions, thereby ensuring that Labour remain completely unelectable as they lurch through deficit denial to rampant economic insanity...

With luck they'll end up as the new third party by the time the next election comes around with these two nutters as the main drivers.
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Sadly they won't, regardless of who they install - most of the Northern electorate will still vote for them.
 
Husband and wife as Chancellor and Home Secretary... there's something wrong about that I think.

That aside though I don't see them getting elected. The labour party is headed too far to the left.
 
The Balls/Johnson thing? Guido Fawkes suggests its to do with Balls' people handing the story of Johnson's affair to the papers. See if it's in the Sunday Times this weekend.
http://order-order.com/2011/01/20/balls-spad-outed-alan-johnsons-family-problems/

Dolph said:
This is great news... Get the two primary supporters of Brown's economic incompetence into the shadow leader and shadow chancellor positions, thereby ensuring that Labour remain completely unelectable as they lurch through deficit denial to rampant economic insanity...

With luck they'll end up as the new third party by the time the next election comes around with these two nutters as the main drivers.
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We'll have to wait until next next election, but the polls currently have Labour winning: http://ukpollingreport.co.uk/
And their highest support in three year: http://today.yougov.co.uk/politics/labour-hit-3-year-high
 
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