Readers of my blog will know that I'm not a fan of Ed Balls, and had supported the appointment of Alan Johnson as Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer. However, few would deny that Johnson's performance in this role has been poor. Moreover, the current public inquiry into the disastrous management of a Staffordshire hospital whilst Johnson was Secretary of State for Health has also revealed the weakness of "Corporal Johnson"*, as one Midlands Labour councillor called him after the local government elections in 2009.
Nevertheless, whilst Johnson's replacement by Ed Balls may raise the Labour Party's game in the short-term, it must be remembered that his record in office is no better than that of his colleague. Indeed, Balls is regarded as one of the architects of New Labour's highly flawed economic policies. Former Chancellor Alistair Darling also seems to have regarded him as a bullying thug. Balls' main strength seems to lie in the fact that as a former journalist the media can relate to him, but that is no recommendation.
* Recalling Corporal Jones in Dad's Army and his words of "Don't Panic, Dont Panic !" whilst doing precisely that.
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