Johnson goes as Shadow Chancellor

[llcoolphil]

Alan Johnson has gone as Shadow Chancellor (not sure if pushed or own accord) and Ed Balls is giving an interview anytime which is expected to confirm him as replacement. Johnson has been a shocking Shadow with only a tenuous grasp of the brief. As much as you might not like Balls, he knows his stuff and will make mincemeat of Osborne. At last the opposition might finally start making inroads into coalition economic policy

[eFestivals]

Alan Johnson has gone as Shadow Chancellor (not sure if pushed or own accord) and Ed Balls is giving an interview anytime which is expected to confirm him as replacement. Johnson has been a shocking Shadow with only a tenuous grasp of the brief. As much as you might not like Balls, he knows his stuff and will make mincemeat of Osborne. At last the opposition might finally start making inroads into coalition economic policy

Johnson was never going to be Shadow Chancellor at the next election anyway - he'd have been into his 70s by the end of that Parliament, so knew he wouldn't last long. Because of that, I wondered what the rationale was to appointing him in that position anyway.

The obvious answer is Balls (). The public generally dislike him hugely, he's too associated with Brown, and along with that, he'd made some pretty reckless statements about there being no need for any cuts at all.

Despite that, he's the obvious shoe-in for the job, but I very much hope that Ed Miller Band doesn't go that route - it's a guaranteed huge vote-loser.

Unfortunately, the next obvious candidate is his missus, and so that has all the same problems, plus one more - an accusation from the tories that Balls is pulling the strings behind her. That would be vote-winning gold dust for the tories.

Which is of course why Johnson got the job in the first place, cos there's no other obvious candidates amongst the Labour 'names' for such a big post - and that's not changed.

[Alcatraz]

Alan Johnson has gone as Shadow Chancellor (not sure if pushed or own accord) and Ed Balls is giving an interview anytime which is expected to confirm him as replacement. Johnson has been a shocking Shadow with only a tenuous grasp of the brief. As much as you might not like Balls, he knows his stuff and will make mincemeat of Osborne. At last the opposition might finally start making inroads into coalition economic policy

[lost]

Which is of course why Johnson got the job in the first place, cos there's no other obvious candidates amongst the Labour 'names' for such a big post - and that's not changed.

[Pogues Mcgogues]

.

Edited January 20, 2011 by Pogues Mcgogues

[Ed209]

.

[Pogues Mcgogues]

Is that the official party line on AJ's departure?

[eFestivals]

I thought Darling seemed pretty competent when brown/balls weren't pulling the strings from the background, as you say though this is a strange move and are labour now going to abandon Darlings "space the cuts out over a longer period" approach for balls inflate or die plan.

Darling had already said he was jacking in frontline politics, so wasn't an option.

[ampersand]

Not got time to write much and get involved just now. To summarise my feelings. Balls well good. Johnson good but not as good.

Edited January 20, 2011 by ampersand

[rexclark]

Balls well good. Johnson good but not as good.

[lost]

its up on guido fawkes blog that Johnson has been knocking off a civil cervant, and Alex Belardinelli, special adviser to Ed Balls has leaked it to the sunday times,if its true what a twat!

Edited January 20, 2011 by lost

[Kowalski]

I can't believe how out of touch Labour still are by getting Balls in as Shadow Chancellor. Balls who is one of the faces of the financial mess that Labour have created.

[bunique]

its up on guido fawkes blog that Johnson has been knocking off a civil cervant, and Alex Belardinelli, special adviser to Ed Balls has leaked it to the sunday times,if its true what a twat!

[pehaw]

I can't believe how out of touch Labour still are by getting Balls in as Shadow Chancellor. Balls who is one of the faces of the financial mess that Labour have created.

[Snufflebutt]

Really? I think Gideon will be shitting himself at the prospect of facing Balls.

[lost]

Every time Balls lands a blow, Osbourne just has to say 'no more boom and bust' etc etc - similar tactics used by Blair on Hague after the 97 election - in other words to remind folk of the previous government. What happens at the despatch box at any question time is completely inconsequential anyway.

Edited January 21, 2011 by lost

[TheGayTent]

The only Labour front bencher that commanded any respect has gone. He'll be an enormous loss.

[t8yman]

Shame, I quite liked Johnson, he was obviously not shadow chancellor material. Its a real shame if the stuff about his wife/bodyguard turn out to be true. I hope the Sunday rags don't drag this through the mud, but I would be naive to expect they won't.

[pehaw]

Every time Balls lands a blow, Osbourne just has to say 'no more boom and bust' etc etc - similar tactics used by Blair on Hague after the 97 election - in other words to remind folk of the previous government. What happens at the despatch box at any question time is completely inconsequential anyway.

[TalkShow Bob]

It wasn't Balls economic policy that caused the recession. Its a global ressesion. Cuts arn't as nessasery as the Tories are making out. They are making ideological cut after idiolgical cut; look at what is going on with the probation servce - every pound spent there saves money but they are cutting it. Its not about reducing the deficit, its about creating small government and moving the people they see as in their demographic into positions of power. Notice how big society is allways people like head teachers, not normal teachrs or LSAs, GPs not nurses ect ect.

[pehaw]

It wasn't Balls economic policy that caused the recession. Its a global ressesion. Cuts arn't as nessasery as the Tories are making out. They are making ideological cut after idiolgical cut; look at what is going on with the probation servce - every pound spent there saves money but they are cutting it. Its not about reducing the deficit, its about creating small government and moving the people they see as in their demographic into positions of power.

[hot_ice]

what annoys me most, is that Tories keep bashing labour about their economic record.... who was it again who said the banks needed less regulation? if the tories had been in power, i think the reccession would of been a lot worst

[TalkShow Bob]

what annoys me most, is that Tories keep bashing labour about their economic record.... who was it again who said the banks needed less regulation? if the tories had been in power, i think the reccession would of been a lot worst

[worm]

Simmilarly to them banging on about the gold that brown sold - if thatcher had sold the gold at its peak then we would have made more money than brown 'lost' by selling it when he did so infact she lost us more money than him.

[grumpyhack]