Ed Balls’ admirers describe him as “combative”, others say he is an unpleasant, duplicitous, lying bully. Whatever your view there is no doubt that he turned a nominally safe seat into an ultra-marginal after an election campaign that focused on his merits and personality.

Unfortunately for Balls as a result he now has to spend weekend after weekend working his constituency, knocking on doors to try and bolster his support. Balls is only too aware that his poor performance in his constituency undermines his authority in the Labour Party. Yet no matter how much he smiles and glad hands his true personality still comes out. Balls admits to damaging his old constituency office and leaving it in a mess, he has offered to pay some £500 towards making the mess good. The local businessman who was his landlord says the damages are nearer £2,000.

If Balls had any sense he would negotiate a compromise, why get into an embarrassing court case with a local businessmen with all the inevitable bad publicity in the local press (pictured)? Instead, because of his “combative” nature he has ended up in court fighting Mr Sampson who says “It is nothing personal to do with him, I’m not being malicious, it is purely business”. With Balls it is always personal…