Ed Miliband told David Cameron at PMQs…
“He shouldn’t get so angry, it will cloud his judgement…. He’s not the first Prime Minister I’ve said that to.”
1994 Economic Advisor to Gordon Brown
1995 Economic Advisor to Gordon Brown
1996 Economic Advisor to Gordon Brown
1997 Economic Advisor to Gordon Brown
1998 Economic Advisor to Gordon Brown
1999 Chief Economic Advisor to Gordon Brown’s Treasury
2000 Chief Economic Advisor to Gordon Brown’s Treasury
2001 Chief Economic Advisor to Gordon Brown’s Treasury
2002 Chief Economic Advisor to Gordon Brown’s Treasury
2003 Chief Economic Advisor to Gordon Brown’s Treasury
2004 Chief Economic Advisor to Gordon Brown’s Treasury
2005 Smith Institute Wonk
2006 Economic Secretary to Gordon Brown’s Treasury
2007 Member of Gordon Brown’s Cabinet
2008 Member of Gordon Brown’s Cabinet
2009 Member of Gordon Brown’s Cabinet
2010 Member of Gordon Brown’s Cabinet
2011 Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer
Given the hugely enjoyable level of lunacy, profanity and insight in the comments section of the blog, Guido is always rather pleased to come across a real gem. Today 13eastie’s take on why Shadow Chancellor Ed Balls is the best man for the job met the criteria. The blog will be introducing a regular reader’s “Comment of the Day” with a bottle of whisky for the readers blog comment chosen to be the best of the month sponsored by Bruichladdich
N.B. Billy Bowden, it is about quality not quantity…
This time last year an economist wonk at the liberal-leaning CentreForum took a dislike to Guido’s economic foresight. Deficit denying Liberal Conspiracy made a predictably over the top attempt at playing up the difference of opinion calling Guido innumerate, an allegation later quietly withdrawn.
Subsequently a wager was drawn up with the Freethinking Economist Giles Wilkes: a book of the loser’s choice would be sent to the winner. After a year of month-after-month of above target inflation announcements by the Bank of England, Giles, a good sport and former bookie, has decided to admit early that deflation just isn’t going to happen. In fact the realisation is becoming mainstream that the danger is quite the opposite, as Guido has long pointed out, of runaway inflation resulting from QE. Inflation is always and everywhere a monetary phenomenon. Guido doesn’t want to worry anyone, but Mr Wilkes is now Vince Cable’s Special Advisor…
Guido understands that tomorrow’s Spectator diary won’t make for comfortable reading for Tom Baldwin. Lord Ashcroft has his claws out:
“Westminster is exhilarated by the appointment of Tom Baldwin, Ed Miliband’s exciting new media adviser. As deputy political editor of the Times, Mr Baldwin wrote some quite spectacular untruths as part of a campaign to discredit me in general and, in particular, to implicate me in a drug-running scandal. This was somewhat ironic, given what he was later witnessed snorting in his paper’s hotel suite at the 2001 Conservative conference. The whole business (including the retraction I received from the paper) is detailed in my 2005 book Dirty Politics Dirty Times. But now that Mr Baldwin is back in the news, perhaps it is time to dust off some of the morsels I didn’t publish at the time. Meanwhile, let us hope for the sake of civilised political discourse that he has found an alternative way to deal with the pressures of his job.
Morsels eh…
Given the level of denial about Gordon’s little problems, mainly concerning anger and throwing things, it was good to see Ed Miliband finally acknowledge there was a problem after all. He put down an off-balance and angry Dave with “don’t let your anger cloud your judgement… You’re not the first PM I have said that to.” Ouch…
A well scripted line that bashes one with the other, but why did Ed turn a blind eye in the bunker? The clear ploy to whack his predecessor came at an interesting time. Why, when on the front foot already, did he choose that moment to drag up the past? Almost as if he was distancing himself from Gordon Brown…
UPDATE: For those wondering what Dave’s prop was in the chamber today it seems someone in Ed’s office had the not so brilliant idea of giving out notebooks to get members to contribute ideas called New Politics, Fresh Ideas. It was blank, and quietly dropped.
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