Miliband’s policy on anonymous negative briefings could not have been made any clearer when McBride’s book came out in the autumn. Here is Chuka explaining where they stand:

“One of the things Ed has been so clear about – and I remember because I was in the shadow cabinet meeting – is he will not tolerate any of that kind of behaviour. If anybody is found briefing against anybody, you are out.”

Today the Sun quotes a “senior Labour insider” as saying Balls has nine months to save himself from being knifed by Miliband:

“If we’re still in difficulty on the economy by the time of the party conference in September, then he will do it. You should not underestimate how ruthless Ed is. He will not let anything stand between us and the election, and that includes Ed Balls.”

So Ed, who you gonna fire?