Liberal Vision

Ed Balls bust up with the BBC…

I am not sure whether Ed Balls got out of bed the wrong side yesterday morning, was just a bit “interviewed out”, or whether he was…as it sounded…revealing his true colours – a bully who knows the cause is lost and hopes that by throwing his weight about on BBC radio,  he can somehow influence media reporting.

I caught the most bizarre interview about the PBR late yesterday afternoon. And as interesting as any analysis of the PBR might be…I think this one interview says more about the Labour party and its ministers than any learned tome on the substance of the chancellors plans ever could…

You see what I heard was a Government minister come as close as I have heard in a very long time to threatening , albeit obliquely, the BBC. 

And…. full marks to Peter Allen (BBC Radio Five Live Drive) for standing up to him. There will always be a difficulty for any modern state broadcaster (even in a so-called free society) in “taking on” the ruling powers. And,  noting my many previous criticisms of the BBC,  I have to say the BBC did that and did it well –

despite immense provocation… including several pronouncements  from Ed Balls (to a BBC journalist) as to how he (the state broadcaster) and his employers should behave.

Unsurprisingly…. Peter Allen won outright. No question. Bullying may work elsewhere – and may have worked in the past – but frankly…..Alistair Campbell he aint.  And if there really is anyone in control of the Labour Party (ha!) …they will take Bully Boy Balls to one side and tell him just how monumentally he f*cked up yesterday.

Editors notes. The full interview was approx 2 minutes longer than shown here. I have edited out the ministers statements about how wonderful the Labour party has been over the last decade and in particular how it has saved the country over the last 18 months. I think you have heard it all before … but if you want to hear the whole interview (including all of Ed Balls contributions) then please go to  BBC iplayer  here where you can listen to all of the interview for yourself…it was broadcast approx 18.08 (i.e. 2hrs 8mins into broadcast).