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If Balls can’t be straight about the past, much more worrying is his inability to be straight about the future.
To get the job of Shadow Chancellor, Balls made a written agreement to sign up to Miliband’s position to halve the deficit over four years. That plan, set out originally by Alistair Darling, involves £14 billion of spending cuts in the next financial year, starting in just ten weeks time, in April. Because Alistair Darling’s planned cuts were front-loaded, his plan was actually for only £2bn lower cuts in 2011/12 than the Government’s plan.
It’s the plan Balls called a “mistake” in August.
But what’s this now?
Balls this morning denied that Britain should be getting to grips with its spending at all. He has called on the Government to change course from its plans to get Britain living within her means. He attacked the cuts, and refused to answer, when asked, the direct question of whether he would start to cut in ten weeks time.
We all know he’s in denial about the past. What we’ve found out today is that Labour are in denial about the future.
Would you cut in April or not, Mr Balls?
Because you read about ed balls
Also by Matthew Hancock-Mp
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