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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to find Ed Balls rather revolting?

82 replies

grovel · 21/03/2013 12:04

He's on the TV now.

OP posts:
Bowlersarm · 21/03/2013 19:50

In your opinion. Probably not by all those who voted for him

YouTheCat · 21/03/2013 19:51

I'd say probably a lot of people who did vote for him now regret it. Plus the fact is this is a coalition government because the Tories didn't get enough votes to win outright.

airforce1 · 21/03/2013 19:57

Ed Balls v George Osbourne? As Harry Hill would say "FIGHT!"

Bowlersarm · 21/03/2013 19:57

I didn't't vote in the last election. I will probably vote Tory in the next one

Alibabaandthe40nappies · 21/03/2013 20:01

YouCat - the suffragettes bothered so that we could have a free vote. Nothing in that says that the vote has to be for a left-leaning party.

Balls was not adviser to the Treasury for a while, he was a key member of Brown's clique and more influential than he likes to paint himself.

And everyone I know who voted Tory is going to do so again in the hope of an outright majority.

crossparsley · 21/03/2013 20:06

I don't think it's shallow to consider someone's conduct. Ed Balls comes across, pretty much all the time, as thin-skinned and over-compensating by being aggressive. Generally, people like that can't take advice that isn't sycophantic agreement, and aren't reflective, and shouldn't be in charge of things. Politicians who don't listen (including those who start out OK and then stop listening) are the worst sort, of whatever hue.

Bowlersarm · 21/03/2013 20:09

Sorry ouryve I overlooked your post in my haste to reply to YouTheCat. I think you are correct to look at policies as we are talking about politics ! but I think any labour voters who maybe aren't so dedicated to the cause would find it easier to be if David M had won ahead of his brother and become leader. It's human nature to be attracted to charisma which is possibly why Obama is doing so well

sandberry · 21/03/2013 22:27

I didn't like his demeanour on TV before I met him, he comes across as slimy and arrogant but in real life he was very personable, genuinely friendly and able to talk to people in an ordinary way unlike Gordon Brown who was really offish. Of course we had a 10 minute conversation so it could have all be fake but I liked him and I thought I wouldn't.

ouryve · 21/03/2013 22:27

Most on the left are glad that David M didn't become leader.

ClippedPhoenix · 21/03/2013 22:29

Slime, as are all of them Grin

mam29 · 21/03/2013 22:42

Selfish, aggresive immature chavanitsic, smug, antagonising t**t.

he had is time in power.

Labour do lot better if his wife had stood for leader.

but he couldent let her have decnt job and be above him.

she possibly could have made labour seem more attractive.
I dont like her but she does ok job.

better than harriot who comes across as weak,dreadful miserable eagle twins or ed balls lapdog rachel reeve giving ed milliband adoring puppy dog eyes defending everything like labour robot.

Read other day most of shadow cabinet voted ed balls and are brownites.

any blaireites ie david relegated,
edd millilband voted in my unions

They a mess. Yes hate what co-alition are doing.

but hate labour more.

They have no credible plan.
ed balls makes them less redible hes a bully boy who thrives on power,

I was watching shy news this morning for my sins and he was having freindly banter with taht chuvanistic tit eaamon holmes,

I hate ed balls,

YouTheCat · 21/03/2013 22:47

The reason I mentioned the suffragettes was because so many people (mainly women sadly) seem to base their vote on looks and personality over substance, not because I think everyone should vote the same way as I do.

David Milliband is an obsequious little twat. He had his nose so far up Blair's backside that it was embarrassing to watch.

Hassled · 21/03/2013 22:49

mam29 - do you hate Ed Balls by any chance :o?

I like him. I always have. I like the fact Cameron and Osbourne hate him, in a way they don't hate Ed Miliband. They hate him because they fear him. He's clever, he's articulate, he knows exactly how to wind them up.

In RL he comes across very well - far more charisma and charm than you see on TV.

crazynanna · 21/03/2013 22:52

I quite think he's weirdly a bit...attractive Blush

QuickLookBusy · 21/03/2013 22:55

I heard him being interviewed on the radio this morning.

I got so cross, he was so patronising to the interviewer, kept repeating her name every time he answered a question. "Well Sarah.....", "Listen Sarah....." etc etc.

Does he do this to male interviewers I wonder?

mam29 · 21/03/2013 22:56

blimey you lot are loons. I never had chance to meet him real life but when he comes on tv I get urge to chuck something at him.

When I watch pmqs every week hes like an attack dog or child goading, pull faces, shit stirring.

I dont just judge him on personality
his track record and policies are useless we cant afford to borrow more or we end up like cyprus or greece,

YouTheCat · 21/03/2013 22:56

Yes, he does.

Trazzletoes · 21/03/2013 22:57

Ugh. He used to be my MP. I was terrified of opening the door to find him there at election time.

Fortunately he had far better things to do with his time than, you know, canvass his potential constituents.

mam29 · 21/03/2013 23:21

Thanks so much

Trazzltoes-made me chuckle out loud I be scared too.

he is patronising charvanistoc twer, if he went private ed and think his kids private ed then hes not exactly common.

The balls family will get childcare help!

montmartre · 21/03/2013 23:28

He is much better looking in rl- really comes over badly on televison/radio, I was so surprised when I met him in the flesh!

I still can't stand him though...

MoreBeta · 21/03/2013 23:38

QuickLook - that thing about politicians using the interviewers first name repeatedly during the interview is a standard interview technique to make the interviewer feel and sound subordinate. It is done deliberately and I find it very annoyng too.

The interviewer has to use the politicians proper name eg Mr Osborne, Chancellor, etc. If the interviewee immediately answers using the interviewers first name the whole interview immediatley sounds like a teacher answering a question from a primary school child.

I really dont like Ed Balls for a lot of reasons.

QuickLookBusy · 22/03/2013 11:58

Gosh Morebeta what level will these people sink to next?

They are missing the point that listeners may find it arather obnoxious thing to do, so they aren't really achieving anything.

JamieandtheMagicTorch · 22/03/2013 16:03

The Balls children go to a state primary and a large Comprehensive

JamieandtheMagicTorch · 22/03/2013 16:12

or rather - the Balls/Cooper children

LittleChickpea · 22/03/2013 16:17

Haven't read the other comments but YANBU..... He looks skin crawling gross and a bit mental... Hence our household nickname for him of Crazy Balls.

Scary thought but the day (if ever) Crazy Balls gets into power will be the day we pack up both our jobs, take positions abroad and move on out of Britain!

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