Shadow Chancellor Not Up To The Job

[Chil1234]

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/politics/labour/8249198/Alan-Johnson-struggles-over-National-Insurance-rates-on-live-television.html Johnson Confusion

You'd think, as the Shadow Chancellor, Alan Johnson would be up to speed on something as basic as employers' NI contributions. His stage persona of 'honest bloke who knows nothing about economics' is wearing very thin already and not reflecting well on Miliband's judgement. Cooper and Balls must be seething.

Whatever the reason may be, his poor family are going to be hunted by journalists looking for dirt for the next few days. All for tomorrows fish n chip paper.

I wonder if he's ill actually, pure conjecture but there hasn't been a whiff of a scandal ...so far.

I agree with Reclaiming, Ed Miliband is there for the interim period while Labour spend a couple of terms in the wilderness. I suspect the Tories are getting all the privatisation disguised as deficit reduction brutal cuts out of the way early doors in order to do some electorate-buttering in about 3.5 years time, they will probably get back in and Ed will step down.

Alan Johnson comes across as one of the good guys but it wasn't the right role for him. I wish him and his family well though, hope they don't suffer too badly with the scandal-chasers who are bound to be lurking.

Was having a man of the people the wisest move for Shadow Chancellor? I'm not so sure, maybe Ed Balls will do a better job, the country doesn't need nice, it needs fixing

What is David doing anyway? Was on tube today and felt the presence of a bloke as he sat down beside me and while I was busily reading the Metro caught sight of a nice pair of trousers and a weighty looking tome out of the corner of my eye. It wasn't until I was getting off the train that I noticed that it was David.

Ed Balls is truly awful. I know he knows his stuff but he's just wrong for the job.

I think the tories will be chinking their glasses of fizz this evening.

I think its good for Labour, I like Alan Johnson but a chancellor in waiting he was not.

My reaction... good news as he was clearly out of his depth. But Ed Balls, chief arse wiper for Gordo as replacement takes the bloody but of course he has immpecable credentials doesn't he?

maggie, was he also swigging from a paper bag and shouting incoherently about 'brotherly love'? Were the nice trousers covered in piss? Possibly his own?

He was reading his book.

Would that have been The Dummy's Guide to the Welfare State, maggie?
Or maybe Ralph Miliband's Theory of the State...

I am sorry Alan Johnson has gone. He was a man of great integrity

Yes Mina and great stupidity....

Or Cain and Abel perhaps?

I'm sorry that Alan Johnson has gone, he's one of the few politicians around that aren't putting on an act. Nice man but not right for the job. Shame to lose him from the shadow cabinet.

'He was reading his book.'

Das Kapital?

or was it Machiavelli's 'The Prince'?

For all I know it could have been the Gruffalo.

In a way, any change in the shadow cabinet is academic- with Ed at the helm they remain unelectable.

the Gruffalo? Hasn't he had enough of Gordon Brown?

Ed Miliband as leader and Ed Balls as Shadow Chancellor, I think they'll be a few glasses of champagne drunk in Downing Street tonight

I have a horrible feeling that there is more to this. Either an affair or a horrible illness.

They have reported that his marriage has broken up

I'd put money on there being a scandal/bigger story in the Sunday papers... they usually duck out when this is about to happen - they get a tip off on Thurs/Fri.....

Two Eds are better than one though

There's always one exception that proves the rule