Slap on the wrist for Ed Balls

Naughty, naughty Ed Balls, it appears that The Statistics Commission, has ordered his department to explain why the high-profile disclosures about secondary admission rules being flouted were made at the same time as the very low-profile release of the news that nearly a fifth of pupils failed to get into their preferred school this year. The Statistics Commission has written to Mr Balls's department (whatever name it has this month) saying that the release of official figures should be "seen to be independent from policy comment" as a matter of "public trust". The chief executive of the Commission said "We would be concerned if ministerial statements, issued at the same time, distracted attention from new statistics."

Do I hear anyone saying "a good day to bury bad news"? How cynical some people are, do look here for some video of Ed Balls decrying cynicism.