Labour Uncut and Ed Balls

Labour UcuntUncut are asking for questions to ask Ed Balls when they interview him, some are a little off-message:

'Paul Staines says:
Do you deny putting your friend Damian McBride up to smearing me in February 2007 after I published an investigation into the Smith Institute and the rather large payment you received from a charity in between leaving your Treasury SpAd post and being elected as an MP?


Frederick James says:
From which specific actions of the last Government do you wish to dissociate yourself and why did you acquiesce in them at the time?


Dan says:
As one of the most influential members of the last government, why did you not act to prevent the vast accumulation of debt? When you said ’so what’ to the observation that your government had accrued an enormous deficit, was that because you think that not having any money doesn’t matter?


Simon Parkes says:
1. Do you honestly think the country really want “Stalin’s Apprentice” as a PM – after the mess the previous one has made of this once a great nation. A nation that now will spend the next 10 years wandering the globe with a begging bowl trying to pay off the debts racked up by a decade + of over spending without any control just to satisfy his political ego? ACNF (a country never forgets)

2. (With reference to the above) Are you a. totally insane, b. stupid or c. a complete self serving political nonce?


Penfold says:
Where do you stand on morals and ethics, as from your history you have none.


Liam Rhodes says:
Is it fair to be capitalising on the pain, death and suffering of our troops in Iraq and the civilians killed by saying that the war was unfair, and yet not have the “balls” to say anything about it during the time you WERE in Parliament?


Teresa says:
Is it true that you are widely disliked within your own party? Why do you think that might be?


Jim Gumbley says:
What is your view on the idea which Leo Strauss attributes to Plato in the Republic, that it is legitimate for politicians to tell “noble lies” to make the populace acquiesce to the politician’s true, hidden intentions?

Is this how you and Mr Brown justified consistently twisting the truth and lying (especially with numbers) during your time in government? What were your hidden intentions? How do you square this disrespect for the public’s intelligence with your professed belief in equality?


Terrible But True says:
Do you think it might be best to give it a while before saying anything, apart from ’sorry’, to anything that gets done at the moment to try and address what was done over the last, say, 13 years?


simon says:
Have you seen the front page of todays Independent? Does leaving the country on the brink of bankruptcy it make you feel proud of your time in government?


Megan says:
Do you agree with me that you should judge a man by the company he keeps? If you do, then how are we to judge you in view of your association with McBride, Whelan, Draper, Brown et al?'

That's just form page one of three. Mind you to be fair there are some supportive messages including these two that are right on message, if possibly delusional:

'Tony says:
I know the internet is all about free exchange of ideas etc., but wading through miles of Tory trolling in the comments is really …old.

I think Ed is great and I admire a) his loyalty to GB and b)his willingness to reconnect the Party with middle Britain. But why not ask him about the visceral hatred of him that’s out there on the right wing? How will he manage it and, politically, how will that impact on his ability to get his messages across and reinvent the party?


Fabian says:
Please ignore all the pathetic Tory trolls Ed. They’ve got nothing better to do. I bet none of them would dare face you in a real debate, they know you’d make mincemeat out of them. Very brave of them – throwing insults from the safety of behind a keyboard!

The fact is the Tories are scared of you, they know you’re a tougher opponent than the Milibands etc. and you have the passion and determination to make Labour a powerful voice in British politics again.

My question to you is this: Who are your political heroes and why have they inspired you?

Good luck in the leadership contest. You have my full support!

Fabian'

Oh Fabian, are you for real? Are you in fact really one of Ed Balls' team or even Ed himself? Bless!