9th July, 2010, 8:22 am Balls attacks Gove’s ‘thoughtless”, “shambolic” assault on schools – 8 in the morning, July 9th Alex Smith Share this article: By Alex Smith / @alexsmith1982 * Writing in the Guardian, Ed Balls says that Michael Gove’s cancellation of the Building Schools for the Future programme has been a “thoughtless” and “shambolic” assault on our schools. * The Mirror says: Labour was busy rebuilding the nation’s schools when it lost power. The Tories have reversed that policy, scrapping investment in our children’s future. * The OBR must be urgently reformed if its independence is to be assured, says the Centre for Economic and Business Research. * And the OBR was “plunged into fresh controversy” last night, after it was accused of making “methodological changes” to forecasts ahead of George Osborne’s buget. * House prices are heading for a crash next year, experts have warned. * Sunder Katwala has put together some classic 80s pop hits to describe Michael Gove’s shambles. * Afghanistan is a catastrophe. But we’ll have to wait for another Chilcot to admit it, says Simon Jenkins. * With more updates from meetings this week to follow later, David Miliband on 50 CLP nominations last night, Ed Miliband on 46, Andy Burnham on 10, Diane Abbott on 9 and Ed Balls on 5. Alex Smith Alex is the founder and CEO of The Cares Family. He was editor and first director of LabourList in 2009-2010, during which time he established the site as the number one Labour blog, and later an aide to Ed Miliband. @alexsmith1982 View all articles by Alex Smith Subscribe to our daily email More from LabourList Comment ‘Labour banned fox hunting – now it needs to finish the job’ There are plenty of things Labour can be proud of from its years in government. Among them is… Emma Slawinski 31st August, 2026, 6:00 am Interview Inside SERA: Labour’s environmentalists see climate action as a ‘vote winner’ As part of our Labour Tribes project, in partnership with PLMR, LabourList is taking an in-depth look at… Daniel Green 31st August, 2026, 6:00 am Grassroots voices ‘On social housing, we are in danger of pulling up the ladder’ The collapse of affordability and supply of suitable housing not only causes misery to those left out, but… Des Rose 30th August, 2026, 10:00 am
Alex Smith Alex is the founder and CEO of The Cares Family. He was editor and first director of LabourList in 2009-2010, during which time he established the site as the number one Labour blog, and later an aide to Ed Miliband. @alexsmith1982 View all articles by Alex Smith
Comment ‘Labour banned fox hunting – now it needs to finish the job’ There are plenty of things Labour can be proud of from its years in government. Among them is… Emma Slawinski 31st August, 2026, 6:00 am
Interview Inside SERA: Labour’s environmentalists see climate action as a ‘vote winner’ As part of our Labour Tribes project, in partnership with PLMR, LabourList is taking an in-depth look at… Daniel Green 31st August, 2026, 6:00 am
Grassroots voices ‘On social housing, we are in danger of pulling up the ladder’ The collapse of affordability and supply of suitable housing not only causes misery to those left out, but… Des Rose 30th August, 2026, 10:00 am
By 
More from LabourList
‘Labour banned fox hunting – now it needs to finish the job’
Inside SERA: Labour’s environmentalists see climate action as a ‘vote winner’
‘On social housing, we are in danger of pulling up the ladder’