BBC News profiles the candidates: Ed Balls

By Alex Smith / @alexsmith1982

The BBC are running profiles of each of the five leadership candidates – one a day every day this week, starting with Ed Balls.

The headline from the piece is already that Balls argued against Alistair Darling’s plans to reduce the deficit by half in four years before the general election. That’s an interesting new morsel – but not hugely surprising: Balls was always on the side of the Labour investment vs Tory cuts narrative.

Balls is increasingly showing a softer side during this campaign, however, and in the interview with Laura Kuenssberg he reiterates that he does not brief against Labour colleagues or in the leadership election. At least not anymore. He says:

“I’ve had times in my late twenties – fifteen years ago…we were sort of youthful, and exuberant, and a bit arrogant…[but I’m] sick of being written about on the basis of briefing about things that happened five years ago.”

Balls also casts himself as an ordinary candidate, with an ordinary background, and in contrast to his rivals for the leadership, namely the Milibands, says:

“I didn’t sit with senior politicians when I was seven eight and nine in north london parties.”

Balls also says he is a candidates who can “unite left and right” of the Labour Party – I’m not sure everyone would agree with him on that.

Watch the first BBC News feature here: