Shadow Chancellor Blog
By ignoring the IMF George Osborne puts political pride before the national interest – my Guardian article
The International Monetary Fund is not usually known for racy language and dramatic press releases. When IMF chiefs come to national capitals, diplomacy is normally the order of the day. So no one should be surprised that in London this week there was no public repeat of the IMF’s previous [...]
More...Labour’s five steps to tackle tax avoidance – my New Statesman article with Catherine McKinnell MP
Labour’s five steps to tackle tax avoidance In tough times it’s more important than ever that everyone plays their part and pays their fair share of tax. People and businesses who pay their fair share have been shocked by how little tax some companies seem to pay in Britain. Sometimes there are [...]
More...The Queen’s Speech ducks the long-term economic challenges – my Independent on Sunday article
A flatlining economy, falling living standards, declining business investment and almost a million young people out of work. With this backdrop, Britain deserved a Queen’s Speech focused on growth and jobs. But the Government has no answers and nothing to offer. First, on our long-term infrastructure, not only [...]
More...Interview on Sky News’ Murnaghan programme
DERMOT MURNAGHAN: Wednesday’s Queen’s Speech was criticised for being too thin so what was missing? Well a long term plan for jobs and growth according to Labour. In a moment I’ll speak to the Shadow Chancellor, Ed Balls, about all that… So we’ll say a very good morning then to [...]
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Constituency News
Save our Surgery Outwood coffee morning
The campaign to save the Leeds Children’s Heart Unit continues. Last weekend I joined Hazel and her team for a great coffee morning event to raise funds for the Save our Surgery campaign. [...]
More...Concern in Wrenthorpe over childcare changes
On Friday I joined the Director of the Pre School Learning Alliance and staff and parents at Wrenthorpe Pre-School to hear their concerns about the Government's proposed changes to childcare ratios for the under 5s. [...]
More...Politically Speaking in the Wakefield Express
“There needs to be a more help for people like us who’ve worked hard and done our bit.” That’s what one pensioner in Outwood told me last week. I was out with local Councillors and campaigners to promote Community Energy Switch - which could save households money on their fuel bills. [...]
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