Tonight:
4°c
Brown should 'speak a language people understand', says Ed Balls
18 Jun 2009
Gordon Brown's close ally Ed Balls today urged the Prime Minister to make sure he "communicates in language which people really understand".
Schools Secretary Mr Balls said Mr Brown knows he needs to go through a "process of listening and consulting more with colleagues" but stressed he believed the Prime Minister had the qualities people needed to rely on.
The minister, who is MP for Normanton, in West Yorkshire, also told the Yorkshire Post he believed critical MPs were not going to disappear.
He said: "I think Gordon knows he needs to go through a process of listening and consulting more with colleagues and I think he knows that making sure he communicates in language which people really understand and that is something you have to work on all the time.
"But at the same time on the economy, on making tough decisions, sticking to his guns when times are tough, he's one of the biggest politicians of his generation so it's those strengths which are what people need to rely on."
Mr Balls said the resignation of James Purnell from his post as Work and Pensions Secretary produced a "moment of uncertainty" but he said "it resolved itself probably far more decisively than many people might have predicted".
He added: "There have been a few MPs willing to come out and say public things and they're not going to go away."
But the minister said he thought the General Election was still "very much up for grabs".
Reader views (13)
"Schools Secretary Mr Balls said Mr Brown knows he needs to go through a "process of listening and consulting more with colleagues" but stressed he believed the Prime Minister had the qualities people needed to rely on."
Ummm - what about listening to the public too?
- Rogan, Irving, 18/06/2009 18:18
Report abuse
he should try speaking the truth,he might struggle at first but it will help him in the long run and take the rest of that crowd with him to the same lessons
- Anon, leicestershire, 18/06/2009 17:26
Report abuse
Scottish!!! LOL
- C Cusano, Bedford, 18/06/2009 16:53
Report abuse
All i want to hear Brown say is good bye. Everything else he says costs us even more money.
- Gary, brentwood, 18/06/2009 16:47
Report abuse
And people also want Balls not to speak at all, preferably also to go and do something he's more suited to, but then McD's are apparently inundated with applications at the moment.
- Bob, Cheam, 18/06/2009 16:27
Report abuse
See, even members of his own cabinet team know that BROWN speaketh with forked tongue.
- Mr S.Port, London, 18/06/2009 15:34
Report abuse
We understand him perfectly we just don't agree with or believe his lies.
- Steve, london, 18/06/2009 15:11
Report abuse
Too late - I don't believe a word he says, whichever language he uses.
- Alex C, London, 18/06/2009 14:56
Report abuse
Which part of General Election now , doesn't Brown understand
- C. Taylor, Woking. UK, 18/06/2009 13:29
Report abuse
WHAT DOES BALLS KNOW ABOUT STRAIGHT TALKING?
BALLS, BROWN, MEDDLESUM, JACKBOOT STRAW, BLUNKETT AND PRESCOTT ALL BELIEVE THEY ARE RUNNING A JACKBOOT AUTOCRACY.
- Reuben Camara, Morecambe UK, 18/06/2009 12:53
Report abuse
Yeah he needs to stop talking rubbish
- Bruce, London, 18/06/2009 12:49
Report abuse
Here's a few words brown might like to use, 'I' and 'resign'. And while he's at it he can take his seat-sniffer in chief, ed balls, with him.
- Chris, Brighton, England., 18/06/2009 12:49
Report abuse
Think you rather miss the point. We understand him OK we just don't like what he says or how he say's it, or what he does or how he does it.
In short as a G Brown of Westmister put it.
There is nothing you could say to me now that I would ever believe.
Mr Balls your flogging a dead horse, you have no democratic mandate, no legitimacy.
Go to the country stage a general election and then let the people decide.
Balls - Your continued presence is damaging the country.
Oliver Cromwell said 'An immovable Parliament is worse than no Parliament at all.'
'You have sat too long for any good you have been doing lately... Depart, I say; and let us have done with you. In the name of God, go!'
That man said it all!
- Ethan, UK, 18/06/2009 12:37
Report abuse
