Bias rows surrounding Ed Balls have emerged pretty much since he joined Good Morning Britain. Why? Because not only is he a former Labour MP, but he’s also married to one, Yvette Cooper. Never in my life did I think I’d see the day where Ed would be leading the charge against a Labour MP, but it seems he was finally wound up the wrong way over Rachel Reeves on Monday (December 1). Instead of his co-host, Susanna Reid, going in on Darren Jones, Balls was more than happy to take the job. It was only last week that GMB viewers were fuming that he was being biased towards Reeves and was being “pro” the Chancellor, but it seems he has finally shifted, which isn’t good news for Reeves.
Last week, Balls let Reid fly on through the topics with Reeves, but he’s had a complete 180 spin, and now he seems utterly furious. Jones appeared to get Balls’ back up when he defended Reeves, with Balls fuming: “I just wonder whether it’s wise for you to just dismiss this and say no, and that we are all wrong. I’ve been involved with lots of budgets, but I found it very hard to understand what was happening at the time, which for me is jarring.”
He fumed that Jones was just saying they were wrong for asking the questions, adding: When you say no, the question is wrong, we just feel like you’re dismissing us.”
Now, let’s be honest, when Balls has constantly been accused of being biased in favour of Labour and not asking the tough questions when MPs join the show, this morning showed me that this really could be the end of Reeves.
How can she come back from this when her own supporters are turning their backs? Some MPs are sharing their fury, but voters aren’t impressed; she has well and truly lost the public’s support after turning against her pledge not to increase the amount of tax people are paying. There’s no way to come back from this.
Reeves said on Sunday to Laura Kuenssberg that she is determined to continue as Chancellor for years to come. It’s a bold statement, considering many voters and backbenchers are calling for her resignation. With more and more people turning against her, it’s looking like her career is well and truly in tatters, and if she thinks she can come back from this, she needs to wake up.
I’m not the only one recognising that Balls turning his back on Reeves is mortifying for her, Piers Morgan took to X to write: “Watching a former Labour Chancellor Ed Balls rinsing the current Chief Secretary to the Prime Minister over Rachel Reeves’ Budget lies is extraordinarily damning. If even Ed doesn’t believe her bulls**t, why should anyone else?”
One user responded: “Ed Balls tearing into the current Chief Secretary is brutal—when your own side isn’t buying the narrative, the credibility gap becomes impossible to ignore.”
Another added: “Ed Balls roasting the current Chief Secretary on live TV is wild! If even he isn’t buying Rachel Reeves’ budget fairy tales, why should the public swallow the same nonsense?”
It’s not looking good for Reeves if more and more people are getting furious, seemingly as the days go on, so where does she go from here? It’s nice to think she will stay for years to come, but the reality is that she does need support, and I don’t think she has it.
