Tuesday, September 09, 2008

Never a Truer Word Spoken

Credit to the Birmingham Head Teacher who introduced Ed Balls to her students with the words...

"You will remember Mr Balls. No sniggering please."

A remark that said so little, but so much...

29 comments:

John M Ward said...

His first name really ought to be "Terry"...

Anonymous said...

He's like the pantomime villain for many!

But I think the Conservatives should call off the attacks on him.

For a start it's cheap and personal but above all, he's the only minister with poll ratings that come close to Brown.

So I would be delighted if he were to lead the Labour Party, they would be polishing the leather of opposition benches for many years.

Anonymous said...

Preferably said in her best Joyce Grenfell voiice!!

or added on with, " ...which just goes to show, children, that even mediocre students can hold positions of power."

Anonymous said...

Why does Alistair Darling walk like a puppet from Thunderbirds?

Anonymous said...

You've met Mr. Greedy, Mr. Rude and Mr. Lazy. Well now children, I'd like you to meet Mr. Balls. Er...

Anonymous said...

As someone with a slightly embarrassing surname, I can feel his pain.

David Boothroyd said...

What it said was that schoolchildren giggle at names that sound silly.

Move along now, nothing to see here.

Windsor Tripehound said...

A new teacher arrives at her school; her name is Miss Franny. As the head is taking her to introduce her to her class, he keeps saying to himself "I must remember the "R", I must remember the "R"!"

He then takes her into the class and announces:

"Children, I'd like you to meet your new teacher, Miss Crunt"



... I'll get my coat.

Anonymous said...

On then subject of never a truer word said Brown said yesterday that it would take 92 years to turn the economy around.

Anonymous said...

Be glad his first name isn't Richard, Dickie Balls?

*snigger*

Anonymous said...

Not worthy of a blog. Why should this be the continuous source of comment. Is the man to change his name?

Anonymous said...

Boothroyd - humour?

Anonymous said...

"Mr Balls............"
And of course not forgetting the other old chestnut from our schooldays that brought forth sniggers from the "lower third" - Isaac Hunt !

Anonymous said...

Further demonstration that there will never be 'Prime Minister Balls'. Just say it to yourself a few times.

Anonymous said...

We shouldn't let Balls' funny surname obscure the fact that he is a bullying, smug incompetent of the highest order who in any normal, halfway-decent government wouldn't have advanced beyond junior PPS.

Anonymous said...

Put that Ed Balls had said that the Crosby Report was on the Chancellor’s desk and asked when it was likely to be published, the PMS said that he had not heard Ed Balls say that and that he did not think it was on the Chancellor’s desk. We were still waiting for Crosby to report. As we had been saying last week, the latest information was that people could expect something in a month or so.




Well I for one heard Ed Balls saying exactly that on the Andrew Marr show this Sunday gone. Who is lying, Ed Balls or the PMS ?

Anonymous said...

There could well be something in a name as far as this man is concerned. Imagine having to go through the public school system with a name like Balls.

Anonymous said...

Andrew Efiong: I really, really hope you get your wish and Balls gets to lead his party. He would damage its credibility with the electorate even more than his political mentor has done.
Anonymous @ 0827. It's still not as arresting as the Mandelson carrot-clenching strut, is it?

Catosays said...

I've always thought that his first name should be 'Talking'.

Anonymous said...

Iain, Cyber Nat's comment at 9.59am.

It's worthy of a post from yourself. It's a real faux pas from Brown and you have to ask if he imagines himself as still living in 1997.

Anonymous said...

Ed Balls is the main reason Yvette will never make PM. Imagine Britain having a PM who had very probably fellated Ed Balls! No, neither can I.

Dick Puddlecote said...

Well, if I had a silly surname or one which related to genitalia, I'd change it by Deed Poll ... oh hold on.

Anonymous said...

Ed and Yvette Balls aren't known as Labour's golden couple for nothing.

Unsworth said...

@ Anonymous 11:14 AM

Apparently the PMS will only comment on things he has heard - hence the earplugs.

Anonymous said...

Well, of course he should have changed his name. He wasted a brilliant opportunity when he married Yvette: he could have gained a huge feminist following by becoming Mr Cooper.

Anonymous said...

"Why does Alistair Darling walk like a puppet from Thunderbirds?"

You would too if you'd had Brown's hand up yer arse.

................................. said...

Sniggering? They must be the Economics class then!

Ralph Hancock said...

It should be noted that Ed Balls's grandfather E.K. Balls was a notable professional plant collector, after whom a variety of miniature lilies is named. He also served his country by leading the British Empire Potato Collecting Expedition to South America in 1938-9.

His father, Michael Balls, is a distinguished zoologist who has advised the government on animal welfare.

I don't think many people giggle when their names are mentioned, or when ordering the popular irises.

Unlike when the name of young Ed comes up.

Anonymous said...

Going through a poublic school with a name like Balls might have been unpleasant.

Going through the type of schools that nu Labour wants everybody else to go to would be a lot more unpleasant.