tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6214838.post6181345226328072638..comments2024-03-04T17:54:32.559+00:00Comments on Iain Dale's Diary: More BallsIain Dalehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03270146219458384372noreply@blogger.comBlogger23125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6214838.post-85857875384101287012010-06-14T21:51:45.324+01:002010-06-14T21:51:45.324+01:00Which faction did he ally himself with? I remembe...Which faction did he ally himself with? I remember a Balls in Ouca but did not until today realise it was Balls who has gone up in the world!Catholic Conclavehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06227218883606585321noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6214838.post-68597708267636457002010-06-14T19:33:02.164+01:002010-06-14T19:33:02.164+01:00Iain, this is my first comment on your blog. I enj...Iain, this is my first comment on your blog. I enjoy reading a lot.<br /><br />I have to say that as an ex-OUCA member and an ex-Ox Union President, this story shouldn't damage Balls.<br /><br />When I was at Oxford (1997-2001), people of all political persuasions joined OUCA. The organisation was something of a laugh, in that the membership was vast and the piss-ups extravagant, but really it wasn't a true Conservative association. Indeed, many left-wingers joined in order to act as spoilers in elections, and to turn up at boozy OUCA parties. If Balls is to be mocked for this, then many others will have be too.Stonchhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07001578598975666535noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6214838.post-48028629997992382112010-06-14T18:50:53.508+01:002010-06-14T18:50:53.508+01:00So, Balls joined a political party not because of ...So, Balls joined a political party not because of his principles but because of the perks.<br /><br />Such integrity!Simon Harleyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08746160698308518190noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6214838.post-59133011564462467782010-06-14T18:07:45.777+01:002010-06-14T18:07:45.777+01:00According to the ONS the number of people of worki...According to the ONS the number of people of working age NOT in work as of March 2010 was 8.17 Million<br /><br />http://www.statistics.gov.uk/cci/nugget.asp?id=12<br /><br />Remind me who the government was in March 2010 Ed.<br /><br /><br />Also would someone please explain to me a definition of social justiceLibertarianhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15219132362086878801noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6214838.post-43793590834929551722010-06-14T16:38:33.086+01:002010-06-14T16:38:33.086+01:00"We now hear that unemployment is heading bac..."We now hear that unemployment is heading back to three million under the Tories. If anything makes me want to lead our party it's the chance to do something about it."<br /><br />The real figure of unemployment in April was c. 4.5 million. It was kept lower by deliberately massaging the figures so that only a handful of people counted as unemployed - barely half the true figure. The rest were flung on various income supports, and part time work, the black economy, no money at all, etc. Labour didn't care about them, because they care about figures not about the poor or unemployed. <br /><br />So if unemployment is down to under 3 million already, that's a very good start by the coalition, although personally I find it rather difficult to believe.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6214838.post-10817011513047721882010-06-14T16:38:33.087+01:002010-06-14T16:38:33.087+01:00This man is a complete f*****g idiot. Is he really...This man is a complete f*****g idiot. Is he really suggesting that the unemployment Labour created is <br />of the new Governments making? It's quite pathetic.PIENOMICShttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11846925617061061673noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6214838.post-4203459794612415902010-06-14T14:42:10.580+01:002010-06-14T14:42:10.580+01:00Iain, you've missed the point. THIS IS THE LIE...Iain, you've missed the point. THIS IS THE LIE<br /><br />"We now hear that unemployment is heading back to three million under the Tories. If anything makes me want to lead our party it's the chance to do something about it."<br /><br />Unemployment is heading back to 3M BECAUSE of ED BALLS and his master.GarethShttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13207806640711750915noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6214838.post-6760982212284897322010-06-14T14:22:17.678+01:002010-06-14T14:22:17.678+01:00(a) You haven't linked to the full article whi...(a) You haven't linked to the full article which actually explains why he joined<br /><br />(b) Even now, people join to vote for their mates/see good speakers, and often don't take an active role in the club. It's a bit like most of the people where I live who are card-carrying members of the Conservative Party not because they are Conservatives, but because the beer's cheapNickhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04779806872062476146noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6214838.post-31241971136090359682010-06-14T13:10:44.670+01:002010-06-14T13:10:44.670+01:00We now hear that unemployment is heading back to t...<i>We now hear that unemployment is heading back to three million under the Tories</i><br /><br />There they go again - blaming the Tories for their ill-deeds. Blimey, the coalition has only been in government for a few weeks. Quite an achievement for them to make 3 million unemployed in that time!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6214838.post-60649415767796385542010-06-14T13:07:14.466+01:002010-06-14T13:07:14.466+01:00"Balls talks balls"
Has a nice ring to ..."Balls talks balls"<br /><br />Has a nice ring to it every time...Jabba the Cathttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08378736389976858775noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6214838.post-91433353341845980832010-06-14T13:00:58.507+01:002010-06-14T13:00:58.507+01:00Leaving aside the actual subject, this is pure Bal...Leaving aside the actual subject, this is pure Balls:<br /><br />"All through my university days and my career I've been driven by the desire to prove that Labour could run the economy well. "<br /><br />The last 10 years proves otherwise.<br /><br />Why, if Balls was such an economic leviathan, was the British Government borrowing £30 billion a year from 2003-2007? Keynesian teachings are that you should fix the roof while the sun is shining. Either the sun wasn't actually shining or Labour cocked up. I favour the former hypothesis - the economy was not as rosey as Brown painted it to be.<br /><br />It would be nice to have some logical consistency from *any* politicians, starting with the ones most culpable for the mess we are in.Garethhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11182144080955551878noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6214838.post-16022695024996661322010-06-14T12:54:37.792+01:002010-06-14T12:54:37.792+01:00@ robertmbrown
And your definition of 'Social...@ robertmbrown<br /><br />And your definition of 'Social Justice' is what, exactly?Unsworthhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08307116169498533047noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6214838.post-46423030386403427332010-06-14T12:35:25.136+01:002010-06-14T12:35:25.136+01:00His name is a godsend to the tories, isn't it....His name is a godsend to the tories, isn't it. Keep 'em coming Iain.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10072165710888952465noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6214838.post-32466911361207499282010-06-14T12:35:25.137+01:002010-06-14T12:35:25.137+01:00Are you going to link to that article from the Ind...Are you going to link to that article from the Indy, which explains *why* Balls joined OUCA?<br /><br />If you don't, you are going to look pretty dishonest.jwatson1https://www.blogger.com/profile/03075460637518615366noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6214838.post-51889791720369982972010-06-14T12:31:49.885+01:002010-06-14T12:31:49.885+01:00Iain: er, everyone with a vague political interest...Iain: er, everyone with a vague political interest joins party club at Oxford. Only way to get the free drinks/food/occassional decent speaker.Jim Whttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07687424858169635863noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6214838.post-53868956276111448132010-06-14T12:30:39.728+01:002010-06-14T12:30:39.728+01:00Everyone was a member of OUCA in those days, they ...Everyone was a member of OUCA in those days, they had the best speakers and best events.<br /><br />Of course, you, being an alumnus of University of East Anglia, wouldn't understand... (I had to get some Oxbridge snobbery in somewhere didn't I?)Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09523255925908875475noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6214838.post-19870817107885104932010-06-14T12:21:28.587+01:002010-06-14T12:21:28.587+01:00Might be worth quoting a bit more of the article:
...Might be worth quoting a bit more of <a href="http://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/pandora/revealed-how-ed-balls-was-a-tory-under-thatcher-406675.html" rel="nofollow">the article</a>:<br /><br /><i>"Ed hasn't exactly advertised the fact, but he's never sought to hide it either. It even featured in the jokes at his wedding," I'm told.</i><br /><br /><i>"He joined the Tories at Oxford because they used to book top-flight political speakers, and only members were allowed to attend their lectures.</i><br /><br /><i>"Ed was, however, also a member of the Labour Club. He was more active in that, and was always, at heart, a man of the left."</i><br /><br />Not quite so damning when you have the full picture, is it?Dave Crosshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17165198648105678551noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6214838.post-61686495811223019232010-06-14T12:16:31.903+01:002010-06-14T12:16:31.903+01:00To be fair, a lot of people joined the Young Conse...To be fair, a lot of people joined the Young Conservatives for social reasons and not ideological ones. Indeed some were simultaneously members of the Youth Wings of the SDP, Labour, and LiberalsPaul Burginhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06718135185726733792noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6214838.post-77282657064572845472010-06-14T12:11:29.206+01:002010-06-14T12:11:29.206+01:00Are there no Tories that believe in Social Justice...Are there no Tories that believe in Social Justice?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6214838.post-19335044631504621752010-06-14T12:01:31.836+01:002010-06-14T12:01:31.836+01:00Balls and Hollobone
Ooer Matron.
WV: dican ...Balls and Hollobone<br /><br />Ooer Matron.<br /><br /><br /><br />WV: dican But can she?Norton Folgatehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03852825967140111979noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6214838.post-68824128204237601452010-06-14T11:59:57.205+01:002010-06-14T11:59:57.205+01:00Iain, as anyone who has ever been near OUCA will t...Iain, as anyone who has ever been near OUCA will tell you, it has an enormous membership. As any ex-Secretary will also be able to tell you, that's because the elections have been systematically dodgy for decades. <br /><br />For every person who joins OUCA, four are "joined" by election candidates, who fill in the forms and pay the costs for friends of theirs - their political affiliation is unimportant as long as they are prepared to vote the right way. <br /><br />In exchange, the social events were always quite good.Old Politicshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06477896294308974444noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6214838.post-45211555854955836592010-06-14T11:55:43.066+01:002010-06-14T11:55:43.066+01:00hmm - many people joined all the university politi...hmm - many people joined all the university political clubs, just to attend the speaker-meetings<br /><br />some further and better particulars needed here<br /><br />like ... a photo of Balls in nazi uniform ?Nick Drewhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13670594203660051701noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6214838.post-35342425984691684312010-06-14T11:50:44.076+01:002010-06-14T11:50:44.076+01:00Iain, you've missed an "i" out of &q...Iain, you've missed an "i" out of "run" in the 4th line.The Random Punterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16862478828540538403noreply@blogger.com