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Ed Balls was not exactly in a cheery mood when he addressed members of the Westminster Press at the drinks reception he hosted on their behalf on Thursday. He had decided against a serious speech, he told his audience, but intended instead to amuse them. He then embarked upon a series of lame jokes which were as unpleasantly acidic as the warm white wine he was serving. He was 'tetchy, bitter and bad-tempered', according to one of those present. Another said he was 'exhausted, bitter and fed-up'. And there is a reason for this bitterness. The Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families is not a happy man. He secured his current post because he was advised to put a distance between himself and his patron, the Prime Minister, and their shared years at the Treasury. But the truth is that he does not understand or... [read full story]
