Twice if not more, this blog has pointed out to Ed that his top team were all in the wrong jobs and he has now acted. Good for him. The new line up is much better and will make politics much more lively. Ed Balls is currently the best advocate for Labour’s economic policy, which is one, nevertheless, with which this blog is in profound disagreement.
Alan Johnson, who seemed an inspired choice at the time, disappointed in his role from the very beginning, by saying, then showing, that he knew nothing about economics. I suspect he disappointed himself. He is a good man. We hope, after a rest, he will be back. Yvette Cooper vanished into her Foreign Affairs shadow. She will be happier as shadow Home Secretary. Her replacement, Douglas Alexander, will be jolly boring. But Labour’s record at foreign affairs, with its endless wars and military adventures half baked and ill equipped, is even worse than its no more boom and bust spectacular.
Having said those nasty things, we think this is a much more credible Opposition now.