Balls: leadership bid 'crazy, destructive and divisive'

Last Modified: 01 Sep 2008
By: Gary Gibbon

The schools secretary, Ed Balls, says David Miliband would not consider a potential challenge to Gordon Brown.

The prime minister's office has claimed there are no rifts with the chancellor despite Alistair Darling's dire warning about an economic downturn.

'I don't think that he would ever do anything so crazy, destructive, and divisive'
- Ed Balls, schools secretary

But fellow cabinet minister, Ed Balls, says Britain is better placed than in previous recessions.

When this programme asked him whether the foreign secretary, David Miliband, had considered a potential leadership challenge, Mr Balls said he'd never do anything so "crazy, destructive and divisive".

Watch the Ed Balls interview in full

Talking to Channel 4 News today, schools secretary, Ed Balls, rebutted any suggestion that he might be positioning for Alistair Darling's job.

"That is complete and total nonsense," he said. "What I am focused on is the long term reforms our country needs to delivery opportunity, and tackle inequality for children."

Asked whether he thought David Miliband's leadsership bid had flopped, he replied "I don't think he was making a leadership bid".

"I've known him (Miliband) for very many years and I know that he is a sensible, rational, sane politician and a good guy," he said. "I don't think that he would ever do anything so crazy, destructive, and divisive and that is why I am totally confident that's not what he was doing".