Thursday 3 June 2010

Labour leadership rivals clash over "swinging rope"-gate

First it was Iraq. Then the language of New Labour.

Now contenders for Leader of the Opposition have disagreed over the merits of joint use of playground equipment in the name of a publicty stunt.

Andy Burnham, one-time health secretary, used a speech in the Commons to distance himself from the blunder when in government with Schools Secretary Ed Balls.

Burnham said in the Commons: "I rarely missed an opportunity to promote joint working between our two departments, although we can probably both admit now that jumping on a rope swing was, in retrospect, a promotional step too far."

At which point Balls, practising the new politics of positivity, said: "I enjoyed it."

But Mr Burnham abandoned the cost consensus to insist: "I beg to differ."

This contest is getting ugly.

4 comments:

  1. This contest is getting irrelevant.

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  2. "This contest is getting ugly. "

    NO.

    It always WAS ugly.

    Alan Douglas

    ReplyDelete
  3. The toys are starting to be thrown out of the pram.
    There are all welcome to each other.

    ReplyDelete
  4. I think we can now safely say, it's on.

    ReplyDelete