Balls's

The reflex action of Diane Abbott MP, condemning the court of appeal and backing Ed Balls's decision, illustrates again the authoritarian and populist bias of the Labour party.

Letters: Justice served by the court of appeal in Sharon Shoesmith ruling 2011

James Eadie QC, appearing for the government, defended Balls's actions to the appeal court, saying urgent action had to be taken following Ofsted's "ghastly findings" uncovering "dangerous" failings in Shoesmith's department that threatened local and national confidence in effective child protection.

Appeal court to rule on council sacking after Baby P's death 2011

Labour's ex-future leader was there to show Miliband how to do opposition while the chancellor braced himself to play the smirking picador to Balls's raging bull.

Ed Balls to George Osborne's rescue 2011

Will he install him as shadow chancellor, or risk his wrath – and further intra-family turbulence – by choosing Balls's wife, Yvette Cooper, instead?

How Labour's family saga has changed the party Toby Helm 2010

Osborne and Balls disagree sharply on how to tackle the deficit, but believed Balls's intimate knowledge of the Treasury would have allowed him to harry the coalition relentlessly.

Ed Miliband rules out personal tax rise from Labour deficit plan Patrick Wintour 2010

The 19-part policy review is too bitty to give any real direction, while Ed Balls's recent call for an emergency VAT cut looks too opportunistic, clouding Mr Miliband's previous suggestion that he would rather see the deficit being closed through more taxes as opposed to expenditure cuts.

Ed Miliband: The long and winding road | Editorial 2011

Up until now, criticism of Balls's painful endorsement of the government's clampdown on public sector pay has prompted only attacks from unions not affiliated to Labour.

Ed Miliband leading Labour to destruction, says union chief 2012

He acknowledges as absolutely reasonable Balls's assertion that he cannot decide now on spending commitments or which cuts to reverse.

Ed Miliband leading Labour to destruction, says union chief 2012

But McCluskey says that Balls's "sudden weekend embrace of austerity and the government's public-sector pay squeeze represents a victory for discredited Blairism at the expense of the party's core supporters".

Ed Miliband leading Labour to destruction, says union chief 2012

Balls's Bloomberg lecture, warning Britain was making an historic economic mistake by pursuing over-aggressive fiscal retrenchment, drew praise from surprising quarters, such as Boris Johnson.

Six steps to a better Labour business policy Julia Finch 2010