Ed Balls on Andrew Marr

I feel I should relate what I saw this morning on Andrew Marr's Sunday morning show. It was the spectacle of the marvellously-named Ed Balls (our schools minister, in case you were wondering) trying to talk up the government's prospects.

There would normally be nothing unusual in a government minister being postive about the government, but there are two things which set this example apart: the fact that Ed Balls is one of Gordon Brown's oldest allies; and the fact that he could hardly bring himself to read from his internal script. For Mr Balls couldn't stop himself stumbling before words which he clearly didn't believe. Phrases such as "Gordon Brown has done really... well" and "the economy will grow ... stronger" really troubled him.

It must be hard to be part of a doomed government. Especially one which came in on such a high, and took on such a solid economy (whatever Gordon might tell you). Indeed, taking on a new leader seems to have made things worse, rather than better. But then, he was hardly new.

The next 18 months (which we will probably have to wait for a general election) will probably prove very entertaining. Despite the fact that we know who will win.