Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

Balls: I'd love to be Chancellor

Sadie Gray
Thursday 26 March 2009 01:00 GMT
Comments

Your support helps us to tell the story

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.

Your support makes all the difference.

The Children's Secretary, Ed Balls, has said he would "love" to become Chancellor and, if given the chance, lead the Labour Party.

"Would I like to be Chancellor at some point in the future? Of course I would. I'd love it," he told the New Statesman, before going on to say he had opposed suggestions he should be Chancellor in 2007. "I said at the time I'd never been in the cabinet, that I didn't think it was right for me to be Chancellor. That I wanted to go off and do a cabinet role of my own. And actually it was very good for me to have a policy area that wasn't about the Treasury," he said. "I don't want to change job. I'd rather carry on doing the job I'm doing. Alistair and I go back a long way and... I only have respect and 100 per cent support for him."

On rumours he would succeed Gordon Brown, he said: "I'm not going to say that I don't want to be leader of the Labour Party... But if I ended my political career not being [leader], would that be a failure? Absolutely not."

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in