Ed Balls may put himself about a bit, even break a little sweat, as a local MP and Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families but, he shows he's pretty useless at providing inspiration.
In a week when substantial parts of the region were underwater, Ed's face was splashed about in the media talking to the kids about their ideas to save the planet - particularly water solutions.
This forms part of an initiative called Little people, Big ideas with Yorkshire water 1).
It really ought be called Big people - no idea.
Kids can be extremely bright given the right stimulus but watching their video shows they've more been watching Button Moon than Tomorrow's World and this promotion more forcefeeding today's barren ecological values and indulging the kids than providing leadership or learning opportunity.
I hope the kids got shown around the place and saw what large scale technologies can do or, instead of indulging 'their quirky ideas' (one or two on the right track but mostly recycled mainstream ones, plus toys) show them the huge leaps being taken by the Chinese - 3 Gorges dam or the canal* that's to be as long as the UK, for instance. This is the sort of thing that will provide us with better living, even 'harmonising' with nature and developing newer means of coping with whatever it throws at us.
It's more than annoying to say that British inventors were once at the forefront of developing grand ideas yet today they are put on pedestals in opportunistic regeneration schemes and, worse, their very ideas laid blame for the supposed mess we are in.
We owe these pioneers a debt of gratitude and need to relocate them from 'renaissance' public space to their true place in history.
What could have been an informative and inspiring occasion for some of tomorrows civil engineers instead turned out to be New Labour's relentless forward pitching of themselves. It could be stretching things somewhat but it seems they have aspirations and diary dates up to *2018* and, further indulging my inner conspiracy theorist, wouldn't mind betting they're grooming the kids along the way.
Maybe not, but their tenure has seen a relentless loosening of faith in current society, if not humanity ie. the very people that make things work. Strangely though they don't seem to be inflicted with our curse - while their policy has roundly just about slagged everyone else off their halos remain intact. They may rob the past and have aspirations to lead us into the future yet have little idea in the here and now. Ed said as much at a patronise the public event in the local library, stating if he 'was Gordon Brown he'd take 2-3 yrs developing a new programme rather than dive straight in'.
As Brown's right hand man (and Brown firmly behind Blair) Ed's been right up there for the past decade - creaming billions in pension raids 2) and stamp duty and hand in hand with the missus cramming us into ever smaller and more expensive housing - if 'affordable' at all 3).
At his 'My life as an MP' promotion I asked him now that Blair has gone did he feel New Labour could progress or, given that he had never voted against him and that he and Gordon Brown were just as responsible for government policy, did he feel implicated and that his and the government's days were numbered?
His reply was pure Bart Simpson - 'I wasn't an MP when the war in Iraq started (no one saw me . . )' . . phew! Got out of that one easy enough, except my question wasn't particularly about Iraq. Given Balls' craven approach to leadership it's highly likely he 'couldn't possibly vote against Blair or else would be out of the cabinet' (sic) and therefore by that rationale would have voted; same as the missus
(maybe not and the reason they have two houses . . ? 4)
He gamely soldiered on giving some tenuous muse about leadership - the leadership that he and Brown's cabal craved for a decade and now want some 2-3 more years to develop. Blair's decade may be looked back on as "the good old days" (and him maybe due a return) and now we get some very awkward teenage years.
Balls does well with doublespeak - whilst giving the kids lessons in emotional well being he gives plenty to be angry about. Perhaps lessons in financial management should start with an analysis of his hand in the most costly of our affairs? On top of robbing us left, right and centre he urges wage restraint and leads by example - Wakefield's socialist MPs have opted for a 1.9% pay increase but Balls n missus claim £300,000 in expenses and more if they want to - nice work if you can get it 5).
Hold on to your piggybanks, kids.
(And get out your wellies.)
1)Young inventors aim to save the planet.
2)Moneyweek
3)Dear Ed and Yvette . . .
4)Ed Balls claims £27,000 subsidy for 2nd home.
5)Kerching!
*Also known as South-to-North Water Diversion Project but also discussed in negative terms as a conduit for invasive species.
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