Paul Waugh at Lah'n's Lah'n E'h'nin Stannah: I know, I know, the very idea of Ed Balls admitting defeat on anything is a concept as hard to grasp as string theory.

I've just read an article reporting that Ed Balls is trying to warn of cuts in education and that headteachers need to trim their budgets, especially primary school heads. If your not involved in schools this might sound fine to you, but I can tell you the government has until very recently been giving schools a hard time about not spending enough money ! And why won't the schools spend ...

We have, of course, got it all wrong about Gordon Brown's Downing Street, as Ed Balls, a deeply lovely man himself, with nothing but kind words for all about him, has corrected us. The BBC reports him thus - Schools Secretary Ed Balls also told the BBC he did not "recognise this atmosphere" of alleged bullying at Number 10. "Jeremy Heywood, who is the top civil servant, said the opposite was true ...

Two related points, worth repeating. The first from Ben Brogan: "Mr Brown is on surer ground on a narrow point, in that in all likelihood he did not explicitly order his Eighth Circle chums to unleash hell against Mr Darling. Then again, he didn't need to. His reaction to the Chancellor's Guardian interview will have had the required Henry II effect. If Dave wanted some sport [in PM...

Schools Secretary defends Government's record ahead of release of official figures.

SCHOOLS Secretary Ed Balls was accused of "cowardice" after Westminster amended sex education legislation following opposition from religious groups.

As Pete points out, the longer the bullying story runs the more chance there is that the public sympathise with Brown, as they did over the Jacqui Janes story. Now Ed Balls is playing the sympathy card for his mentor, saying that Brown has been deeply hurt by these false allegations. Whatever next? Damian McBride breaks his retreat in a seminary and says: “Brown’s the loveliest man I&#...

Gordon Brown is "very upset" about allegations about his behaviour towards staff, his close ally Ed Balls tells the BBC.

Tomorrow afternoon The Times’ excellent School Gate blog, run by Sarah Ebner, is playing host to Ed Balls. The schools secretary says his "principal focus" is that "every child gets the best possible start in life, that they are safe...

CHILDREN'S Secretary Ed Balls has defended his decision to keep details of a review into the case of the torture of two young boys under wraps.