Of course school lotteries are unfair, Ed

Labour hates kids – see the link in the bar above – but at least Ed Balls, one of the more likeable cabinet members, has a very different attitude to children.

The future Labour leader, and his sweet wife Yvette, whilst both public school educated, have sent their delightful kids to state schools.

Balls was the minister who, as a dad of young kids, reacted emotionally to Baby P’s murder and the Haringey shambles. He got it right then, though he didn’t on the economy, which he advised Brown on.

And now Ed Balls says school lotteries, as introduced by idiotic upper class councillors in gritty Brighton, are not fair. Spot on.

Empathy is a good thing in politics. If a little Balls kid lost out in the lottery, Ed and Yvette would be gutted. Wouldn’t we all?

Brown’s protege is likely – if not Alan Johnson – to be the Labour leader facing PM Cameron in the 2015 general election (unless Brown goes before then to be replaced by Balls or Johnson).

After the pain of the economic depression and some dreadful Iranian war inspired by the recently defeated President Obama (which President Jindal has got to sort out), a fresh-faced Ed Balls and his lovely Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer wife and those photogenic state-school-going kiddies would be tough to beat.

If Balls calls it right on the many other issues of education and especially society and the economy, he could make this reality.

Whatever happens, the Tories need to raise their game – and not be a toady to Obama (as Bliar was to Bush), given that the Yanks have caused much of the economic and foreign policy mess that we will face for years to come.

Maybe Pres Jindal will invite PM Balls, or PM Davis, to speak at congress too?