What is even more worrying still is George Osborne's breathtakingly complacent response to today's figures. This is a Chancellor who is in total denial. Ed Balls More Quotes by Ed Balls More Quotes From Ed Balls You could get a cheer by saying: 'Let's withdraw from Afghanistan', but I don't think that's where the public's at. It wouldn't be responsible. Ed Balls responsible cheer thinking Trying to cut the deficit too far, too fast isn't working. The government must adopt a steadier, more balanced plan to get our deficit down and take immediate action now to support the economy and create jobs here in Britain. Ed Balls cutting government jobs For the first time I'm free to be myself. Ed Balls first-time firsts The national deficit is not rising. Ed Balls deficit rising I will ask every government department to draw up a plan for civil service relocation outside London. And a Labour Treasury will set an objective for savings over the course of the next decade. Ed Balls saving london government I don't think I've ever sent a text to Gordon Brown because I'm confident that he would absolutely have no idea how to receive it. He barely managed to master WordPerfect 4.1. Ed Balls masters ideas thinking The thing about politics is to plan 10 years ahead, and assume every year is your last. Ed Balls assuming lasts years My mobile phone battery runs out all the time because all the messages come straight to me. Ed Balls batteries phones running Saddam Hussein was a horrible man, and I am pleased he is no longer running Iraq. But the war was wrong. Ed Balls running men war In 1925, when Britain went back to the gold standard, that was supported by the Conservative Party, the Labour Party, the Bank of England, the civil service, the CBI, the TUC, the Times, the Economist; that consensus was very strong. Ed Balls party strong gold I think three or four years ago, people would have said my biggest weakness was that sometimes I was awkward on television, with my stammer, but I think they'd say that much less now. Ed Balls people years thinking I would love to go on MasterChef. But while I really like cooking, I'm doubtful anyone would ever want to pay for what I'd cooked. Ed Balls cooking goes-on want It was a mistake. On the information we had, we shouldn't have prosecuted the war. We shouldn't have changed our argument from international law to regime change in a non-transparent way. It was an error for which we as a country paid a heavy price, and for which many people paid with their lives. Ed Balls change mistake war people I set myself one task, which was to get Labour on to the front foot, back in the game, making the weather on the economy, and that's going to take me a year. Ed Balls game myself me weather I'm a very loyal person and I allowed myself to be defined as somebody who was doing Gordon's bidding. I should have fought back harder to define myself at an earlier stage. Ed Balls person doing back myself We have come to the edge of the abyss and now it is time for a bold step forward. There is a political view that the tougher you are, the more credible you are. Ed Balls step view you time