Ed Balls told to take clearer line on budget deficit

Shadow cabinet members are privately expressing concern that Ed Balls needs to adopt a more clearly defined position on the budget deficit after recent statements that have left many of them confused.

The debate has been given greater force by a shadow cabinet meeting a fortnight ago in which the shadow chancellor bluntly warned colleagues that even under a Labour government there would have to be serious cuts, leading to bleeding stumps in the subsequent parliament.Balls also added that it would be impossible for any government to achieve the scale of cuts currently promised by George Osborne if the Tories won the election.