Ed Balls on Mumsnet: Shadow Chancellor says he is a 'long, slow burn' in the bedroom when asked about being named a 'sexy beast' by mums
Balls joked that a recent Mumsnet discussion on which politician 'would make the best lover' had made Ed Miliband jealous
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Ed Balls has described himself as a “long, slow burn” in the bedroom during an unusual radio interview on the subject of his sexual prowess.
Appearing on LBC Radio to celebrate his 48th birthday, the shadow Chancellor was asked about a recent discussion on Mumsnet about “which major politician would make the best lover”.
Asked if that’s “what happens with you Ed”, he replied: “Ahh, no: a long slow burn.”
Mr Balls said he would not speculate on what his wife, the shadow Home Secretary Yvette Cooper, thought about it all – citing Nick Clegg’s comments about sleeping with “[fewer] than 30 women” as an example he wouldn’t be following.
On whether Ed Miliband was jealous of the Mumsnet users’ verdicts, Mr Balls joked that it was “another example of a return to our Blair-Brown bad relationship – ‘I can’t believe you’re the sexy beast and not me’”.
One Mumsnet contributor nominated the London Mayor, Boris Johnson, as “the only one who knows how to have fun”.
Mr Balls said: “I’m trying to hold back on making any libellous statements at this point – but personally, I can say that I don’t know if Boris Johnson is fun in bed.”
The segments ends with Anne, a caller from Oldham, describing Mr Balls’ comments as “49 and a half shades of grey”.
“If you want to come in and fill in the other half you can any time,” he says – to which she replies: “No… no…”
The interview is ultimately conducted in good spirits, and host Iain Dale commends Mr Balls for fielding the questions while “avoiding a Natalie Bennett moment”.
But on Twitter, listeners' reactions to the shadow minister's comments have been a bit less forgiving.
Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this article
Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments