Ed Balls says he is not apologising for his stammer

Published on 06/12/2012 12:15

A DEFIANT Ed Balls has insisted he should not apologise for suffering from a stammer following criticism of his performance responding to the Autumn Statement.

The shadow chancellor said his condition occasionally “got the better of him”, but accused Mr Osborne of missing key figures out of his announcement in the House of Commons yesterday.

The Labour frontbencher seemed thrown yesterday when the Chancellor announced that the Government’s deficit was forecast to fall this year.

Mr Balls said: “What happens in the House of Commons when you are responding to that statement is you have none of the figures, none of the documentation, and you have to listen to the Chancellor.

“The outside forecasters were all expecting a rise in borrowing this year, because it has risen for the first seven months ... it was impossible to work out in that first minute or two what was going on.

“The reason is because the Chancellor decided to slip the money for the 4G mobile spectrum into this financial year but he did not even say that in the House of Commons.”