Parenting Hell with Rob Beckett and Josh Widdicombe - S7 EP18: Ed Balls

Episode Date: September 22, 2023

Joining us this episode to discuss the highs and lows of parenting (and life) is the former politician turned broadcaster - Ed Balls. You can listen to Ed's new podcast 'Political Currency' HERE Parenting Hell is a Spotify Podcast, available everywhere every Tuesday and Friday. Please leave a rating and review you filthy street dogs... xx If you want to get in touch with the show here's how: EMAIL: [e-mail] INSTAGRAM: @parentinghell MAILING LIST: parentinghellpodcast.mailchimpsites.com  A 'Keep It Light Media' Production  Sales, advertising, and general enquiries: [e-mail] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Hello, I'm Rob Beckett. Hello, I'm Josh Winnockham. Welcome to Parenting Hell, the show in which Josh and I discuss what it's really like to be a parent, which I would say can be a little tricky. So, to make ourselves and hopefully you feel better about the trials and tribulations of modern-day parenting, each week we're chatting to a famous parent about how they're coping. Or hopefully how they're not coping. And we'll also be hearing from you the listener with your tips, advice, and of course, tales of parenting woe. Because let's be honest, there are plenty of times when none of us know what we're doing.

Looking for a collaborator for your career, a strong ally to support your next level success, you will find it at York University School of Continuing Studies, where we offer career programs purpose-built for you. Visit continue. York you. to the today. Back to school signals a fresh start for students. New classmates, new teachers, new lessons. Change is in the air.

But one thing hasn't changed. The forward government still isn't investing in public schools. new lessons. Change is in the air, but one thing hasn't changed. The Ford government still isn't investing in public schools. Six years of cuts mean our students aren't getting the supports they need. They can't wait another year. If the Ford government won't change, it's time to change the government. Our kids are counting on us. Join us at Building Better Schools. the the tea. A message from the Elementary Teachers Federation of Ontario.

Craving a getaway this fall, you're invited to explore the colors of New Brunswick.wiwark. Our backyard is your playground, and in fall, it's a breathtaking experience. Start planning your New Brunswick getaway at Tourism NB.C. Hello, you're listening to Parenting Hell with Lucas. Can you say Rob Backeit? What? Bacchett? And can you say Josh Widdickam? Well done, darling. Lovely. Who's that, Josh?

Hi, Josh and Rob. I was late to the party and now almost caught up. I usually listen on the way home when Lucas is asleep in the car, thinking that way he won't pick up bad words. However, when I got him to do this intro I said Josh and he said Whitacum, so it seems to be listening subconsciously. Love the podcast, keeping being sexy and relatable, Abby two, three, nine, two months from Chester, Lucas two and a half years. Lovely stuff. Chester. the th. th. L. L, lovely, lovely, lovely, lovely, lovely, lovely, lovely, lovely, lovely, lovely, lovely, lovely, lovely, lovely, lovely, lovely. L. L. L. L. L. L. L. L. L. L. L. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. tho, th. th. th. th. th. to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th, th. the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the th. th. tho, the. the the. the the the. the. the. the. the. to to to to to to to to tho. tho, th. ester, nice place. Oh, it's glorious, isn't it, Chester? Did you ever do that gig up there? There's Chester? Alexander's. No, the laugh, the laughing.

Oh yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah, the laughing. Yeah, yeah. I don't think it's here anymore, is it? No, it is good. Can I ask a question? Yeah. Has your daughter, your son's probably a bit young, tried to be on Roblox yet? No, but her friend who's got older siblings does it? Yeah, so my daughter, well it's weird though because they both got shown Roblox by older kids, friends and my oldest doesn't care less, the youngest is banging to it. Talk me through what Roblox is. It, it. It, it. It, it. It's, the their, their, th, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, you th, you th. Has, you th, you th, th, th, th, th, th, has th. Has, has thi, has th, has thi, has thi, has thi, has thi, has thi, has th. Has, has th. Has, has th. Has, has th, has th, has th, has th, has th, has th, has th, has th, has th, has th, has th, has th, has th, has th, has th. Has, has their oldest doesn't care less. The youngest is banging to it.

So taught me through what Roblox is. Robox, you create a little character, looks like a little Lego person, and you run around, you basically buy Robux with real money, and that opens access to buying clothes, houses, and you can create your own little world. It's like an open world where you can build a house, you can build, but you have to buy it all. So you have to unlock different software packages to build and then you can make friends on it. It's almost like a social media sort of platform where your friends can hang out with you

in your house you've built. Right. And it's all online as online world. She was on it and then we deleted it and then we'll deleted the back on it and so I tried to log in that to set up a new profile for it and when you have a profile you have to have like a unique profile name you're not allowed to use your own name so it gives a bit of yeah like an online avatar alias thing so I said oh what name do you want and she was like, yeah, that's gone as well. What about, um, Violet, Violet, Violet, oh, yeah, that's gone. She was what about Violet, one, two, three?

Oh, yeah, you wish. No, um, so. So I think the oh a exclamation mark underscore yeah yeah she was crying so much I just want to be called Emma I was like what the fucking Emma's got it oh Emma's a fucking Dwee wouldn't she if she's the nerdiest Emma and the tea the person has got Emma on their roadblocks it's like if you had your phone if you had your phone my phone phone consistently secure passwords to me that are fucking mental.

As if you, and then it makes it really hard to just put your own it, mate. I can't, I can't live like this with passwords anymore. There's a password for every, and now you buy something in a shop. Do you want me to email the receipt to you? No, I don't have sign up to another email because you're not saving the planet by not printing off. You just want my fucking details, you little data harvesting scum. Fuck, I bought a pair of pants. I don't want to give my email address over. I hate it. You know what I had the other day Rob? It was a real blast from the past. Oh, I felt this felt like the old dazed. I needed to get a receipt from my taxi journey journey. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to the to to to to to to to to to to their. Rob. Rob. Rob. the their. Rob. their. their. the old dazed. I needed to get a receipt from my taxi journey. Yeah. Yeah. Because the train terminated in Reading and so I can go home and the TV company said just get a taxi and bill it back to us.

Yeah. I forgot about this. I said can I have a receipt. He gave me a paper receipt and he said, put whatever you want on it. I love the way they say that to you because it's like they don't these taxi receipts they never like they've not ever got their name address and VAT number on no it it's it's actually like taxi cab yeah yeah it's a post it note with a taxi cab written on it yeah yeah anything to do you a massive favor I know I was thin I was th is is it it it it is it is a th is a th is a th th th th th th th th th th th th th th th th th th th th th th th th th th thi th th th th tho I was tho I was tho I was the the the tho th th th th th their their their their their their I their I their I their I their I their I their I their their the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the they thi thi thi thi the the the the ty. ty. ty. ty. ty. ty. ty. ty. ty. ty. I ty. I ty. I they to do your massive favour? I know. I was thinking about this because I was trying to think because I was listening to an interview Damon Orban unsurprisingly he doesn't have a phone. And they said how did you do it and he said just started leaving at home and eventually, but you're like, but maybe he just lives a life where he doesn't have to do these things. Do you know what I mean? Yeah, because you, so like if I tried to go out for the day without my phone, the main problems would be paying for parking. Yeah. So if I was going to the gym, all my gym's now on a phone thing. Yeah. I don't really go to the gym.

And the parking's free there anyway. So it's absolutely. Maps. Dr. to the to drive. the.'t be able to get anywhere or part when I got there. But if you just wanna go cashless and phoneless, you've got no chance. Do you know though, Rob? Do you know who would be an expert in this? The former shadow chanstroarad balls. That's nice, lovely stuff. Can we ask, I tell you what, we should ask to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to be, to be, to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to be, to be, to be, to be, to be, to be, to be, to be, to be, to be, to be, to be, to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to tho, tho, tho, tho, tho, tho, thr, thr, thr., too., toooooooooooooooome, tooome, too., too., too., too., too.., too. need to we should ask him yeah let's chat about your kids but also why is everything digital yeah what you try to get from us yeah you watch what are you guys what are you guys up to up in government yeah but yeah

Ed Balls now we're gonna ask Ed Balls can't we see the full-time host of that show no no it sort of splits so you've got you've got you Piers Morgan's gone Caput yeah Maidley's on there a lot. Adil Ray. He pops up, Ben Shepard. Ben Shepard. Who else? It's a tough gig that I can't do. I'll speak of a day, right? I'd rather just just work a normal hour job, please. So, so our kids now, my daughter now does swimming at 7.45 a.m. we have to drop her off before school to do swimming at this swimming club thing. It's so early. I was going to my mate about it. His mates mate whose kids go to that big old posh, old school, sort of posh school where they do water polo, water polo. And his water polo is on at 6.m. A. Polo, in the morning. And fuck that. And they do water polo three times a week and they have to go to West London's do water polo at nine o'clock.

You're not going to be a water polo player and even if you are, there's no money in it. But that was like, why have they got to go to West London to do water polo? I was like, oh, because they've made. No one's playing water polo mate. Corsion in the county team. Oh my God, I am not going up at 6.20 for that. If comedy are gigs or at 6 a.m. I wouldn't be a comedian. I can't operate. I'm so lucky that comedy's in the evening. I just couldn't do it. My dream tour though, Rob, would be gigs at 3 p.m.

No. For me, perfect would be th 3 p.m. No. Yeah. No, for me, perfect would be 20 minute drive for my house, 11.30 a.m. start, and then the hour and art, yeah, yeah, yeah, I've finished about 2 o'clock. That's me done. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah, I take it my best. Yeah. Yeah, actually.

I am bearing.. I am bearing. I'm better. I'm. I'm. I'm. I'm. I'm. I'm. I'm. morning, but my morning is about 10 11, that's when I start to really start firing. But I'm at, it's 1037 hours, I'm really sticking it into football, you know. I reckon your fans are loyal enough, book your next tour for 11 a.m. every theatre. And just do Bromley. Just do Bromley. Churchel. If I did a residency at Brom. Brown Brown Brown Brown Brown Brown Brown Brown Brown at Brom. If a their their their their their. I their. I's are their. I's are their. I's are. I's are. I's. I's. I's. I's. I's. I's. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I'm. I'm. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. think. I. I. I. I. think. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I., 11 a.m. Monday to Friday. How many tickets do you think I'd sell? I don't think you'd sell as many as you'd hope. I don't think I'd sell as many as if I traveled around.

I'm not, you know, the Peter K level. No. I didn't shuffling out to 20 people in a 70. Well, do you know who'd know about their. their. their. their. to to their. to to to to to to their. to to to their. to to to their. to to to to to to their. to to toe. toe, toe, toe, toe. toe, toe, too. too. tooome, tooome. tooom. tooom. tooom. tooom. toe. toe. toe. toe. toe. toe. toe. toe. t. t. t. t. t. t. t. t. t. t. t. the. the. the. the. the. the. the. the. to. to. to. to.e.e.e.e.e.e.e.e.e.e.e.e. to.e.e.e.e.e.e.e.e.e.e.e. toe. that. You keep trying to get into Ed Balls, aren't you? Yeah. I want to ask him as well, how they answer questions at 6 a.m. on the radio and on good modern Britain when the politicians are getting asked. Because now he's on the other side of it. Yeah. So he must know the things to do to annoy him. Yeah. they just go you're lying about that I just I'm Rob I want to eat something before we interview Ed Balls it's 22 minutes to interview Ed Balls. Okay let me go and eat something right here's Ed Balls. Can I just say I just had a text you'll

love this Tom O'Hara who is the publisher of our new podcast my son is just start a school where Josh Radikut was the quiz mart at her parents p quiz recently I spent the entire evening being delighted and how funny my son's reception teacher was. Oh there we go. So there you are. So he thought that you were the teacher? He thought you were the teacher. I'm not sure what that says about him. That is a real kick in the teeth. So let's get this straight. Your friend thought that thrown. ththe he he he he he he he thin thin thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thin. the. theat theat is theat theat theat theat is theat is the. the. the. So, the. So, the. Oh, the. Oh, the. Oh, the. Oh, the. Oh, the. Oh, the. Oh, the. Oh, the. Oh, the. Oh, the. Oh, the. Oh, the. Oh, the. the. the. the. the. the. the. the. the. So, the. So, theeeeeeeeeeeea. So, thea. So, thea. thea. theea. thea. the. the. friends thought that Josh Winnocken was a quite a funny teacher. They thought he was surprisingly funny for a reception teacher. I'm not sure what they thought he was doing. I mean quite why you was kind of chairing the pub quiz in such a sort of, you know, a bulient fashion. I've no idea. Yeah, I'll take that. I'll take that. I'll take that. I'll take that as a that as a that as a that as a that as a that as a good that as a good that as a good that as a good as a good as a good as a good as a good as a good as a good as a good as a good as a good as a good as a good as a good as a good as a good as a good as a good as a good as a good as a good as a good as a good as a good as a good as a good as a good as a good as a good as a good as a good as a good as a good as a good as a good as a good as a good. Definitely. Definitely. Definitely. Definitely. Definitely. Definitely. Definitely. that as a good. that as a good. that as a good. that as a good. that as a good. that. that's a good. before Christmas. Oh, we tell him. You love that, Josh. Ed, how involved are you? First of all, how old are your kids?

And how involved are you with the school in? So, I think when they were at primary school, I took him to school and picked him up. Any quizzes? Actually, I t probably quite a lot of parents will understand. It was a Monday morning and my oldest daughter was five and we did the whole school walk and she had a lunch and a bag and we arrived there and we got to the gate. And it was locked and we stand outside for a bit thinking what's gone wrong.

And then a guy comes around and says, I'm really sorry, it's half term. We had absolutely no idea. So it was shut. But the things was bad about the story is the following Monday. Is it's the following Monday. Yeah. A wee later, I went confident that you know you could only make that mistake. the gates early. the same thapaping thine thine thine thine thine thine thine thi, you thi, you thi, you thi, you thi, you thi, thi, thi, I thi, I thi, I thi, I thi, I thi, I thi, I thi, I thi, I thi, I thi, I thi, I thi, I thi, I thi, I thi, I thi, I thi, I thi, I thi, I thi, I thi, I th. I thi, I th. I th. I th. I th. I th. I th. I thi, I thi, I thi, I thi, I thi, I thi. I was thi. I'm thi. I'm thin. I'm thin. I'm t t tttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttoday, I'm thooooooooo. I'm thi.this is totally true. And again, and this time I didn't believe it, so I'm rattling the gates, thinking they've shut the gates early. And the same guy comes out and says, in Saturday. I'm believe. And my daughter, honestly, H5 said to me, dad she said,

could mom take us to school next month? I was, I was, but it turns out not about that. Yeah, that's bad. How old are your kids said? Our kids now are 24, 21, and 19, girl. So I imagine though, 20 years ago, the shared Google calendar wasn't really happening, was it? It's a bit more like the emails and stuff coming in. How much was online, because now, I've tho, you thi the thi the the the the the the th stuff coming in. How much was online? Because now I've got about five different apps about when my kids are in school, off school. You can download calendars to your phone

and stuff like that, but that weren't happening then, was it? This was well before any of that. I didn't get an iPhone until our oldest daughter was 16. And back then, I think I probably had got a blackberry, but blackberries you used for messaging or for texts or if you were a drug dealer for arranging your meetings because there was a whole sort of BBM thing wasn't that? Yeah, yeah. But I never worked out how to use the calendar. So we never used an online calendar any time I was in politics. It was always paper based.

Was it? Because Tony Blair didn't have a mobile phone, thone. Gordon Brown didn't do emails until later later. the the the their. their. their. their. the. the. the. the. toe. toe. toe. toe. the email. toe. toe. toe. toe. toe. toe. toe. toe. toe. toe. toe. toe. toe. toe. toe. toe. toe. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I..................................................................................................................................................... Brown didn't do emails until later. When Gordon Brown discovered the email was a catastrophic moment in the life of the nation because he suddenly realized he could, you know, if you work up early, he could carry his thoughts more widely. Yeah. But when this is honest with you, when we arrived in government in 1997, so the beginning of the Blair government, none of us had ever used email for anything. We didn't use any email because it was so early on a a a a a the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the of the Blair government, none of us had ever used email for anything. We didn't use any email because it was so early on in email and also we had this view that if you wrote something down in the email and then sent it into the interweb, then somebody might get it and expose you and that would be a disaster.

So we did everything on paper. So when we got to the Treasury in 97, the Treasury had moved over to doing everything electronically a couple of years before they were early. And I had this box of papers which I was given in New Spokes to work on them and send back comments. And I had for the first three months a tape recorder, and I used to turn on the tape recorder and say on this paper, this is emails. And you were running the country. We were running the country. Into the bloody ground.

I don't know if that's true or not. I just thought it was funny to put it in there. Yeah, but I think actually not at the time, but that was Lego. No, I'm joking. Central Crisis were still 10 yearsieving at the time earlier. Yeah fair enough. What was it like Avette Cooper's your wife who's shadow home secretary at the moment and so are your your diaries really intense? What's it like for parenting when your you know shadow ministers? I think that it's when things go wrong that it's a disaster but

but then nothing that was true for all parents really that you have a system and our systems had to be quite complicated because you to be to be to be to be to be to be to be to be to be the the to be to be the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the their shadow their shadow home their shadow home their shadow home their shadow home their shadow home their shadow home their shadow home their shadow home their shadow home their shadow home their shadow their shadow their shadow their shadow their shadow their shadow their shadow the their shadow the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. thi thi thi that that that that. that. that. that. that. that. thi thi thi thi thi thi. thi thi thi th but then I think that was true for all parents really, that you have a system and our systems had to be quite complicated because you had to be able to cover votes in the evenings until you know getting home late at night. But you remember in 2001 when there was the train crash at Hatfield and all of the north-south trains suddenly everybody went really risk of us and the train time went from being like like like like like like like like like like like like like like like like like like like like like like like like like like like like like like like like like like like like like like the like the like to like to like to like to like to like to like to like to like to like to to to to to to to to the to the to to to to to to to the to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to the the the the the the the the the the the the the the. the the the. the the the the the the the the the the. the the the. the the. the the the. to to the.verse and the train time went from being like two hours to Yorkshire where we lived to like four four and a half hours and we had no choice and so we just used to get these really really long trains with young kids so those times where it became much more stressful but I think fundamentally life is about having a good mother-in-law if at key moments you can make the clue. So Evett's

mom was a teacher for head of math for 20, 30 years but she was retiring about the time our first child was born and she said to us you know would we like her to do like a couple of days a week and we said we didn't really because we needs to get some paid child care but if she could come one day a week, but instead if we could have the second day in reserve so that any time when things weren't wrong, you could ring, kind of ring grandma. Oh, that's good. And I think that is, I mean, you know, a supportive mother-in-law.

Yeah. So you lived up in Yorkshire, was that your constituency or a vet? So you lived up in Yorkshire, to the the thia, thia, thia, thi. And, thi. And, thi. And, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, th. So, th. So, th. So, th. So, th. So, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, to thi. So, to to to to to to to tooooooooooooooooooooooom. So, thi. So, thi, thi, thi. constituency and then it became my constituency later. Mine was next order to a vet so she was elected 97, me not to 2005. For the time I was elected we had all the three children but we lived in London from like Sunday night until Thursday night and then we all moved up and we all moved down every week. So all of the children went up and down every week. And what did they they do for school? So they were in school in London primary school, to, to, to, to, to, the school, the school, to, the school, the school, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, to be, to be, to be, to be, their, to be, to be, to to to to to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their their their their their their their their their, their their, their the.e.e. Wea, School, but to begin with they were a nursery school up there on a Friday and then because you know we had to be in parliament during the working week. Yeah. And so I would, you know, take small kids up to Yorkshire every Friday. It was really interesting. I don't know whether this kind of corresponds with what you see with, talk to other people, to other people. Tarker. The th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. tho, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, tho, tho, tho, their, their, their, their, their, their, to the, to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to th. And, th. And, th. And, th. And, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, th. th. the, the, the, the, the, the, their, their, their, their, their, their, to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to there was a real difference between the gendered attitude of men and women on trains to people doing child care. If a vet was traveling up with a push chair and their government box

and they were two kids on a Friday afternoon, all of the men would look at her with kind of great support and sympathy but they'd never offered to help because it was mainly men on the train at that time going home, you know, it was mixed but it was more th but the the th, but the men on the train at that time, going home. You know, it was mixed, but it was more men than women back then. Whereas if it was me, you'd get to about, you know, somewhere north of Grantham. And some guy in a suit who'd been away all week and was looking forward to get home, to their kids, would lean over, and say, and say, and say, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, where, where, where, where, where, where, where, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to me........... to me, to me. to me, to me, to me, to me, to me, to me, to me, to me, to me, to me, to me, to me, to me. to me. to me. to me, to know, nurse by men on the train. They never offered to help a vet, always offered to help me, getting the bags down.

Wow, that's fascinating. Because I think what it was, and it was the same with women, women and men would offer to help me because actually I think I probably looked a bit desperate and also they didn't feel like it was an affront but to offer to help a vet might have been a criticism so people didn't do it. Right, yeah. If we ever were done on a Monday, nobody offered ever. Because then what they were doing was they were doing got to work. So they shut the door, yeah, the kids behind. Our oldest daughter had this toy telephone, which you know, at aade, and then her phone would ring and she'd be, you know, be mimicking a mom and dad. And on a Friday afternoon, all the commuters would smile

on a Monday morning, they complained, hated it. Oh, God, this bloody mobile phone. Shutter up there. It said because that's why your constituency was up there. So that why you that why you that why you that why you that why you that why you that why you that why you that why you that that that that that their their their. I thi. I thi. I was their. I was thi. I was thi. I was thathea. I was their their their. I was to to to their to their their their their their their their their. their. their. their. their. their. their. their. their. their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their thi. thi. thi. to to to to tooome. tooomorrow. toe. toea. toecoe. toe. toe. toe. toe. toe. th.. th. their their th. So that was an MP for Normanton Pontifract Castleford in West Yorkshire just to the east of Leeds and then I was the MP for the next door seat which was called Morlian Outward so South Leeds North Wakefield. And is she still the MP for that presumably? Yeah she's been the MP now. So do you still go there every weekend? We do. It changed when thoo. thi. to to to th th th th thi the to to to thi to the to thi the to to the to the to the to the the to the the their their the their their their the their the the the to the the the the to to to to to to to to to the the to the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the. the. theat. theat. theat. ne. nea. nea. nea. nea. nea. nea. toea. toea. toea. toea. toea. the the the the things happened. One, I lost my seat in 2015, as you know, so suddenly I didn't have the same work reason to have to go all the time. And also as the kids got a bit older, their social life shifted a bit and they ended up with more friends from

school here. Yeah, yeah. You know, Evet goes every weekend for three days, four days. I don't get every weekend. But we have a Ukrainian family and family, us now for a year and a half so there's always somebody at home. There's always Bosh or something dumplings about to be provided. That's how it works. And do they have kids, the Ukrainian family? They do know. Well the actually it's a brilliant story. Evett was doing for Rob Burrows, they strictly come dancing, fundraiser promoting neuron disease. And it turns out there is this big network. I never really knew about this, a network between the north of England, Ballroom dancing world and Russia and Ukraine. And it sort of makes sense because Katja who I danced with in St. Petersburg, who come over.

Yeah. And we heard about this family, it was actually two families where the 10-year-olds were, you know, the top 10-year-olds in Ukraine at Borem dancing. One dad was in the military, one was in kind of in logistics. Both families had had to leave Ukraine in a real hurry because they were living in Kiev and the bombing was happening, and they were separated. And so they couldn't practice. Their dance partnership was shattered by the war. And a vet hears his story and she got on their their their their their their their their their their their their their their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, was, was, was, was, was, was, was, was, was, was, was, tomorrow, was, was, was, was, was, was, was, was, was, was, was, was, was, was, was, was, was, was, was, was, was, was, was, was, was, was, was, was, was, was, was, was, was, was, was, was, was, was, was, was, was, was, was, was, was. And, was, was, was. And, was, was, was, was, was, was, was, was shattered by the war. And I bet hears his story and she got onto it. And so one of the families, which is the mom, the older brother, and the 11-year-old who dances, come and live with us. And the other family, which was an older daughter, the younger son,

went and lived about 10 minutes away from us in Casaford. And they've lived there now for, what's it now, 17 months, 18 months? And they go around their their their their their their their their their their their their their their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, and their, and their, and their, and their, and their, and their, and their, and their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, th. We. th. th. th. today, today, today, today, today, th. th. their, th. their, their, their, the country and the world. They've been to Amsterdam, to Blackpool, to the south of England competing dance competitions, and they practice in our back garden, in our sitting room, in a local church hall in Chassaford. Amazing. But they are, they are astonishingly good. It's amazing. And so we were able to put them back together again. And what do they make of your gangnam style? I have showed them. Not on the first day, they go back to King. I think I think no words, I'm not sure what no words is in Ukrainian, but they said it. I told them it was a sulcer and that was a surprise to them. Right. It wasn't totally obvious from the steps. So they, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I the, I the, I the, I th, I th, I thi, I thi, I their, I thi, I th. th. their, I've their, I've, I've, I've, I've, I've, I've, I've, I've, I've, I've, I've, I've, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I their, I their, I their, their, their, their, their, their, th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. thed was a surprise to them. Right. It wasn't totally obvious from the the steps. So they, you know, I'm sort of tolerated. It's quite nice because you get to a certain point. Our kids are now slightly at the age where despite my best efforts, I'm not as embarrassing as I used to be. So how old were they were the thi. How old?? th. How old were th. How old were the kids? the kids? the kids. How old were the kids? How old? How old? How old? How old? How old? How old? How old? How old? How old? How old? How old? How old? How old? How old? How old? How old? How? How? How? How? How? How old were the kids? How old were the kids? How? How? How? How? How? the kids? the kids? the kids? the kids? the kids? the kids? the kids? the kids? the kids? the kids? the kids? the kids? the kids? the kids? How? How? How? How? How? How? How? How? How? How? How? How? How? How? How? How? the kids? the kids? the kids? the kids? the kids? the kids? the kids? the kids? the kids? the kids? the kids? the th. th th th th th th th th th th th th th th th the the the the th the th the kids? the kids? the kids? the kids? th then? Oh then it was terrible so our youngest daughter was 13. Oh my my word! Oh my word! And so old is one of his it was like 17 and 15. Oh no!

17 and 15 year old ones were able to to come to the show. Yeah. We've been incredibly careful you know because we were both in politics and to keep them the their theyme, they were theyme. So there was never photos of they'd to be a a a a to be a to keep. their. their. their, their, their, their, their, their, th. their, their, th. th. th. th. their, th. th. th. their, their, their, th. their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, th. th. th. th. th. Oh, th. Oh, th. Oh, th. Oh, th. Oh, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, th. Oh, th. Oh, their, th. th. theea. their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, th was never photos of them. They sat separately from Evette on the live show so that nobody could have pictures of them but they were able to be part of it but our 13 year old. Just too much shame didn't want to come. No she wasn't allowed to because they had this insurance order. You couldn't go to your 14 so she was not allowed to come she wasn't there there to the therefore the therefore that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's that's the their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their thing and you know dad's supposed to be embarrassing I just like massively overachieve in that author. You did it all at once. Did you consult them before you did it? I don't think I... Not gangnam style I mean the show. Well I'm like sigh I'm telling him as well. No I mean to be honest I was against doing it. But that was the person who said to do it so that's why I did it. She said you lost you you you lost you you you you you you you you lost you lost you lost you lost you lost you lost you lost you lost you lost you lost you lost you lost you lost you lost the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the th th th th th th the the the their their their their their their their their their their their the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the th th the th th is th is th is thi thi. thi. thi. thi. the tho tho tho tho tho tho tho thoo. tho tho tho thi thi the what else is there to lose? Jesus. You're not bringing anything in the house. No, she said politics is wild, go into it.

And I then rang Jeremy Vine, who'd been on it the year before. And he said it was the best thing I've ever done. It was the most life-affirming thing. He said, Eddie said, if you ever want to be governor of the bank, the bank, the bank, the bank, their, their, their, their, their, their, to, to, their, to, to go, to go, to go, to go. to go. to go. to go. to go. toe, toe, toe, toe, toe, toe, toe, to politics. to politics. to politics. to politics. to politics. to politics. to politics. to. to. to. to. to. to. to. to. to. to. to. to. to. to. to. to. to. to go, politics, politics, to go, politics, go, go, go. to go. to go. toe, go. toe, politics, politics, go. toe, toe, politics, toe, toe. toe. toe. toe. toe. toe. toe. toe. toe. toe. Politics is toe. Politics is toe. toe, politics is toe, politics, politics, to, go and enjoy it. And he said his kids had enjoyed it. And I think actually, in the end, mine did. I was banned, though, from going to parents' evening for two years after Strickland. So that's actually a carrot that for me to dangle. I know, I'm saying, because, see, the complication for our kids have been, I was secretary of a bit embarrassing for 11 or 12, the Secretary of States here.

So I was told that I was allowed to come, but never in a suit. You've got to come wearing a casual clothes. That was fine until Strickley. On Strickly, you're suddenly not in a suit, so I was just entirely banned. She just can't come at all. So a vet had to go and then make notes. I think the only reason I'd end up going on strictly would be my children demanding it. Do you know what I mean? Well, I can't see that happening. No, I can't see that. Not like 13, 15 and 17.

But I think it's what definitely does. But in a way which is simultaneously good and worrying. Because the thing people would always say to me is after strictly, I mean, in the street, I even get it now. People come up to me and say, are you Ed Balls? And I'll say, I used to really, really hate you. They say, but I don't anymore. And you sort of think, okay. I know you mean that nicely, but the other thing is that then they'd say, we always knew you a politician. It's good to see you've now become a human being. And actually, the idea of politicians not being a human being is kind of like a dangerous thing, you know, because in a democracy, if the non-human people are the only ones willing to be politicians, what kind that there's a two prism of glass, which is really thick or bigger politician. And what strictly let me do was step outside of it for a bit,

and so people see you in a different way, maybe in a more clear way, I don't know. I don't know. The other thing I learned something I'd never done in my life. If you're a politician, in some ways it's the same for you guys. It's always you on stage. Do you know what I mean? Whereas if you're an actor, you put yourself to one side and play a character, a role with a costume and everything else. Yeah, you don't take it too personally because you're one step away. And I'd never done that before my life. So I realized this what I had to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to be. to be. to be. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. I was, th. I was, th. th. th. th. the th. the the the the thi. their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their. their. their. their. their. I'm their. I'm their. I'm their. I'm th. I'm the. I'm the. I'm the. I'm the. I'm toeatea. I'm toea. toea. toea. toea. toea. toea. toea. toea. their. toe. their. their had to do. So they said to me, third week, actually we had a problem. In the third week I was supposed to do Great Balls of Fire for a movie week, but the trouble was, if it says to me, on the way home on the Saturday night, about one in the morning, she went on the Wikipedia, she said, you do realize you're supposed to play great balls of fire. They wanted it because of flaming piano. that, but the the the the the the the the the the the the the th. the the th. the th. th. the the the th. the the th. th. th. th. the thi thi thi thi the thi thi thi thi the thi thi thi thi thi thi the the the the the the the the thi the the the the the the the the the the the the the the thi the the the the the the the the the the the th. th. the th. th. the th. th. th. thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi tri tri. tra trou trouble trouble trouble trouble trouble trouble trouble trouble trouble trouble trouble trouble trouble trouble think that makes you the pedophile and catch you the 12-year-old. And I'm not sure this is a good look.

So we decided to sort of bad idea. So I rang them and said, I don't think I can do play porce fire. So then they said, in that case, how about doing the mask? And I thought, well, well, only only only only only only only only only only only only only only only only only only only only only only only only only only only only, their their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their thing I ever did. The following week was Pasadoblay where they asked me, I mean, I was basically dressed as a pearly queen and I couldn't work out because they'd said to me you've got to be macho because Pasadobo is really macho because Pasadoble is really macho because when I did. I did it in rehearsal, you know, in front of all the producers they just all felt about it the tap and the the the the the theyan...... Some. Some. Some. Some. Some. Some. Some. Some. Some. Some. Some. Some. Some. Some. Some. Some. So I's toe, toe, toe, toe, toe, so I was, toe, toe, I the to me, to me, and the the the the the their, I their, I their, I their, I was. And I was. And I was. And I was. And I was. And I was. And, I was. And, I. And, I. And, I. And, I. And, I. And, I. And, I. And, I. And to. And to. And toe, I. And toe, I. And toe, I toe, I toe, I toe, I toe, I'm toe, I'm toe, toe, toe, toe. And, toe. And toe. And, toe. And, toe. And, toe. And, toe. And issues. So then I said, can I be the dad from the Incredibles? Because he sort of camped and macho.

Yeah, yeah. I never got it right. It was a catastrophe. It was a total disaster. You sound like you're really into it. I imagine I'd just turn up and be told what to do and for 40 hours a week. That's too much. If you don't do the rehearsal, you just collapse because it's really hard to get it all in your head. Anyway, the kids thought it was really embarrassing.

They've gone from like super serious dad where you're in the broadsheets and people are going to hate you, I love you, that's right, that's wrong. And like you say, you're all being Ed Bulls when's when, the, the, when, when, when, when, when, the, when, when, the, at work and what you think and you're trying to get your ideals into policies and stuff. So that is you. And then all of a sudden they see you in strictly. How did they feel when they saw you being a super serious politician person? Was it quite a stressful household or, you know, because it feels like you're going off to be interviewed on the news and it's all, I'd be worried, I'd be worried, I'd be worried for my parents if they're going on to be questioned and you know. I think it's partly because, I mean, see for them, this was all they knew.

I mean, Evett was the first ever government minister to have a baby while a minister. So all the rules about maternity leave and all of that, she just had to make up because, you know, the civil service said, you know, I'm afraid your employer authority to tell you because you are just like a crown minister. How is she the first minister to have a baby? That's mad. They've never ever been a minister. Nobody had ever had a maternity leave. All the issues about how do you work out how to go away for a period and then come back again when you could then could that all out themselves. But on the other hand, what it meant was, you know, I remember the children being really little and, you know, two-year-old saying, where's mom? And I'd say, there she's just point

at the TV. She's on breakfast TV. She said, oh, fine. She'll be home in a bit. And so they just knew that that is what we did. The mom. Tmmmmmmmmmmmmmm. T that that that that that that that that is, that is what that is what that is what that is what the moment. T that is what that is what that is what their their their that is that is that is that is that is their the mom. their their th. T that is their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their th. th. th. the. the. tode. today. today. today. today. today. today. today. today. today. today. today. today. today. I think obviously that changes as they get old and become a more aware, but it was on the one hand, we totally shielded them from it because we just made this decision from the beginning that other than the baby photo, they could never become part of our political story. So there's no election materials. Our oldest daughter put it incredibly powerfully when she went to secondary school. I must remember her saying that she said, she said, when I walk across the playground I want to be me first, not the daughter of cabinet ministers. And we had a duty to find a way to allow her to be herself in that way. On the other hand, she'd always been part of it. So, you know, she was knew the conversation at home when things went wrong, you know, often there would be TV cameras out their their theto get arrangements to get them out to go to school without kind of... So how does that work then if you're the paparazzi you're outside a politician's house

because there's a big story breaking and you're going right, I've got to get the kids to school. So does someone go out and say put them on our election leaflets then it's much harder then to to be hard lined about it. I think it's really difficult if you are you know the rural family or if you're the prime minister because then there is a public expectation to see your family. But I think for everybody else there's a real cost. So if you'd become Chancellor, do you think you'd have had to show your family at that point? I think we would not have done, because I think that's how we had done things all the way through.

So we wouldn't have done the photos with us outside the house and we wouldn't now. What that then means is if you've got a big scandal happening or a big problem, or whatever, thiiiii. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thin, thin, thin, thin, thin, thin, thin, thin, thin, thin, thin, thin, thin, thin, thin, thin, thin, thin, thin, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, th. So, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thin, thin, thin, thin, thin, thin, thin, thin, thi, thi, thin, thin, thaaa. thaaa. thin, thaa. thaa, thi, th lots of times, you can have somebody go outside, often we'd have to ring to get somebody to travel over from wherever they were, to come into the house, then they would then go out again and they'd say to the media, whoever was there, that the children are going to come out to go to school and can you not film that. And I would say 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 percent th. 100 percent thi thi, 100 percent thi, 100 percent thi, 100 percent thi, 100 percent thi, 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100. full cooperation. That's fascinating. Yeah. There's never been a photo of our kids. There was one time where we had a huge problem, I think I can say this, Evette's driver was arrested for child sex offenses on his computer. Oh my god. And so we find out about this, they get a phone call to a vet's office first of all to say this had happened and they wanted to talk to the children because had the children been in the car with this guy when I had not been in the car with him

so we had to kind of go through this whole kind of complex process talking to them about it and then three or four days later we get a call from one of the papers to say we have reason to believe that this has happened that a bet's driver, your children are involved. So I immediately ring Daily Mirror editor at Walsh and say, just so you know, there's no public interest in this. Kids are not involved, they're only little, their primary school, you've got to protect them. And they say absolutely, absolutely. And it was never written in any newspapers.

But on the Saturday, three that they were pictures of your children have been in which was ridiculous. So we kick in this whole process. Lawyers talk to the mail on Sunday telling them what they can and can't do. Big argument, the mail Sunday saying there is a public interest. In the end they wrote a story on page 10 about the driver and the car. They never mentioned the children or the names. They played by the the the the their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their. They their. They were. They were. They were. They were. They were. They were. They were on. They were on. They were on. They on Sunday. They on Sunday. They on Sunday. They on Sunday. They on Sunday. They on Sunday. They on Sunday. They on Sunday. They're the driver and the car. They never mentioned the children or their names. They played by the rules. And the front page splash of the mail on Sunday that Saturday night Sunday morning was Charles Clark, Ed Balls must be sacked. Where did that come from? I said too bit. How has that happened? And she said, I think you've just taken one for the kids. Basically to get their revenge. They wrote the story straight on our kids kids. me instead, which is, you know, in politics,

that's kind of what happens. But so even in that one, which is our most difficult occasion, we managed to stop the children and their names and their photos being in the papers. That's fascinating. But you can't do that if you have, if in an easy time, you pose a difficult time, yeah. You can't in a difficult time, then somebody say, their privacy, there's no public interest because people say, well, you know, that's what you've, so we've always been very careful about that.

And they also, obviously for that reason, their surname's Cooper. Oh, right. There's no other reason. You don't need the balls following you around here. Oh my God, can you imagine? No, you know, that was easiest decision of my life. I think we should go for, you know, a common surname, don't you? But I think we should, yeah, I think we should. To new friends. I don't find them that pleasant to be around.

I guarantee you won't want to leave. Speak no evil is filled with teeth clenching, seek clawing suspense. Something's not right with him. I've always wanted to family like yours. James McEvo will scare you speechless. Oh! You're going to kill us. We're just sad to see you go. Speak no evil.

Only in theaters now. I'm not going back to university to be your friend. I'm going so I can get Uber 1 for students. It saves you on Uber and Uber eats. I'm there for zero dollar delivery fee on cheeseburgers, up to 5% off smoothies and 5% Uber cash back on rides. Just to be clear, I'm there for savings, not whatever you think university is for. Get Uber won for students, a membership to save on Uber and Uber eats.

With deals this good, everyone wants to be a student. Join for just $4.99 a month. Savings may vary, eligibility and member terms apply. When did you have that conversation then? Was it like before you had kids? Like, how did it come up? I thi thi th th th th to have to have to have to have to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to their to to to to their to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to toooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooer., too like well before there was even any prospect of kids, I think to be very, very early on. I grew up in Norwich where we had. Oh yeah, Big Norwich fan, aren't you?

Yeah, Big Norwich, I had a page of the phone directory, whole page, balls. I mean, thousands of them. I'm thousands. And thousands. We were were were were were were were were were were were were were were were were were were were were were were were were were were were were. We were were were. We were were. We were were. We were related. We were related. We were related. We were related. We were actually. We were actually. We were actually. We were actually. We were actually. We were actually. We were actually. We were actually related. We were actually related. We were actually. We were actually related. We were actually related. We were related. We were related. We were related. We were related. We were related. We were related. We were related. We were related. We were related. We were related. We were related. We were related. We were related. We were related. We were related. We were related. We were related. We were related. We were related. We were related. We were related. We were related. We were related. We were In Norwich, never. No, no, we were unrelated. What am I saying? I'm playing to the blood. Six fingers, three balls. Oh, yeah, come on.

There was another family called Balls. We were totally unrelated to them. It's totally unrelated. We moved to Nottingham. We go, to go from a whole from a whole, to a whole, to to to to to to to the whole, to the to to their their to their to their to to their. their. to tho. to to to to to to to to to to thoom. to to to their. thoom. to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to. Six. Six. Six. Six. Six. Six. Six. Six. Six. Six. Six. Six. Six. Six. Six. Six. Six. Six. Six. Six. Six. Six. Six. Sixtho. Sixthoom. Sixthoom. Sixthoomboombooomboooooooooooooooombou-s. Six fingers. Six fingers. Six fingers. Six fingers. Six fingers. Six fingers. Six fingers. Six fingers. th. Six fingers. Six fingers. th. th. th. So what is this Norfolk name of Balls? Every three times you pick up the phone, there'd be somebody there going, Balls! Ah! Hang up. Oh, because they seen it in the phone brag?

Well, how many times can you put up by that? There was one time though, it was like semi-final and there'd just been this terrible foul of the goalkeeper against the striker. You remember that? You could have taken, siders him out, phone rings, I pick it up. Somebody says, is your name balls? I said, God's sake, it's just been this foul. What are you doing?

We got alive and watched it. I hung up. on and never felt the bad about it. The earning point. But did they ever discuss taking your name at marriage? No. No. No. No, no. No, no. No, no. No, no. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. the name had been the thin. I don't think she'd have taken it. I don't think she'd have to. I never would have. I never would have proposed it either. It's. I. I. I. I. the the. the. th. th. th. th. th. th. to have. to have. to have. to have. to to to to the to to to to the to to to to to to to to. I to. I to be th. I to. I to. I to. I to. I to. I to. I to. I to. I to. I to. I to to to to to th. I th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. the the the the the the the the the the the the th. I the th. I th. I the. the. the. the. the. the. the. the. the. toe. to. to. to. to. to. to. to the. the. the. the. to happen. I never I never would have proposed it either you know it's fine. You're quite an enforcer Ed. You've got to you know I've read up on a lot on politics and there's periods where you are you're considered someone who you wouldn't want to take on would that be the same as a father? Oh no I don't think so. I mean the thing is there's always a bit of caricature in politics and you know if you're bigger or bulk bulk bulk bulk bulk bulk bulk bulk bulk bulk bulk bulk bulk bulk bulk bulk bulk bulk bulk bulk bulk bulk bulk bulk bulk bulk bulk bulk bulk bulk bulk bulk bulk bulk the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the they. they. they. they. I they. I's th. I's th is. I's. I's. I'm thea. I'm. I thean. I'm. I'm thea. I'm thean. I'm thean. I'm thea. I bulkier in the House of Commons, cartoons important but you know there's also some truth in it I mean I look back on my time in politics there were times when we were definitely too macho when we were younger and I sort of regret that and you know

I'm doing this podcast with them George Osborne which we're just about to to start which I'm sure you're mentioned yeah and but we both say to to to to to to o, too bruiserish, and we both feel as though that's something that you regret. But I don't think I ever was at home with the kids at all. You never brought it home. No, I think, um... I don't think I've ever looked at George Osborne. I don't think he's guy's just too matcher. The problem is I can't connect with a tough guy like that. He said he was too macho and I sort of met along with it. Do you remember that time when he stood in that match where it's comfortable with his legs turned them?

He's really far apart. It just looked like he's got the wrong underwear on. My favorite politician photos are rolled up, are the sleeves, are the sleeves, around a table, jacket off, sleeves rolled up, like even though you know it's an air-conditioned office, the sleeves are rolled up just to show that they're cracking on. So when you are doing that, are you thinking, they must know what we're doing here, surely? Don't you think that in life, you can tell the people who are posing and the people who are kind of try and do it for the cameras but they always look a bit awkward and a bit weird. Yeah, was that the people who are Matt Hancock basically? Yeah, whereas if you think the people who actually are relaxed to their own

skin tend to look relaxed when they're being photographed as well? they're the. the Kennedys and the 60s, they were like the first people who had this sort of, that sort of informal style of photography around him, the family, the White House. And it looks really natural because I think it was. Yeah. Whereas Gordon Brown always looked like, he hated having his photograph taken. Soonak looks like he's desperately trying to be a normal person. Like how would a normal person stand? How would a normal family go on this? Because obviously they live a mad life. It is difficult for them to try and pretend to be normal, I suppose. It is hard. I mean, the other problem with

photography and politics is that these days you can have so many options and you choose one. I played football in the every Monday party conference in the the the the thapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapapap. to. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. th. And th. And th. And th. And th. th. th. th. And thi. And th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. I th. I th. I th. I th. I the th. I the the th. I th. I th. I th. I th. I th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. I th. And th. And thi. And thi. And thi. And the the thi. And thi. And the thi. thi. the the thi. the the the the thi. I look. I the thi. in the kind of MPs versus the journalists. Oh I've seen the photos of you playing football. And you'd have five snappers behind the goal and they would take like 5,000 photos. And what you know is if it was Wayne Rooley playing, you know, a man united of the 5,000, of the 5,000 pictures, they would think what. Where is it? It's politicians of the 5,000, which is the one which he makes you look the biggest trap. And it was just every year and you just have to sort of, you know, take it on the chin. I mean, you know, a warm-up, always a nightmare.

You cut someone's eye, didn't you? You elbowed someone. You elbowed. not actually, no, no, no, no, he threw himself at my elbow. Honestly, he was that way around. I was turning to shoot, and as I put my arm out to shoot, I didn't realize he'd had stitches until after half-time. I mean, I felt bad about it in retrospect. But at the time, I just thought, why did you block my shot? It was totally undelivered. Not even one of you just stood still waiting for the ball. Every photo is like a mad action shot. There must have been loads of them, but they all got cut. You must have stood still once.

Honestly, the athletic, brilliant ones, they never make the papers. They're not the ones who sell. No. It's just life. Yeah, that is life, isn't it? So Farishi, see now, it's hard. It's hard. the editors. the editors. the editors. the editors. the editors. the the th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. to. to. to. to. to. to. to. to. to. to. to. to. to. to. to. to. to. to. to. to. to. to. to. to. to. to. to. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. to. to. to. to. to. to. to. to. to. to. to. to. the. the. to. the. to. the. to. to. to. to. to. to. to. to. to. to. to. to., actually, you know, of course the editors are always looking for the worst photo if it's politics. Which Prime Minister would you prefer as your parent?

As my parent? That is a really... Oh no, let's just do it another way. You've got to leave your kids with one of our Prime Ministers for the week? Who do you think is going to be the biggest laugh. Biggest laugh. No laugh or just the best parent. I think I think Gordon Brown would have been very focused on my moral direction. I'm not sure if I would say that necessarily makes him the most fun. But if you left you had to leave your kids their third you know eight nine and 12 for the week

with one of the prime ministers. I mean I would have said David Cameron might be quite fun but he left his kids in a pub. Do you remember did he leave his door to the pub? He gave off with a child his promise so he's out. Boris? Boris? It would just think there is. There's a few of them. I mean I don't think they are his but no no definitely not Boris. they'll just think how much damage can be done in that short period of time. Tony. There. There. There. There. There to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to their their their their to their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their. There's their. There's. There's. I their. I their. I their. I. I their. I. I. I. I their. I. I. I. I their their their their. I. I their tod. I today. It's. It's. It's today. But. But. But. But. But. But. But. But. But, I to me. But, I today is a today is a their their the but no, no, definitely not Boris. Can you imagine? I think how much damage could be done in that short period of time. Tony, Blow. I think Tony Blair would be, would be. Liz Truss, let's not forget Liz Truss, she wants the Prime Minister for a bit. Oh my, she's just done an interview about how she failed because of a left wing

establishment. establishment conspiracy and the left wing establishment includes the Bank of England. I think if that's left wing, oh my God. So no she's out. I'm actually struggling to be here. I think I might go Tony Blair. I might go Rishy. I'd argue though anyone that gets to that level of their job surely being a parent's not a high in a priority. You've got to be completely obsessed with that position and progress to get there. Surely you've got to put yourself before being a parent to get to that highest level, or can you do both? I don't think you would ever speak to anybody who's done politics, who doesn't say I look back and regret that I didn't spend more time with my kids, and there's times when... Alista Campbell said that that's..... That's. That's. That's. That's. That's. Alas. Alas. Alas. Al. Al. Al. Al. Al. Al. Al. Al. Al. Al. Al. Al. Al. Al. Al. Al. Al. Al. Al. Al. Al. Al. Al. Al. Al. Al. Al. Al. Al. Al. Al. Al. Al. Al. Al. Al. Al. Al. Al. their. their, th. their, their, th. their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their. their. th. the. the. the. the. the. the. thea. thea. thea. their. their. their. their. their. their. times when... Alista Campbell said that to us. Well, that's exactly right. And the priority, the imperative, and I think one of the really important things that Avet and I had, because we were both in it, was we're both really good at understanding when

the other person had to deal with a real problem. And so you just say, you've got to do that and I'm taking the kids to pizza, the their.s, their.kip, their, their, their, their, and I, and I, and I, and I, and I, and I, and I, and I, and I, and I, and I'm, and I'm, and I'm, and I'm, and I'm, and I'm, and I'm, and I'm, and I'm, and I'm their, and I'm, and I'm, and I'm, and I'm, and I'm, and I'm, and I'm, and I and I and I and I and I and I and I and I and I and I and I and I and their, and I and I and I and I and their, and their, and their, and their, and their, and their, and their, and their, and their, and their, and their, and their, and their, and their, their, their, their, they.k.k.k. their. taken.k. th. taken. th. th. th. th. the not real and you could say you don't need to do that, that's not a priority, we should put the family first. And we were kind of good at policing ourselves to try and make sure we put the family right. But I think that all the prime list I've known have really worried about it and cared about it. A Gordon Brown totally devoted to his kids. I think the same was true with David. their. their. their. their. th. th. I. I. th. th. I. th. I was, I was, I was, I was, I'm, I'm, I'm, I'm, I'm, I'm, thi. thi. tho, tho, tho, tho, I'm, I'm thi, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, th. tho, we're, we're, we're, we're, we're, we're, we're, we're, we're, we're, we're, we're, we're, we're, we're, we're, we're, their, I'm, their, their, their, thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. tot, tote. tote. tote. totally, tote. tote. tote. totally, totally, totally, totally, were, totally, Cameron, with Tony Blair as well, I'm sure it's true of Rishi-Sunak. And because of the fact that they will be worrying about getting it wrong... Just skip Boris. No mention Boris. He doesn't even know who his kids are. He was their kids are. The George Osborne saying to me, he and David Cameron tried to get Boris Johnson to come back into the cabinet. He. He, he, he to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to his to his to his to his to his to his to his to his to his to his to his to to his to to the to to to to to his to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the th.a. the the. the. the the the the the the the the theaugh.a.a. the. the. the. toean. toe. toe. to to to to get by us Johnson to come back into into the cabinet. He couldn't afford it. His alimony. His child support list was so big. It was so expensive. I mean, I don't think anybody knows. Maybe he's doing the ultimate what you're doing. You have never named your kids a photograph.

If he doesn't know who they are, then they can never be in the paper. Maybe he's doing it right. I know, he's thi he he he he he he he he he he he he he's he's he's he's doing he's doing their he's doing their their their he's doing their he's doing heat's doing their heat. Maybe heat. Maybe heat. Maybe heat. He's doing thi. He's doing heat. He's heat. He's he. He's he. He's he. He's their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their th. He's th. He's th. He's th. He's th. He's th. He's th. He's th. I's th. I's th. I'll th. I'll th. I'll t. I'll t. I'll toge. I'll togu. I'll is. I'll is. I'll is. I'll togu. I'll tog. I'll is. I'll ttoday. I'll today. I'll ttt I do know, you know, my kids are. I've definitely got a handle on that. If we got him on this, it'll be a short start. Yes. On George Osborne, you and George Osborne have parked your tanks on Alistair on Alistair Campbell and Rory Stewart's lawn. No, we haven't. Of course we have it.

Everybody says, you know, to use economics terms, the podcast market is not saturated. There's room for more podcasts, people who listen to one of listen to two or three or four, and people who listen to yours, then go on to another one which you talk about. And Alastair Campbell and Rorys is really popular. They talk a lot about foreign affairs. Has he sent you any abuse yet? Has he doesn't like competition? He got quite abusive towards us us Yeah. Well in that case I should be worried he's not sending me enough abuse because maybe he's not thinking we're going to be big enough competition. He sent me a message that's Friday saying when is it launching good luck with it and give me a couple of tips. That was very kind of him. What were his tips?

Because we could double check to see if he's not frying you under seasoned podcasters ourselves. Did he say don't post regularly? No, he'd do it very slapdash. Don't mention it on Twitter. He said there's no need to get on with your podcast person you're doing it with because nobody cares about that. Agree. Yeah. He said don't worry about the list of taken for granted. Yeah. I've actually tried to find his text. But it was basically, um, I think you've always always to to to to to to to the to to to to to to the to to to to the to to to the thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi thi the to to to to the the the the the the to get to get to get to get to get to get their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their thi. the. thea. thea. try. try. try. try. today. try. try. try. today. try. try. try. the. the. think you've always got to try and keep it fresh and keep it new and be thinking of the next thing you go on and to do. And I think the thing which we will do, which he actually said to be. So it's you and George Osborne chatting about the politics and what's been going on.

So is it weekly or is it you take certain things? It's weekly every Thursday and starts this week. we'll do a bit more economics than Alastra and Rory do because we were both in the Treasury, he was Chancellor, as economic advisor, I shared a Chancellor, but we'll also still be quite about politics. And I think that compared to the Alastair and Rory one, we'll probably be a bit more insider because George and I were there a lot longer than Rory was kind of on the inside decision-making and we'll talk about you know what's big in a the the the, the the, the the, the the, the the, the the, thin, thin, thin, thin, thin, thin, thin, thin, thin, thin, thin, thin, thin, thin, thin, thin, thin, thin, thin, thin, thi, thin, thin, thin, thin, thi, thi, thi, th, th, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, is is is still, is still, is still, is still, is still, is still, is still still, is still still still still still still still still still still still, thin, thin, thin, thin, thin, thin, thin, thin, thin, thin, toee is tooooi, toooi, tooi, is tooi, is toooi, toei, thauui, thaui, is thin, you know, what's big in politics, what's the big thing happening which is going to affect the next election and the economy, and then maybe the thing which people haven't spotted is going to be a big deal, which we'll try and highlight. What's that? What's that? What's that? What's that? What's that? Well to... I don't think, I mean, George Osborne maybe, I'm not really the right person to give you advice on investing,

although I'd be quite careful about crypto if I were you. But you know, there's been a big rise in all prices at the minute, what does that mean? How's that going to affect inflation? What will that mean to fuel duty prices? Is it's going to be more more more more more more more more more more more more more more more more more more more more more more more more more more more more more more more more more more more more more more more more more more more to be more more to be more to be more to be more to be more the to be more to be more the to be more to be more to be commitment to keep fuel duty down? They're gone, aren't they head? They're gone, this government. It's over. I think it's really hard to recover from what happened with Liz Trust last year. Do you remember in 199? I'm not sure you do remember, you're probably too young, but in 1992, Black Wednesday, when interest rates went up to 15 percent in one day when we left the exchange rate mechanism. It was like a catastrophic day. I don't think the John Major government ever recovered from that. And for three or four more years, it felt like there was going to change, it was going to happen.

And that moment a year ago when they did a budget and they had to reverse it all and suddenly interest rates started surging up, the markets went wild. People who were renegotiating fixed-term mortgages, their mortgage rate was going up one, two, three percentage points. That hit. And that continues. Well, it's going to continue this year, isn't it? And actually, real-time impact, as opposed to. Yeah, and it's really hard to look.

What the difference is, back in 30 years, everybody had floating variable mortgages. like now, lots of people have their mortgage fixed for one, two, three years. People are renegotiating the mortgage like every week. There's new people getting a new mortgage and they suddenly find out that the rates have jumped up. So it may be your three-year deal doesn't end until November. On November you're finding out you're paying a lot more, or next March. So the impact of what happened a year ago with the rise of interest rates, people are going to feel that economically over the next year. And if they're feeling economically, they feel it politically too. So we'll see, I think it's really, really hard for the conservatives to be reelected. I think it's unlikely, Rich Sotomayor, I think it's more likely now Kier Stam has going to be

his prime minister. If he hosted a quiz would they go this new reception teacher is really quite surprisingly funny like they did with Josh Winnika. So I actually saw him yesterday. Yeah. Yesterday we had the launch of one of my new, you know, one of the things about being a father's you have to find new ways to embarrass your kids. Yeah. And so we decided to form, it was Robert Peston's idea, a post-punk band. Oh my word. Both centurist dad. Oh my head, Ed, no, don't do it to your children. I'm getting stressed just hearing about this, go on. It's you and Peston. Yeah, we only started three months ago. John Wilson, our cultural life, son of Bob Wilson, on bass, Chris Tadle, on guitar. We start with the drumming. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. Ed, Ed, Ed, Ed, Ed, Ed, Ed, Ed, Ed, Ed, Ed, Ed, Ed, Ed, Ed, Ed, Ed, Ed, Ed, Ed, Ed, Ed, Ed, Ed, Ed, Ed, Ed, Ed, Ed, Ed, Ed, Ed, Ed, Ed, Ed, Ed, Ed, Ed, Ed, Ed, Ed, Ed, Ed, Ed, Ed, Ed, Ed, Ed, Ed, Ed, Ed, Ed, Ed, Ed, Ed, Ed, Ed, Ed, Ed, Ed, Ed, Ed, Ed, Ed, Ed, Ed, Ed, Ed, Ed, Ed, Ed, Ed. Ed. Ed. Ed. Ed. Ed. Ed. Ed. Ed. Ed. Ed. Ed. Ed. Ed. Ed. Ed. Ed. Ed. Ed. Ed. Ed. Ed. Ed. Ed. Ed. Ed. Ed. Ed. Ed. Ed. Ed, Ed, Ed, Ed, Ed, Ed, Ed, Ed, Ed, Ed, Ed, Ed, Ed, Ed, Ed, Ed, Ed, Ed, Ed, Ed, Ed, Ed, Ed, Ed, Ed, Ed. Ed. Ed. Ed. Ed. Ed. Ed. Ed. We start with the Ramones, Clash. What's your role in the band?

I'm the drummer. I'm the drummer. We ended with our last song with teenage kicks, undertones, but before that our penultimate song was the Sex Pistols. Robert Peston singing, I am an anarchist. I am the Antichrist. I am the Antichrist of the singer at the York Rye Street party. And as we're looking out out out out out out out out out out out out out out out out out out out out out out out out out out out out out out out out out out out out out out out out out out out out out out out out out out out out out out out out out out out the the the the the the the to to the to the th. the th. th. th. th. th. the the the their. their. their. th. tian. tian. tian. tian. I was. I was. I was. I was. I was. I was. I was. I was. I was. I's. I's. I's. I's. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. t. t. t. t. t. t. t. t. t. t. t. t. t. t. t. t. t. t. today. today. today. t. today. t. t. t. today. today. today. today. It. I. t. It. It's. tests was a singer at the York Rye Street Party and as we're looking out onto the crowd of the hundreds, the throng who had come to see the centuries dad in their launch. Standing together was Edmullaband and Kear Stam. Oh, brother. Both bopping away because they both live basically in this street. Yeah. Kirstam has sent me a text after and say you UK. Did he not? It's very careful. Very, very wise. Very wise. Very wise. Miller Light. The light beer brewed for people who love the

taste of beer and the perfect pairing for your game time. When Miller Light set out to brew a light beer they had to choose great taste or 90 calories per can. They chose both, because they knew the best part of beer is the beer. Your game time, tastes like Miller time. Learn more at Miller Light.CA. Must be Legal Drinking Age. Your mom hates it when you leave six half-full glasses on your nightstand.

It's a good thing mom lives on the other side of the country. And it's an even better thing that you can get six IKEA 365 plus glasses for just 999. So go ahead. You can afford to hoard because IKEA is priced for student life. Shop everything you need for back to school at IKEA today. And so is he, what's he like as a dad? I think he will make a lot of time to make sure that his kids have time and come first. And I think one of the hardest things to do is carve out that time, but you've got to. And I think he does. And I know his wife pretty well as well, Vic, Do you think Centrist's dad are going to go on to some bigger gigs or is that one gig

and done? I think I set the bar low but our kids were slightly surprised on the upside. I found a photo. If you type in Robert Peston's singing it's actually worse than you playing with me. Which is hard to say it, Ed, no offense. But how tip was the drumming looks great. I can't I can see you there. I'm in there. You're drumming under a gazebo behind Peston. Oh my God I've drummed so hard I got a blister on the left finger. Did you? Yeah it did actually. It was I don't know. I mean maybe the end and the beginning but who knows we may get we may get rebooked. Where did your kids think of this Ed? They are totally against the name. to be to be to be the to be the to be to be the told. the told. their. their. Ed. Ed. Ed. told. Ed. told. Ed. Ed. told. told. told. to to to to told. Ed. Ed. Ed. Ed. Ed. to th. to to to to to to to to to to their their their their their their their. I their. I their. I their. I their. I their. I their. I their. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I. I th. I. I th. I th. I th. I th. I th. I th. I th. I th. I th. I to th. I to to to to to to th. to to th. th. I th. I to to the the the th. I the th. I th are totally against the name Centrist Dad. Like it's like really, really embarrassing and ridiculous.

They weren't totally sure of the song list. I said, look, I wanted to do Duolipa or Lizzo, but unfortunately Peston couldn't do it. He wasn't in his range. So we had to return to the Smiths because that is a bit more comfortable for him. Did he do the Smiths? Yeah. He did Morrissey? He did heaven knows him with all now. Oh my word. For the bit of syncopation on the drums.

Imagine if you were just walking past and you saw this happening. No, this is what happened. Event said she was standing like three-quarters and she said all the time we're playing, people get walking past and saying, And people are genuinely mystified. It was surreal. How can this possibly... There's a video, Ed.

Do you know there's a video? There's a video, there's a video? There's a video. There's a video. Oh, right, yes. We had a discussion on Good Morning Britain this morning about, it was a video. Should you be a thooe, their discussion about good're singing or whatever, should you be able to say that you want the audience to be quiet, not talk, not sing along? No, I think at that point you've lost the crowd.

If you're having to tell them to sing along or be quiet. That was the argument. We had this brilliant response from that she was absolutely, called Roetta. She was absolutely, it's a good. days. Oh my God, she totally laid into our other guest who had done the etiquette thing, Lucy May Walker. I can say to you, there was no worries about etiquette during centrist dad's set. Sing, talk, dance, anything went. Well, it looked like it went pretty well to be honest with the videos. Camden New Journal, if you want to see a zoomed-in shot of Ed Miliband front and center. I know as he said I said I I I I said I said I said I said I said I said I said I said I said I said I said I said I said I said I th. th. th said I th said I th said th said th said th said I th. to th. to th. to th. th. th. th. to to to to to the the to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. the. the. the. the. thean. thean. too. too. tooe. too. tooed was. too. thea. the. the. the keep trying to kind of up it my until this moment I think my best one was climbing Kilimanjaro with Little Mix.

So that wasn't embarrassing they would love that wouldn't they? Well no actually my son said just don't not get to the top of Little Mixed. Oh yeah God. Because do you think how badger they're talking about? They're trained athletes. They're the fittest 20 year old women in the world. What are you on about? Please don't let me down. And did you also say to that I'm just going away to climb a mountain with the fittest 20 year women in the world? He did. And there's a charity attached, eh? Don't you're a charity don't in the world. And he said, little mix and Danny Dix and Danny d' and Danny d' and little mix and little mix and little mix and little mix and little mix and little mix and little mix and little mix and little mix and little mix and little mix and little mix and little mix and little mix and little mix and Danny d' a little mix and Danny d' a little. I I I I I I I'm. I'm. I'm. I'm a little. I'm. I'm. I'm a little. I'm. I'm a little. I'm. I'm. I'm. I'm. I'm. I'm. I'm. I'm. I'm. I'm. I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I. I. I. I'm. I'm. I'm. I'm. I'm. I'm the. I'm the. I'm the. I'm just. did. Did. did. did. did. did. did. did. did. did. did. did. did. did. did. did. th. th. th. th. th. the the Danny Dyer, not the old guy, the Danny Dyer, not the proper Danny Dyer. Oh, it was her, not the dad. You know, the Danny Dyer, not the old guy.

So there's just you and 20-year-old women, Ed. And a few, Alexander Armstrong, Dan Walker, so there's a few of us. And the other thing I've done which is in the same category is I played the banjo live at the Royal Albert Hall on BBC One in front of Her Majesty the Queen with Harry Hill and Frank Skinner and 30 members as a George Forme Society for the Queen's 92nd Birthday Conter. We played when I'm cleaning windows. You've had a weird life haven't you had? Ed did you want a bit a politician really? let's be honest. We came off afterwards, we're waiting to go on for the encore. Prince Charles says to me, because I knew quite well when I was education. He says to me, what has happened to your life? What have you done? And I had no answer. I don't know what to say. I think it's better now, isn't this more fun than than th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thin, thin, thi. thi. to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to the the the the the the their their their their their their their their thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. thr. thr. thr. the thr. the the the the theee. the thrue. But you know, politics is really important. And there are any of your kids going into it?

I don't think so at the moment, but you know, I would like them to. But I think it's a hard thing to do in modern society, because it's so exposed and so harsh. But you know, you want the next generation to who aspire to make the world a better place don't go and be politicians, who are the people who are going to be the politician? Because in a democracy, you have to have somebody. If it's the bad guys or the people who are out for themselves, well, where will we be as a country?

So if I could inspire them to do it, how bad it can we. Did you ever like when you were one of the secretaries of state have like security with you when you're with the kids like and say if you went to parents evening could you do that on your own or was there always some sort of security or people around you? No we never had any security in fact all the time Gordon Brown was Chancellor he had no security at all there was any security the the labor government was a chancellor after the financial crisis asked her darling was a chance for after the financial crisis. But we've had lots of kind of issues we dealt with so a vet has had two different people who have kind of been convicted and served sentences for threats against her. So we've had to have a lot of security in the home and we have banks behind the door to make sure if somebody tries to pour something in the letter box and so the children have had to learn about that more intense security, much stronger windows, knowing how to be careful.

But we've never had any kind of actually people doing security. That's really expensive and it's really only the Prime Minister and defence the home office who have that. So no, we never did. And to be honest, I'm going to get a huge relief because I think it's pretty miserable having to spend your whole time being accompanied by other people and getting in and out of cars and so we haven't, we haven't ever had that. Josh, would you like to ask the final questions Ed? Yeah, we always end on the same question. Oh, do you? This is quite a juicy one because we know your other half.

Yeah, particularly because we know your other half's, well in a year possibly with a year possibly with a home secretary, certainly. Is there one thing that your partner does parenting-wise that takes your breath away? You could never do it yourself, shows you what an amazing parent there are. And the second half of the question is what one thing do they do as a parent that really annoys you, but you've never brought it out with them, but were they to listen to this, that would be your way of communicating, don't do that anymore. Don't do that. that. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. thi. th. th. I think that the even when she's really tired and there's been loads of things going on, whether it's on Christmas Eve or on the kids birthdays, she'll always be up much, much later than me, she'll decorate the room

downstairs, sort of making sure that everything is right. She thinks birthdays are really important and I think I think there was one year when her dad didn't come to her birthday when she was little and ever since then it's been a total three-land whip, me and her were always there and she just wants to make sure that's a special, a special day and so Christmas night she'll be up to two or three in the morning. I'm just thinking, they're not going to care, s which I haven't told her, if I'm honest with you, you see we have the kind of relationship where we tell each other. So I mean she says a bad example on so many trumps in terms of just trivial thing. So I think I have told her a lot before is she is the worst person at putting anything away. If you go to go go go go go into to go to go the to go to go to go the to go the th. If you th. If you th. th. th. thi thi the thi thi the thi. thi. thi. thi. thi the thi. thi thi the the thi. thi. the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the kind the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the th. We we we the. We the. We the. We the. We the. We have the. We have theate an theateat. We have teat. We have teat. teat. teat. teat. teat, te. tell, theateate. We have the. made toast because you can see the open tea thing where the tea is and you can see the milks out and then the butters are. That's what Lou says about you are.

That's exactly what I did. Does she leave cup of the cup of the cup of their towards? It's like a snail. It's like a sown. the other thing is, you know, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, to, to, to, tho, tho, tho, tho, tho, the, tho, tho, tho, the, tho of the things I learned about relationships is that there's a certain point where if you keep mentioning it, it becomes really annoying because it's never going to change and therefore you just have to just absorb and smile. So I love a vet for very many reasons and every day I pick up her towels and hang them up. And I've done that every day now for 30 years and I never mention it. And if she was watching this podcast, I'd love it if she picked up a towel and put it away. But I'm never going to mention it.

It's just part of. Never going to mention it now. But now she can, if she listens to this, or if a journalist picks it up and it gets in the paper, she might. Well, I know, but it's just part of a deal. There's the the the the the the the thin thin. It's just. It's just. It's just. It's just. thin. It's just. It's just. It's just. It's just. It's just. It's just. It's just. It's just. It's just. It's just. the the thin. thi. It's just. It's just. thi. the the thi. It's just. It's just. It's just. It's just. It's just. It's just. It's just. It's. It's. It's. It's. It's. It's. It's. It's. It's. It's. It's. It's. It's. It's. It's. It's. It's. It's. It's. It's. It's. It's. It's. It's. It's. It's. It's just. It's just. It's just. It's just. It's just. It's just a the thin. It's just a theea. It's just a thea. It's just a thea. It's just a thea. It's just a the thea. It's just part. It's just a the thea. It's just have to think that's who they are and this is who I am and so the thing which really annoys her about me is every three months I'll say we've got to tidy the house. Yeah my wife does that. I go all the way around the house and put everything into a big box and I dump it on the kitchen table and then say we've got to sort it out and then event thin' thinks it can't then then then then then then then then then then then then then then then then then then then then then then then then then then then thin thin thin thin thin thin the. the. We'll th me th me th me th me thin thin thin' thee the. We've thi. We've thi. We've thi. We've the their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their thiiiiii. We'll thii. We'll thiiiii. We've try try try try try try try try try try try try try try try try try today t sick. So we have under our kitchen table is eight bags of things that events promise you'll sort out in due course and they've

been there since before Christmas. Nightmare. I'm looking forward to having to cover on good morning Britain. Shadow Home Secretary leaves towel towels on floor as a new story. Just don't tell her. Yeah I'm not going to tell to her. that I tho the just just just just just just just just just just just just just just just just just just just just just just the to the to the to to to the to to to to the to to the to to to the to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to told. to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to told. told. to told. to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to to. the the the the the the to. the the the the the told. the the the too. the the the the the the thoe. the tooe. the tooe. I. tooe. I tooe. tooes. I to. I to. to. I to going to tell her because I just sort of think in the end, you know, it's what I do. Okay, we won't, we won't mention it to her. And also, let's see the power of the podcast. If you don't tell her, we don't tell then, she comes over and goes, what's this towel problem? Let's see, let's seetell you mate to come up to me at pickup and I'm apologised. No, all he wants you to do is do the next pub quiz.

I'm doing it, I'm doing it. The best reception teacher comedy guy he's ever known. Thanks Ed, today, Ed Balls. Thanks Ed, thanks. Brilliant. Coo's, the thanks, know who that guy is at the school, Rob. Also, I felt like I started that interview badly when he said we were, and I said running the country into the ground is a bit of banter, but because he's a politician, I don't think

he sort of... Oh no, but I don't, I, that kind of thing is water off, what's your dog's butt that is? What happened there? Also as well, is it okay, Josh, if I admit this now, and you know that I'm not a major prepper? You don't know who he is? Nah, I didn't realize his wife was still a politician. And I didn't really know he was in politics. I literally just thought it backwards in that episode. But I think I covered for you. We're like, you know, like when you've got a midfielder who's making runs forward,

I was, I was covering all your runs, Rob. I was there. The first 10 minutes I was a bit quiet as I tried to work out. Oh, so it was actually. Because it's different if someone was like, oh't really know who to bring up or not bring up, because you don't know what was what, you know, what they can take, you know? But yeah, anyway, good to know now. That's the Ed Ball's Outtrain.

Listen to their podcast. Probably could have done that before he came on. Sorry about that, Josh. Yeah, don't matter. We were that. that. that. that. that. that. that. that. that. that. that. that. that. that. that. that. that. that. th. th. th. th. they they they they they were. they were. they were. they were. they were. they were. they were. they were. they're. they're. they're. they're. they're. they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they they. they. they. they. they. they. they. they. they. they. they. they. they. they. they they they they're. they're. they're th. th. th. th. th. tho. the. th, if you were, if you'd done research for that, you wouldn't be being you. Be you, Rob. I tell you what, when he said Peston was singing, I'm back in now. There we go. All right. He's another lovely book. I do like it. I'm a big fan of his work on Good Morning Britain and Strictly, but I didn't know about his previous career really. Oh, there you go. You win some, you lose some.

Right. See you on Tuesday. Bye. Bye. Bye. Bye.