Ed Balls facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Ed Balls
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Official portrait, 2007
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| Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families | |
| In office 28 June 2007 – 11 May 2010 |
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| Prime Minister | Gordon Brown |
| Preceded by | Alan Johnson |
| Succeeded by | Michael Gove |
| Economic Secretary to the Treasury | |
| In office 6 May 2006 – 28 June 2007 |
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| Prime Minister | Tony Blair |
| Preceded by | Ivan Lewis |
| Succeeded by | Kitty Ussher |
| Member of Parliament for Morley and Outwood Normanton (2005–2010) |
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| In office 5 May 2005 – 30 March 2015 |
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| Preceded by | Bill O'Brien |
| Succeeded by | Andrea Jenkyns |
| Shadow Cabinet portfolios | |
| 2010 | Shadow Secretary of State for Education |
| 2010–2011 | Shadow Home Secretary |
| 2011–2015 | Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Edward Michael Balls
25 February 1967 Norwich, Norfolk, England |
| Political party | Labour Co-op |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 3 |
| Parents | Michael Balls Carolyn Riseborough |
| Residences | London, England Castleford, West Yorkshire, England |
| Alma mater | (MPA) |
| Signature |  |
Edward Michael Balls (born 25 February 1967) is a well-known British politician, broadcaster, and economist. He held important roles in the UK government, serving as the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families from 2007 to 2010. He was also the Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer from 2011 to 2015, which means he was the main spokesperson for his party on money matters.
Ed Balls was a Member of Parliament (MP) for ten years, from 2005 to 2015. He represented the areas of Normanton and later Morley and Outwood. He is a member of the Labour Co-op political party.
After leaving politics, Ed Balls became involved in many different things. He taught at universities, became the chairman of a football club, and even appeared on popular TV shows like Strictly Come Dancing and Celebrity Best Home Cook. He now works as a presenter on the morning TV show Good Morning Britain.
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Early Life and Education
Ed Balls was born in Norwich, England. His father, Michael Balls, was a zoologist, someone who studies animals. When Ed was eight, his family moved to Nottingham. He went to a private school for boys called Nottingham High School. There, he learned to play the violin.
He later studied at Keble College, Oxford, one of the UK's top universities. He focused on a subject called Philosophy, Politics, and Economics (PPE). After Oxford, he went to Harvard University in the United States as a Kennedy Scholar, where he studied economics.
Ed Balls joined the Labour Party in 1983, while he was still at school.
Starting His Career
From 1988 to 1990, Ed Balls was a teaching assistant at Harvard University. In 1990, he started working for the Financial Times, a major newspaper, as a lead writer on economic topics.
In 1994, he became an economic adviser to Gordon Brown, who was then the Shadow Chancellor, the main opposition spokesperson on money. When the Labour Party won the 1997 general election, Gordon Brown became the actual Chancellor, and Ed Balls continued to advise him. He eventually became the Chief Economic Adviser to the Treasury, which is the UK's finance department.
Political Journey
In 2004, Ed Balls was chosen to be the Labour Party's candidate for the area of Normanton in West Yorkshire. This area was known as a "Labour stronghold," meaning the party usually won there easily. He was elected as an MP in the 2005 general election.
Later, the boundaries of his constituency changed. In 2007, he was chosen to be the candidate for the new Morley and Outwood area, which was a "marginal seat," meaning it was much harder for one party to win. He was elected for this new seat in 2010.
Working in Government
In May 2006, Ed Balls became the Economic Secretary to the Treasury, a junior minister role in the UK's finance department.
When Gordon Brown became Prime Minister in June 2007, Ed Balls was promoted to Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families. In this important role, he was in charge of policies related to schools and children. He helped create the Children's Plan and raised the age at which young people could leave education or training to 18.
In October 2008, he announced that the government would stop the SAT tests for 14-year-olds, which was a popular decision among teachers and parents. He also worked on the Children, Schools and Families Bill, a new law that aimed to improve education and welfare for children.
Labour Leadership Election
After Gordon Brown stepped down as Prime Minister and leader of the Labour Party in 2010, Ed Balls decided to run to become the new leader. He was one of five candidates, but Ed Miliband was eventually chosen as the new leader.
Shadow Cabinet Roles
After the leadership election, Ed Miliband appointed Ed Balls as the Shadow Home Secretary in October 2010. This meant he was the main opposition spokesperson on home affairs.
In January 2011, he became the Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer. In this role, he worked closely with Ed Miliband to develop Labour's economic plans. They promoted a "five-point plan for jobs and growth" to help the UK economy. This plan included ideas like investing in new homes and cutting certain taxes.
2015 General Election
In the 2015 general election, Ed Balls lost his seat in Parliament to Andrea Jenkyns from the Conservative Party. This was a very close election. After leaving Parliament, he received some money to help him move and close his parliamentary office.
Ed Balls Day
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Ed Balls
28 April 2011
On 28 April 2011, Ed Balls accidentally sent a tweet that just said "Ed Balls". He was trying to search for an article about himself but typed it in the wrong box. He didn't know how to delete tweets, so it stayed online.
This simple tweet became very famous and is now celebrated every year on 28 April as "Ed Balls Day." People retweet his original message and celebrate the day in fun ways. It's become a lighthearted tradition online.
Life After Politics
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After leaving politics, Ed Balls took on several new roles. He became a Senior Fellow at Harvard University and a visiting professor at King's College London.
In December 2015, he was appointed chairman of Norwich City F.C., the football club he supports. He held this position until December 2018.
Television Appearances
In 2016, Ed Balls took part in The Great Sport Relief Bake Off. He also competed in series 14 of the BBC's popular dance show, where he was partnered with professional dancer Katya Jones. He became very popular for his energetic and often funny dance routines, especially his performance of "Gangnam Style". He made it to week 10 of the competition.
His book about his life, Speaking Out, was published in August 2016. In 2018, he presented a three-part documentary series called Travels in Trumpland with Ed Balls, where he explored different parts of America. In 2020, he presented Travels in Euroland with Ed Balls, looking at Europe.
In January and February 2021, Ed Balls won the BBC One cooking show Celebrity Best Home Cook. He has also hosted a documentary series about social care in England and was featured on the TV show Who Do You Think You Are?, which explores people's family history.
Since September 2023, Ed Balls has co-hosted an economics and politics podcast called Political Currency with former Chancellor George Osborne.
Personal Life
Ed Balls married fellow Labour MP Yvette Cooper in 1998. Yvette Cooper has also held important government roles, including Home Secretary. They have three children together. In 2008, they became the first married couple to serve together in the UK's Cabinet.
Ed Balls has a stammer, which is a speech difficulty. In 2010, he became a patron of the British Stammering Association, an organization that supports people who stammer. He has spoken publicly about his experience with stammering.
Ed Balls is also a member of a band called Centrist Dad, where he plays the drums.
Images for kids
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Ed Balls' signature
