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Edward Balls

Labour MP for Normanton

• Secretary of State, Department for Children, Schools and Families (since 28 Jun 2007)


• Entered Parliament on 5 May 2005 — General election
• Majority: 10,002 votes. — 158th out of 643 MPs.

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• Voting record
• Committees and topics of interest
• Most recent appearances
• Numerology
• Register of Members’ Interests
• Expenses
• Early Day Motions signed by this MP (From edmi.parliament.uk)

Voting record (from PublicWhip)

How Edward Balls voted on key issues since 2001:

• Voted moderately against a transparent Parliament. votes, speeches
• Voted very strongly for introducing a smoking ban. votes, speeches
• Voted very strongly for introducing ID cards. votes, speeches
• Voted very strongly for Labour's anti-terrorism laws. votes, speeches
• Voted strongly against an investigation into the Iraq war. votes, speeches
• Voted very strongly for replacing Trident. votes, speeches
• Voted very strongly for equal gay rights. votes, speeches
• Voted moderately for laws to stop climate change. votes, speeches

Read about how the voting record is decided.

More on well-known issues (from the Guardian) & their full record

• Hardly ever rebels against their party in this parliament.

Committees and topics of interest

Asks most questions about

• Departments: Education and Skills, Trade and Industry, Health, Deputy Prime Minister, Work and Pensions

• Subjects (based on headings added by Hansard): Care Support Services, Care Leavers, Mental Health, Rwanda, Teenage Pregnancy

(based on written questions asked by Edward Balls and answered by departments)

Public Bill Committees (sittings attended)

• Finance Bill Committee (12 out of n/a)
• Financial Mutuals Arrangements Bill Committee (1 out of n/a)
• Northern Ireland (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill Committee (2 out of n/a)
• Finance Bill Committee (8 out of n/a)
• Finance (No.2) Bill Committee (21 out of n/a)
• International Development (Reporting and Transparency) Bill Committee (1 out of n/a)

Most recent appearances

Oral Answers to Questions — Foreign and Commonwealth Office: 21st Century Schools (30 Jun 2009)

“May I take this opportunity to welcome you, Mr. Speaker, to your position and congratulate you on your elevation? Over the past 12 years, school standards have risen significantly in our country, and our education system has changed beyond recognition. The number of secondary schools with at least 30 per cent. of pupils failing to achieve five good GCSEs, including English and maths, has...”

Oral Answers to Questions — Foreign and Commonwealth Office: 21st Century Schools (30 Jun 2009)

“I was waiting to hear the alternative policy programme from the shadow Education Secretary, but there was nothing on offer—just the normal well- rehearsed speech, well written in advance; I guess that if one is charging £1,250 an hour, the script has to be well written. The fact is that we have set out one-to-one commitments and we are now delivering 300,000 more places next year....”

Oral Answers to Questions — Foreign and Commonwealth Office: 21st Century Schools (30 Jun 2009)

“I am grateful for the hon. Gentleman's interest in these matters and for the more serious way in which he has addressed the statement and the White Paper. I welcome his support for the idea of the report card, and I hope he agrees with me that it will strengthen accountability and provide more information that parents actually want in order for them to understand the progress of every child...”

More of Edward Balls's recent appearances

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Numerology

Please note that numbers do not measure quality. Also, representatives may do other things not currently covered by this site. (More about this)

• Has spoken in 19 debates in the last year — average amongst MPs.
• Has received answers to 0 written questions in the last year — Ministers do not ask written questions.
• Is a member of 0 select committees (0 as chair).
• Replied within 2 or 3 weeks to a low number of messages sent via WriteToThem.com during 2007, according to constituents.
• Has voted in 82% of votes in parliament with this affiliation — well above average amongst MPs. (From Public Whip)
• People have made 34 annotations on this MP’s speeches — well above average amongst MPs.
• This MP's speeches, in Hansard, are readable by an average 17–18 year old, going by the Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level score.
• 169 people are tracking whenever this MP speaks — email me whenever Edward Balls speaks.
• Has used three-word alliterative phrases (e.g. "she sells seashells") 426 times in debates — above average amongst MPs. (Why is this here?)

Register of Members' Interests

Register last updated: 24 Jun 2009. More about the Register

View the history of this MP's entries in the Register

Expenses

Figures in brackets are ranks. Data from parliament.uk (source). Read 2004/05 – 2007/08 receipts.

^* Regular journeys between home/constituency/Westminster: Mileage £4,277 (180th). Rail £7,019 (113th). Misc £50 (197th).

^** Car £5,064 (141st). 3rd party £30 (47th). Rail £8,839 (52nd).