Two of the Labour's leadership candidates, Ed Balls and Ed Milliband have criticised the decision to invade Iraq. The former Schools's Secretary, Ed Balls, said the war was a "mistake" and was "wrong". And the former Energy Secretary, Ed Miliband, said the way the decision to go to war was taken had caused "a big loss of trust" for the Labour party.Ed Miliband was not a MP and not in government at the time. Neither was Ed Balls - although he was a senior advisor to then Chancellor, Gordon Brown.
This is an attempt to distance themselves from an issue so closely associated with the Labour government - and one that remains divisive within the party.
It could also be seen as an attack on David Miliband - a former Foreign Secretary and a member of the government at the time who supported the invasion.
Some people are trying to accuse Ed Balls, of crude opportunism with his remarks on Iraq. They say "oh he has never said anything before on Iraq and was fully supportive when he was in Government".
On the contrary, he said in 2006, while he Economic Sectary to Treasury, before he entered the cabinet, Mr Balls said in an interview for the Independent, "Like many others, I have said that all of us need to learn lessons – not least about the use of intelligence information. I wish more time had been spent trying to get support in the UN for a second resolution. And clearly the planning for Iraqi reconstruction was not good enough".
Yet again, Ed Balls's critics are proved completely wrong. They really should grow up and get over their false differences, if they cant, then do a favor for everyone and just simply shutup!
