Ed Balls glazed Mandelson in resurfaced clip

Former Labour shadow chancellor Ed Balls was all over the news on 27 April. This was because he responded to the accusation that he’s a Labour politician by having a meltdown live on air.

Balls argued he can’t be a ‘Labour politician’ because he hasn’t stood as an MP in over a decade. As Greens leader Zack Polanski highlighted, however, Balls was a key Labour figure for years, and he’s married to the current foreign secretary. In other words, he’s a Labour politician by stealth who’s swapped the benches of parliament for the swivel chairs of the newsroom.

Since Balls’s public embarrassment, a clip has reemerged of him talking about Peter Mandelson becoming our ambassador to the US. It’s a clip that demonstrates his thinking is fully aligned with that of the current Labour leadership:

I’m afraid this party needs to die.

Not least for the people it’s meant to look out for. https://t.co/IIslCItQ0e

— Aaron Bastani (@AaronBastani) April 27, 2026

Oh dear, Ed Balls

In the clip above, Ed Balls says:

Peter Mandelson is the kind of person who can use that sort of British allure, his past experience, his way with people.

When Balls said this, Mandelson’s “past experience” included being forced to resign in disgrace from government on two separate occasions. His “way with people” included being friends with Jeffrey Epstein – the 21st century’s most notorious paedophile.

Balls also said:

I would think Peter is – unusually – in these times – the kind of person you’d want to be your ambassador.

When journalists and politicians were saying this, what they meant was: ‘Mandelson and Trump were good pals with the same paedophile, so they should get along like a house on fire‘.

Balls also said:

And, you know, sources close to Peter have obviously been working hard to make sure he gets the job. Let’s hope he does.

The fact that sources close to Peter were “working hard to make sure he gets the job” has now become a national scandal, as we’ve reported. Today, that saw Starmer’s ex-chief of staff Morgan McSweeney doing his best to defend the indefensible:

WATCH: Morgan McSweeney makes the understatement of the century.

I made a "serious mistake" by recommending Peter Mandelson for the US Ambassador job. pic.twitter.com/2NSVprLthS

— PoliticsJOE (@PoliticsJOE_UK) April 28, 2026

And there are still more connections to discuss too.

It’s a big club

In the clip at the top, Ed Balls is talking to podcast co-host George Osborne. Osborne was the actual chancellor when Balls was the shadow; he was also Starmer’s top pick for the ambassador position they eventually gave to Mandelson:

How on earth do you reconcile the PM constantly highlighting the immeasurable damage done to the country by austerity with that very same PM wanting to reward the man single-handedly responsible for it with a plum government job?

— Ben Kentish (@BenKentish) April 28, 2026

So Labour and the Tories are in bed together, and all of them are in bed with the media. Because let’s not forget; George Osborne also had a late-stage career in journalism. After being booted out of office, he became the editor of the London Evening Standard. He held this position despite being a sitting MP.

Unbelievable, right?

And yet this sort of thing is widely accepted in the British establishment.

Featured image via The Canary