Osborne vs Balls

The first clash between the Chancellor, George Osborne, and the new Shadow Chancellor, took place earlier this afternoon. Here, courtesy of ITN, is that four-minute event (the whole Treasury Questions session lasted over 90 minutes):

Here's Fraser Nelson's take on what happened.

By George, he's got it!

George Osborne, that is.

Once upon a time, the media and others tried to portray Osborne as a toff, as a novice, a Bullingdon Boy and all manner of other attempted slights, insults and put-downs. As usual they were playing the man and not the ball.

However, apart from going onto a Russian's boat a couple of years ago, he hasn't really put a foot wrong and has grown in stature over the years he has been more publicly known.

Now, as the Mail's Quentin Letts reports, he is the "senior partner" at the Treasury, even alongside the very experienced Permanent Secretary (i.e. the civil service boss at the Treasury). The Letts article is remarkable in what it spells out in sufficient detail to drive several points home. It's worth reading through, and isn't over-long.

It is also interesting to read (towards the end) about how Labour's purported rising star Chuka Umunna fared. I have encountered him a few times before, in the media and elsewhere (I live not far from his constituency) and have never been impressed. His main claim to fame seems to be his ego, and that has not gone unnoticed by Mr Letts, I spotted in his piece(!)

Being in government genuinely suits the likes of Cameron and Osborne, and it is starting to show more than I can recall seeing in any UK government ministers of any party for a very long time. For all their imperfections, they have certainly "got it" far better than anyone they and their Cabinet colleagues succeeded in May!