Trouble at Mill?

Yvette Cooper and Ed Balls make a lovely couple.

Yvette, youthful, intelligent and able to talk of 'market renewal pathfinders' and 'intra-regional growth strategies' without blushing, is the MP for Pontefract and Castleford. Her husband, Ed Balls, former right-hand man to Gordon Brown, is the MP for Normanton and was, several moons ago, responsible for making post neo-classical endogenous growth theory a hip subject (okay, maybe not).

Storms, however, may be brewing in the Cooper-Balls household. The Boundary Commission confirmed today that the number of MPs for Wakefield District is to be reduced from 4 to 3. With Ed and Yvette's seats both in the Wakefield District this could be the beginning of unhappy breakfast times at the Cooper-Balls residence. Icy stares over the kitchen table and grudging moves to pass the milk may result from the decision which leaves the couple to fight it out with the other two MPs in the district to see who stays in Parliament (as long as the Great British public votes them in of course).*

Ed Balls was understandably unhappy with the decision,"Today’s decision would mean not only great disruption and the breaking of local community ties. If the plans go ahead unchanged, this will mean there are fewer people in Westminster standing up for our area."

"But, on the other hand," he continued, "er' indoors would have that much more time to finish the ironing, darn the socks and cook the dinner, so its not all bad."

*Fear not faint-hearted readers. Balls and Cooper probably will stay in Parliament in the next session. A they are both friendly with the Labour hierarchy I'm sure that even if the boundary changes are made they will find a way to remain 'local'. Mary Creagh and John Trickett, the other MPs in the area, could be in for a trip to the other place though....