Ed Balls
Biography
Ed Balls is an MP and key advisor to Chancellor of the Exchequer Gordon Brown, whose department will play a central role in making decisions on any new nuclear power stations. Balls was elected as Labour MP for the Normanton constituency on 5 May 2005. [1] (http://www.nuclearspin.org/index.php/Ed_Balls#endnote_Ballsbiog)
He is married to Housing and Planning Minister Yvette Cooper. [2] (http://www.nuclearspin.org/index.php/Ed_Balls#endnote_Ballsbiog)
Balls himself has said that nuclear 'is not a solution' to energy security problems. He strongly backs the coal industry because he represents 'a constituency with a strong mining tradition and with miners still working in Selby, Kellingley and elsewhere.' He adds: 'I come from an important coal-producing region: I think that a quarter of UK coal is produced in Yorkshire.' [3] (http://www.nuclearspin.org/index.php/Ed_Balls#endnote_BallsCoal)
Links to the nuclear industry
Balls' father-in-law is Tony Cooper, a member of the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority and former chairman of the Nuclear Industry Association. [4] (http://www.nuclearspin.org/index.php/Ed_Balls#endnote_Cooperbiog) [5] (http://www.nuclearspin.org/index.php/Ed_Balls#endnote_TonyCooperbiog)
External links
- ^ Biography on Ed Balls' website (http://www.edballs.com/index.jsp?c=/p/about/bio/), undated, accessed February 2006.
- ^ House of Commons Debate on the future of the coal industry (http://www.parliament.the-stationery-office.co.uk/pa/cm200506/cmhansrd/cm051012/halltext/51012h01.htm), October 12, 2005.
- ^ Biography on Yvette Cooper's website (http://www.yvettecooper.com/bio01_dw.htm), undated, accessed February 2006.
- ^ Tony Cooper's biography on Nuclear Decommissioning Authority website (http://www.nda.gov.uk/About_the_NDA--Biographies--Biographies_(489).aspx?pg=489#Tony%20Cooper), undated, accessed February 2006.