This video of Ed Balls playing the drums has been doing the rounds for the last day or two (hat-tip: Political Scrapbook). It’s strange viewing (he gets pretty into it at the end), but judging by the positive response on Twitter (that ever-reliable source), this attempt at being down with the kids has gained Balls some fans.
But while displaying your musical prowess (or lack thereof) might seem like an unusual step for a politician doing the rounds, it is not the first time. Back in 2001, Tony Blair borrowed an electric guitar during a school visit in Hartlepool, and joined students in an “impromptu blues-jam session”.
Unfortunately, there are no videos of this to compare and contrast with Balls’ appearance, but here is a youthful Blair talking about the death of his musical ambitions.