Safe Speed Forums

Going too far, too fast: Ed Balls confesses to being caught for speeding despite campaigning for more 20mph zones
By Matt Chorley, Mailonline Political Editor - PUBLISHED: 14:36, 5 April 2013 | UPDATED: 14:43, 5 April 2013

Shadow chancellor admits driving at 56mph in a 50mph zone on M62
He blames roadworks but embarrassing revelation comes despite campaigning for more 20mph zones in his constituency
Comes hours after Labour criticised George Osborne for his car being parked in a disabled bay

Labour’s Ed Balls today revealed he had been caught speeding, just hours after Chancellor George Osborne was embarrassed by his own parking offence.

Mr Balls used his blog to confess to breaking the speed limit on the M62, despite campaigning for more 20mph zones in his own constituency.

The shadow chancellor joked that he had been going ‘too far, too fast’ – a charge he has leveled against Mr Osborne’s pace of spending cuts.
Traffic trouble: Shadow chancellor Ed Balls admitted he had been caught speeding in his own constituency, and went on a speeding course to avoid penalty points

Traffic trouble: Shadow chancellor Ed Balls admitted he had been caught speeding in his own constituency, and went on a speeding course to avoid penalty points

The revelation by Mr Balls is embarrassing for the Labour party which has sought to make political capital from photographs showing Mr Osborne’s official car parked in a disabled bay while he bought a Big Mac from McDonald’s.

Left-wing critics have accused the Chancellor of being out of touch, despite him insisting he was dropped off outside the M4 service station and did not notice where police providing his security picked him up.

More...

Oh, burger! Osborne scores own goal as his driver is snapped waiting in disabled parking bay while Chancellor grabs a Big Mac
Modest as ever! Tony Blair boasts he would have been better than Gordon Brown at stopping the Tories in 2010 (but admits he might not have won)
One down, two to go: Former HBoS chief executive quits new job after damning report demands trio of former directors be BANNED from the City. So what about the other two?

However, Mr Balls today admitted he had being caught driving at 56mph in a 50mph zone on the motorway in his West Yorkshire constituency when he triggered a trap.

He said he had paid a fine and attended a speed awareness course rather than accept penalty points.
Let the train take the strain: The speeding revelation is embarrassing for Ed Miliband's Labour party, which has sought to exploit George Osborne's parking faux pas for political gain

Let the train take the strain: The speeding revelation is embarrassing for Ed Miliband's Labour party, which has sought to exploit George Osborne's parking faux pas for political gain

Writing on his blog, Mr Balls appeared to blame long-running roadworks for his error.

He said: ‘Like many local people, I was caught out by the never-ending roadworks on the M62. Pulling on to the motorway at Morley I realised too late that the speed restrictions were still in place.

‘I was caught and bang to rights – doing 56 in a 50 mile restriction zone. Going too far, too fast, you might say.

‘I paid my fine and chose to attend a speed awareness course. I currently have no points on my licence and would like to keep it that way. Which is why, this week, I ended up in the Holiday Inn with 39 others.’

Her claimed the course – which allows drivers to escape penalty points by undergoing training the dangers od speeding was ‘very professional and actually really worthwhile’.

It also has echoes of the Chancellor’s decision to sit in a first class train carriage last year, despite him only holding a standard class ticket. He was forced to pay £160 for an upgrade.
Chancellor George Osborne was pictured standing outside the vehicle parked in a bay marked with yellow lines and a disabled parking logo
Magor services on the Eastbound side of the M4 showing the disabled bays that Mr Osborne parked in

The driver of George Osborne's car reversed into the disabled parking space outside Magor services on the Eastbound side of the M4

Mr Balls went on: ‘What hit home were the statistics which link speed to car deaths. At 20 mph, less than 10 per cent of people will lose their lives if hit by a car. But the probability rises exponentially, going above 40 per cent at 40mph.

‘Our course instructors explained that casualty rates have fallen over the past decade, as drivers have become more aware and car design has improved. The worrying thing is that this trend has started to reverse in recent years.’

He went on to claim that his own misdemeanor reinforced his call for more 20mph routes in near schools and residential areas in Morley in his constituency.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article ... z2PdTR6MeR
Follow us: @MailOnline on Twitter | DailyMail on Facebook

that casualty rates have fallen over the past decade, as drivers have become more aware and car design has improved

[quoteHe said: ‘Like many local people, I was caught out by the never-ending roadworks on the M62. Pulling on to the motorway at Morley I realised too late that the speed restrictions were still in place.