Transcript of George Osborne and Ed Balls end of show chat

PLEASE NOTE "THE ANDREW MARR SHOW" MUST BE CREDITED IF ANY PART OF THIS TRANSCRIPT IS USED

THE ANDREW MARR SHOW

INTERVIEW:

SOFA CHAT, GEORGE OSBORNE AND ED BALLS

NOVEMBER 27th 2011

ANDREW MARR:

You famously tear up, don't you now, I read, when it comes to Antiques Road Show. I was just going to wonder … I think we should have an emotional moment between the two of you - because you shout at each other all the time - and wonder what makes the Chancellor tear up?

GEORGE OSBORNE:

I have to confess …

ED BALLS:

Don't say Antiques Road Show if I were you.

GEORGE OSBORNE:

(laughs) I have to say I've never cried watching Antiques Road Show. I tell you what … The thing I'm watching at the moment, it's on a box set, is The Killing - this Danish crime thriller. It's absolutely brilliant.

ANDREW MARR:

(over) It is brilliant. I'm watching it.

GEORGE OSBORNE:

… and there are moments there - I'm only in the early episodes, so don't tell me what happens - with the loss of the child and the parents grieving, which are really very, very hard to watch.

ANDREW MARR:

Is there any chance, do you think, of the two of you sort of standing pretty much shoulder to shoulder at this moment of national crisis because, as I was saying earlier on, people watching are very, very scared now?

GEORGE OSBORNE:

Let me … I would say actually, you know I believe that Ed has good motives and I hope he would think I have good motives. We're both trying to get the British economy going and moving. He has different views about how we do it, but I don't think we would question each other's motives about … We question each other's policies.

ED BALLS:

And we both are completely clear together that Britain didn't join the Euro, the single currency, and that was one of the most important decisions of the last twenty years. And we have a debate about the strategy on deficit reduction, but we both want to do the best thing by Britain and …

ANDREW MARR:

(over) And you think he's the brightest they've got?

ED BALLS:

I think … George and I have always got on pretty well. I think he's good at his job and he's a good politician, but I think he's just made one big judgement wrong and that's what we're debating.

ANDREW MARR:

Alright.

ED BALLS:

And we both agree as well that we can't play the violin like Charlie. That's the truth.

ANDREW MARR:

On that note, we can all agree. We can all agree.

ED BALLS:

We can all agree on that.

ANDREW MARR:

Thank you very much both.

INTERVIEW ENDS

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