Ed Balls: OBR forecasts show cost of living will continue to haunt Tories

Ed Balls has not had a good day. He has just given his post-autumn statement briefing, at which he argued that Labour had set the agenda for this statement with Ed Miliband’s energy price freeze pledge. He’s right, but as James explained in his blog, while Labour set the terms of debate for the autumn, the Tories have just set the agenda for the winter. The autumn was about the cost of living and energy prices, now the winter will be about credibility.

This of course assumes that the Conservatives follow up a good day today with an aggressive campaign over the next few weeks. That has not always been a given, but CCHQ is getting better at driving home clear messages, and MPs and ministers are growing more confident about popping up on the airwaves to defend the government. But Ed Balls wants to stick to the cost of living line.