Education secretary Ed Balls got more than he bargained for when he took up the challenge of a local radio station to take questions from the public and found himself having to deflect anger over the Building Schools for the Future plans of Kirklees Council.

The show was virtually hijacked by furious Mirfield callers , and quite right too.

When your empassioned pleas seem to have fallen on deaf ears for months and suddenly you have the chance to put the boss on the spot, and with plenty of witnesses, you're not going to throw the opportunity away.

On some occasions going to an MP can get you a sympathetic ear, help and advice and a huge amount of support – Dewsbury and Mirfield MP Shahid Malik has certainly done all these things and more in the battle over BSF plans in Mirfield.

But he cannot over-ride the decision of Kirklees Council on this issue. Ed Balls, as Secretary of State for Schools, clearly can.

Let's hope that Shahid's meeting with him yesterday adds even more weight and ensures he will intervene in this shambles - and fast.