Ed Balls on Miliband, losing his seat, and Strictly Come Dancing

Ed Balls was voted out as MP after 10 years Credit: PA

Ex-shadow chancellor Ed Balls has spoken of his "sense of loss" upon losing his seat after 10 years, and revealed what he thinks went wrong for Labour - but stopped short of criticising former leader Ed Miliband.

Mr Balls' ousting as MP for Morley and Outwood in favour of Conservative candidate Andrea Jenkyns was seen by many as being a seminal moment of the general election - a sign that the public had very much not been won over by Labour's campaign.

In his first interview since the general election, he told the BBC he believed the party should have been more "pro-business" - but insisted the blame lay at the feet of all members, not just its leader.

Mr Balls insisted Ed Miliband was not solely to blame for Labour's election performance Credit: PA

He said he was in no rush to return to front-line politics, and would instead be spending his time reading, running and writing about economics, as well as giving behind-the-scenes support to his wife, Yvette Cooper, as she competes to replace Mr Miliband.

As for rumours he might make an appearance on this year's Strictly Come Dancing, he swatted the question away with all the practised deftness befitting a politician - claiming he was "not sure" he was "equipped" for such a competition, without confirming or denying anything.