Ed Balls on passing Grade 3 piano: "It's pretty stressful"

30 April 2014, 17:44 | Updated: 2 October 2014, 17:05

Shadow Chancellor Ed Balls has revealed what it was like to pass his Grade 3 piano exam last week, describing the experience as "stressful".

Since taking up the piano, Balls has managed to successfully pass his Grade 1 and Grade 2 exams, but this is the first time he has achieved a pass with merit.

He told LBC's Julia Hartley-Brewer: "It's pretty stressful if you're 10, but if you're in your mid-40s it's considerably more stressful and the sight-reading's just as bad."

When asked if the examination process was anything like looking after the UK's finances, though, he conceded: "I'm not sure that translates into running the economy at all, to be honest."