article_snippet: Ed Balls today ambushed Osborne on live TV by forcing Osborne to agree to take part in a head-to-head election debate on the economy.
article_snippet: Mr Balls insisted Prime Minister David Cameron may be 'scared' of a one-on-one debate with Labour leader Ed Miliband but Prime Minister David Cameron was up for the showdown with Osborne.
article_snippet: Asked if Osborne was keen on the debate, shadow chancellor Mr Balls replied: 'Of course, and I would like to go further.
article_snippet: Osborne is not a coward.
article_snippet: Addressing Osborne, Osborne said: 'You can say now - are you up for it?'
article_snippet: shadow chancellor Mr Balls extended shadow chancellor Mr Balls hand out to Osborne to shake on a one-on-one debate, telling shadow chancellor Mr Balls: 'Come on Osborne, let's go for it.'
article_snippet: Osborne appeared hesitant, saying Osborne would be happy to meet shadow chancellor Mr Balls in a debate.
article_snippet: Osborne shook the shadow chancellor's hand, adding to shadow chancellor Mr Balls: 'We're going to see who else wants to be part of the shadow chancellor's hand.
article_snippet: shadow chancellor Mr Balls added: 'If Prime Minister David Cameron was up for a one-to-one debate like Osborne, it would be alright - for some reason Prime Minister David Cameron is running scared.'
article_snippet: Speaking on BBC 5 Live's Pienaar's Politics, shadow chancellor Mr Balls said shadow chancellor Mr Balls was unsure if Osborne had agreed to the debate or not.
article_snippet: I thought Osborne was going to do what Prime Minister David Cameron has ducked for weeks and weeks. '