He was Lord Rector of the University of Edinburgh from 2006 to 2009, and now works for the National Deaf Children's Society Ballard was born in Leeds, England on 27 June 1971.

[8] He also used the position to call for sustainable procurement guidelines, support ethical investment campaigns, and make the case for Scottish utilities being in public ownership.

[9] As a Lothians MSP he helped raise awareness of community initiatives such as the campaign to resist a huge superstore development in Portobello, supporting the calls for congestion charging in Edinburgh, assisting universities wanting to make the switch to Fairtrade and opposing tuition fees for students.

Ballard has also been involved in direct action campaigning, most notably against British nuclear weapons on the River Clyde at Faslane.

[12] Although initially found guilty of "wilfully and recklessly" destroying plants belonging to Monsanto Company,[13] all charges were quashed due to a delay in the hearing of the appeal, which Mr Ballard claimed was because the Crown was unable to provide relevant evidence.

[14][15] Ballard's Parliamentary Register of Interests indicated that he held membership of several organisations, including:[3] Friends of the Earth, Sustrans, Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament, Democratic Left Scotland, Reforesting Scotland, Water of Leith Conservation Trust, Friends of Inverleith Park, SSPCA, Advocates for Animals and Scottish Education and Action for Development.

In February 2006 he stood for election as Rector the University of Edinburgh standing against MP for Henley Boris Johnson, pro-Palestine journalist John Pilger and former Scotsman editor Magnus Linklater.