Balls to due process

“Why is it impossible to listen to Ed Balls without wanting to give him a good smack? Listening to his interview with John Humphries on the Today programme this morning was a reminder why New Labour and its political class became so despised.” Talking Balls 13/7/2010 

Listening to him again tonight was just as unpleasant. Following the guidance of the almighty Alistair Campbell, to ‘get your retaliation in first,’ Balls launched himself onto the media blusteringly justifying his actions when he was Minister of State for Children. 

The media storm over the death of Baby P in Haringay revealed just what a shallow, thoughtless bully Balls is. Bowing to media pressure and in a frantic rush to deflect attention from himself and the governments inadequacies he seized on the ruse of tyrants throughout the ages - get a scapegoat and hang them out to dry. 

One of the duties of a Minister of the Crown is to uphold the rule of law. That means due process should be observed. We do not live in a banana republic where a tyrant can make the law suit whatever his needs happen to be at any given time. We have due process. It is a strength - not a weakness. It means that a defendant or accused has the right to know the case against them and has the opportunity to put their case. Sharon Shoesmith was not given that opportunity. Balls undermined the rule of law for his own slimy duplicitous reasons. His civil servants should have insisted that he was doing it wrong. 

It is not inconceivable that following due process, Sharon Shoesmith could well have ended up being sacked. It may have taken longer but it would not have exposed the workings of NewLabour and Balls in particular to derision and possible massive compensation claims. What will the redtop furies and harpies make of that?