May, Balls and due process.

For someone with responsibility for Laura Norder in the Yew Kay, Mrs ‘look at my shoes’ May sets a very poor example. Castigating her head of the Borders Agency without giving the chap any right of reply harks back to star chamber justice. ‘Due process’ is a vital defence against the overmighty acting on a whim or creating a fall guy for their mistakes. It might be slower but it is fairer and it works.

Before Labour get all uppity about the matter they should scroll back through their mental filing system and recall how Balls ‘dealt with’ Sharon Shoesmith. Balls, like all good bullies, quickly bowed to tabloid pressure over the death of Baby P. He ignored a large file of evidence which pointed the finger at (among others) Guys Hospital and the Police

A scapegoat was needed so with much huffing and puffing one was provided. Shoesmith won her appeal mainly because due process was not followed. A large financial settlement is on the cards. 

If the May/Balls school of management had to pay for their errors themselves, they may, just may, be a little bit more circumspect.