Balls defends children’s commissioner appointment
By Ian Dunt
Ed Balls has defended himself against accusations that he overrode the views of the children’s committee in appointing Maggie Atkinson as children’s commissioner.
The chidren’s secretary came in for sustained criticism for his decision, although some observers concluded the committee’s chairman, Barry Sheerman, was playing a long-term game with an eye to becoming chairman of the parliamentary Labour party next month.
Speaking to the children’s committee about the powers granted to committees to interview key government appointments today, Mr Balls said: “It wasn’t, it isn’t, and I don’t think it was ever described as a veto.”
It was the first time Mr Balls and Mr Sheerman had come face to face since Mr Sheerman called the children’s secretary “a bit of a bully”.
“I think I would have been in a very difficult position if I had overturned an old recommendation,” Mr Balls added.
“It would have been very undermining of the subsequent children’s commissioner.”
