by The estimated 60 million people that inhabit the United Kingdom all claim to have the knowledge and experience to have an authoritative and impartial opinion of Sharon Shoesmith.
The former director of children’s services at Haringey Council has won her Court of Appeal battle over her sacking by Ed Balls following the Baby P tragedy, and now everybody is telling everybody else just what they think of her.
“I haven’t read the ruling or the Ofsted report,” said Gillian, a florist from East Sussex, “but I’ve certainly read the Daily Mail.”
“So of course, I think she’s a self-pitying, money-grabber who deserves to receive the same kind of vilification as the killers themselves.”
Pictures
Barman Alan Walters gave his incisive assessment of the situation, “Whenever I see a picture of Baby P, it makes me angry.”
“And all too often for it to be just a coincidence, a picture of Sharon Shoesmith wil be on the same page so obviously, that’s where I’m directing that anger.”
Others sympathise with Ms Shoesmith, and are equally ‘thrilled’ and ‘over the moon’ at the decision that sees her in line for a £400,000 payday.
“I feel sorry for her,” McDonald’s trainee Richard Spalling disagreed. “She’s been made a scapegoat and can’t even get another job working with other vulnerable children.”
“And all because she was in charge of an organisation which failed to act upon serious evidence of sustained abuse of a child.”
“I just can’t understand it. The world’s gone mad!”
