Maggie Atkinson - the lame duck children's commissioner?

The post of children's commissioner has been turned into a political football

Ed Balls has steamrollered the appointment of Maggie Atkinson despite her nomination being snubbed by the children; schools and families select committee.

Seems pretty clear that committee chair Barry Sheerman and opposition members on the committee want to give Balls a kick in the teeth, but Balls will do his reputation no good in pressing on regardless.

Atkinson has been accused of being close to New Labour. She has been president of the Association of Directors of Children's Services under this government. But she was hardly a government poodle. Indeed, she was said to frequently be a thorn in the side of the Department for Children's Schools and Families. In other words, she was doing here job.

But the opposition's resistance to her appointment amounts to more than just tokenistic spite. I have it on good authority that during her stint as ADCS president, she did not once meet with the shadow children's minister Tim Loughton, despite a number of invitations apparently. Granted - the ADCS presidency is the toughest of jobs, given you have to juggle it with your Herculean day job as a director of children's services. But I'm also informed that the current incumbent Kim Bromley Derry meets with Lougton quite regularly. Being based in Newham rather than Gateshead might explain part of the reason why.

Whatever the cause of the objections, the writing's on the wall for Atkinson if the Tories win the election - if they don't scrap the role they are likely to starve it of resources. It's all rather spiteful and resentful stuff from all sides and it makes a mockery of parliamentary democracy.