Ed Balls defends Children's Commissioner decision

Schools Secretary Ed Balls today defended his decision to overrule MPs and force through his choice for the next children's commissioner.

Mr Balls faced accusations that he was a "bully" who always wanted his own way after dismissing objections from a committee of senior backbenchers to the appointment of Maggie Atkinson to the key post.

He rejected suggestions that Dr Atkinson was a Government "patsy" who would not stand up to ministers on children's rights.

Making an emergency statement to the Commons on the row, Mr Balls said: "It is my duty to appoint the best person to the job and this should not be about politics, partisanship or personality."

He confirmed that Dr Atkinson is to take up the post of Children's Commissioner from March next year.

Shadow Schools Secretary Michael Gove suggested there was "something of the night" about the way Mr Balls ran his department. Dr Atkinson declined to comment.

Barry Sheerman, the veteran chairman of the Commons Education Committee, launched an attack after Mr Balls overrode opposition to his choice for Children's Commissioner.

Mr Balls appointed Maggie Atkinson to the role despite Mr Sheerman's committee declaring her unsuitable. It is the first time that a select committee has exercised new powers to hold prehearings into the wisdom of government appointments.

Calling it "a bad day for democracy", Mr Sheerman told the BBC: "He is a bit of a bully, he likes to get his own way."

He added: "I think he does not like strong, independent-minded people standing up to him."

Coming from a Labour MP, such criticism of a senior minister is highly unusual. An ally of Mr Balls rejected the charge of bullying. "I don't think anyone who has worked with Ed would think that," he said.

Some supporters of Mr Balls suspected that Mr Sheerman is fighting a Labour leadership battle by proxy. He is tipped to stand for the chairmanship of the Parliamentary Labour Party as an anti Brown candidate.

The Commons Education Committee MPs said that Ms Atkinson, presently director of children's services in Gateshead, had failed to show sufficient "determination to assert the independence of the role, to challenge the status quo on children's behalf, and to stretch the remit of the post, in particular by championing children's rights". They were condemned by children's charities who said the judgment "beggared belief".