FORMER Children's Secretary Ed Balls has said he would sack Sharon Shoesmith again if faced with the same situation as the Baby P scandal.

Judges at the Court of Appeal ruled this morning that Ms Shoesmith, the former social services director, was entitled to proper disciplinary proceedings – rather than being removed from her post in December 2008 at a press conference live on television by Mr Balls.

The Department for Education and Haringey Council are both appealing the ruling, which could see Ms Shoesmith claim nearly half a million pounds in compensation.

And Mr Balls said that ministers should be able to make executive judgments if they are in the public interest.

He said: “Having thought long and hard about this decision over the last two years – and having read the Appeal Court judgement today – I know that faced with the same circumstances I would make the same decisions again.

“Today’s Appeal Court decision will be greeted with surprise across the country. I strongly disagree with this judgement, which I believe is not in the interests of either child protection or responsible ministerial decision-making based on independent and objective advice.

“My duty and responsibility was to protect the safety of children in Haringey, and to maintain public confidence in child protection more widely.

“Nevertheless my response to the huge torrent of public outrage was not to rush to judgement, but instead to commission a report from the independent inspectors into the management of children’s services in Haringey.

“I judged, on the basis of that independent report – and on the advice of departmental officials and lawyers – that the right and responsible course of action was for me to use my statutory powers to remove the director of children’s services from her position with immediate effect.”

After being suspended by Haringey during the press conference, the council formally dismissed her a week later.

17-month-old Peter Connelly, was on Haringey's child protection register when he died violently at the hands of his mother, Tracey Connelly, her boyfriend Steven Barker, and Barker's brother Jason Owen, in August 2007.

In a statement, the Department for Education said: “The Government thinks that it was right in principle for Sharon Shoesmith to be removed from her post as director of children’s services.

“There are questions of constitutional importance involved in this case, beyond the specific question about whether Ed Balls should have had a further meeting with Sharon Shoesmith before removing her.

“Our initial application to appeal has been turned down by the Court of Appeal. We intend to pursue an appeal to the Supreme Court.”