News that George Meehan, leader of Haringey Council, and Liz Sawtry, the Cabinet Member for Children's Services, have resigned will be welcomed across the political spectrum, and rightly so. Both chose to do the honourable thing (albeit slowly) in a situation bereft of honour.

There sadly, is where the honour ends. Rather than fall on her sword, Sharon Shoesmith had to be fired by Ed Balls. No prises for guessing why; something tells me resignation wouldn't have come with the soft landing provided by a contractual payout.

Surely though, in situations such as this, individuals like Sharon Shoesmith, whose abject failure to perform the role for which they were hired served created the circumstances in which an innocent child died, should find themselves out of work and out of luck?

If Shoesmith gets a payout of any sort, the system will have failed.