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Office admin sacked for Blears abuse

Anon comment = P45

Updated An office administrator at the Department of Children, Schools and Families has been sacked for posting an anonymous comment about Hazel Blears on TheyWorkForYou - the government-funded* website which aims to increase political engagement.

Lisa Greenwood, a £16,000 a year administrator, was sacked in May after an anonymous posting was traced to her work email account. She was found guilty of gross misconduct and bringing her department into disrepute.

Greenwood's post read: "How dare you wave a cheque about on national TV, saying that you are sorry.

"You are only sorry that you have been caught. You are a disgrace (including all the other honourable members). Why haven't you been sacked?"

She told the Telegraph she expected some disciplinary action but was shocked to be sacked. She said the expenses scandal was a hot topic of conversation at work despite the Civil Service code. She said she had only put in writing what many other civil servants had said.

Communities minister Blears resigned her Cabinet post the day before local and European elections after it emerged that she had failed to pay capital gains tax on the sale of her second home.

She later survived a vote of no confidence from her constituency party in Salford. The clown-faced former minister agreed to pay the Revenue £13,000 to cover her missing tax payment.

Update: We've just spoken to Tom Steinberg of MySociety, which is behind They Work For You. He said the comments were not posted on They Work For You. Nor did the Department for Children, Families and Schools approach them for help in tracing Greenwood. ®

* They Work For You is funded by consultancy work carried out by My Society although it has received payment for adding historical information.

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