Civil servant sacked over e-mail

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A civil servant who was sacked after she criticised Salford Labour MP Hazel Blears over MPs' second home expenses has said she was "having a moan".

Lisa Greenwood, 38, from Widnes in Cheshire, sent an e-mail from her work computer to Ms Blears's website saying MPs had "swindled taxpayers".

The e-mail contained her work address at the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF).

She was sacked for breaching the Civil Service code of impartiality.

After meeting with managers, Miss Greenwood admitted she was wrong to send the e-mail from work and she was dismissed from her £16,000-a-year admin role.

"I do regret sending the e-mail from work but I don't regret saying what I said," she said.

Civil servants should be politically impartial at all times, and not act in a way that could damage the reputation of their department DCSF spokesperson

"I am allowed to have a personal opinion, I stand by what I said. I've had lots of support although a few people have said I was a bit stupid for doing what I did."

Miss Greenwood contacted the minister via a link on a website called theyworkforyou.com.

Ms Blears paid back £13,000 after it was disclosed that she had avoided capital gains tax on the sale of her designated second home.

She later quit her job as communities secretary on the day before the local elections on 4 June.

Miss Greenwood wrote to the Salford Labour MP: "I was appalled to see you on national television this morning waving a cheque around as if it was going to make everything OK.

Hazel Blears paid back £13,332 to the Inland Revenue

"You are not sorry at all. (Only sorry that you have been caught.) You are a disgrace. Why haven't you been arrested and why have you not been sacked? Not that my comments will have any impact.

"I doubt you will even read this."

A DCSF spokesperson said: "The Civil Service has a clear code of conduct for its employees, which states that civil servants should be politically impartial at all times, and not act in a way that could damage the reputation of their department.

"We expect all our staff to adhere to this code of conduct, and there are clear consequences for those who break the rules.

"This makes sure that the Civil Service remains honest, impartial and professional, and continues to provide a high level of service to the public."

Although Ms Blears's actions were within the rules, they were described as "totally unacceptable" by the prime minister.