Furthermore, the newspaper that published her folly was denounced in outrageous terms when all it was doing was its bounden duty – exposing hypocrisy and rule-breaking.
And Sir Chris Whitty, Sir Frank Atherton, Sir Michael McBride, respectively the chief medical officers of England, Wales and Northern Ireland, all sent various messages to Ms Calderwood encouraging her to “ignore” the story, offering their support after she initially said she’d try to “ride it out” and urging her not to resign.
It is one thing for such eminent medical men to be sympathetic towards the plight of a trusted and valued colleague, but entirely another to cast their better judgments to the wind and not only rally round Ms Calderwood, but urge her to stay in post and to attack her supposed tormentor in the press.
I can fully understand the pressure under which these men and women worked and the often life and death issues with which they had to deal on an almost daily basis. It is not at all surprising that they formed a band of brothers (and sisters) who had joined forces to battle Covid, one of the worst pestilences to afflict mankind.
Nor is it at all surprising that they developed, as some of their messages have revealed, a “repel all critics” attitude towards those who not only disagreed with them but also attacked their colleagues.
However, should they not accept that they ought to have been, like Caesar’s wife, above suspicion? Ms Calderwood’s resignation was a small, but embarrassing, episode in an otherwise successful piece of public service. I think they might now accept that.